“I have seen a great deal of him, have studied his sentiments and heard his opinion on subjects of literature and taste; and, upon the whole, I venture to pronounce that his mind is well-informed, his enjoyment of books exceedingly great, his imagination lively, his observation just and correct, and his taste delicate and pure.… At present, I know him so well, that I think him really handsome; or, at least, almost so.”
Elinor Dashwood, Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility”

If Marianne Dashwood represents the “sensibility” of Sense and Sensibility, her older sister Elinor would be the “sense.” She’s practical, well-mannered, and rational, making her the perfect – if not only – choice as her mother’s counselor and the Dashwoods’ accountant. Even when Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her logic overrules her heart, and she places her responsibilities for her family over her desire for marriage…