What happens in Chapter XLII of Sense and Sensibility?
The chapter begins with a quick, final trip to Harley Street, where John Dashwood congratulates Elinor on her economical journey and promises to visit her at Delaford, while Fanny extends a hollow invitation to Norland. Elinor finds it amusing that everyone—John, Mrs. Jennings, and even Lucy—seems determined to send her to Delaford, a place she would rather avoid. In early April, the groups from Hanover Square and Berkeley Street set off, taking more than two days to ensure Charlotte's comfort, with Mr. Palmer and Colonel Brandon to follow. Marianne departs London with deep sorrow, mourning her lost hopes regarding Willoughby, while Elinor leaves feeling relieved, glad to escape Lucy's friendship and to prevent Marianne from encountering Willoughby again. By the third day, they reach Cleveland, a spacious modern house in Somerset. Marianne, feeling overwhelmed by the proximity to Barton and Combe Magna, quickly slips away to a Grecian temple on a distant hill and gazes at the horizon, imagining she can see Combe Magna. She decides to spend as much time as possible wandering alone. That afternoon, rain forces the group indoors; Mrs. Palmer cares for her child, Mrs. Jennings does some carpet work, and Marianne discovers the library. Mr. Palmer and Colonel Brandon arrive the following day. Elinor reassesses Mr. Palmer, finding him a competent companion but somewhat conceited, and his flaws make her appreciate Edward's qualities even more. Colonel Brandon speaks to Elinor about the Delaford parsonage and Edward's worries, and Elinor notices his concerned glances at Marianne, who is developing a cold. Marianne's reckless twilight strolls in the wet grass and sitting in damp shoes lead to a severe cold; she brushes it off, and Elinor struggles to convince her to try even the simplest remedies before bedtime.
Analysis
The chapter unfolds as a journey—both literal and emotional—from London to Cleveland, reflecting the sisters' differing inner states. Austen employs free indirect discourse to convey Marianne's romantic self-indulgence and Elinor's calm relief at the same time, often in adjacent paragraphs that subtly comment on one another. The portrayal of Cleveland is detailed and socially nuanced: its "spacious, modern-built" design, decorative shrubs, kitchen garden, and Grecian temple signify a place of fashionable aspiration rather than true beauty, creating an apt backdrop for Marianne's dramatic sorrow.
In Cleveland, Marianne's behavior is marked by intentional excess. She "rejoiced in tears of agony"—a phrase that illustrates Austen's ironic distance from Marianne's self-inflicted suffering—and decides to spend every hour in "free and luxurious solitude." The Grecian temple symbolizes her sensibility: an artificial classical structure from which she strains to catch a glimpse of Combe Magna, Willoughby's estate, in the distance. Her recklessness becomes tangible: the wet grass, soggy shoes and stockings, and twilight walks all transform her emotional impulsiveness into real consequences.
Elinor's viewpoint takes over the second half of the chapter. Her evaluation of Mr. Palmer is characteristically astute—she lists his faults and virtues with the same balanced syntax she uses for moral dilemmas—and his hedonism and arrogance highlight her appreciation for Edward. Colonel Brandon's "looks of anxious solicitude" for Marianne, observed by Elinor but overlooked by Mrs. Jennings, exemplify Austen's ongoing contrast between outward behavior and inner feelings as forms of evidence.
Key quotes from Chapter XLII
“In such moments of precious, invaluable misery, she rejoiced in tears of agony to be at Cleveland”
Austen's narrator describes Marianne's state of mind after her first solitary walk to the Grecian temple at Cleveland.
“she left no creature behind, from whom it would give her a moment’s regret to be divided for ever, she was pleased to be free herself from the persecution of Lucy’s friendship”
The narrator describes Elinor's feelings of relief at departing London, contrasting them with Marianne's grief.
“not sorry to be driven by the observation of his Epicurism, his selfishness, and his conceit, to rest with complacency on the remembrance of Edward’s generous temper, simple taste, and diffident feelings.”
Elinor reflects on Mr. Palmer after observing him in his own home at Cleveland.
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