Austen uses the sisters’ romantic failures to critique the extremes of their philosophies. Marianne’s unfiltered sensibility nearly destroys her. When Willoughby abandons her for a wealthy heiress, her grief is so indulgent that it leads to a life-threatening illness. Her refusal to exercise "sense" leaves her defenseless against the cruelties of a world driven by money and status.
The resolution of the novel lies in the sisters learning from one another. Marianne eventually realizes that her "sensibility" was a form of selfishness that caused her family distress. She grows to appreciate the quiet constancy of Colonel Brandon, a man who possesses deep feeling but expresses it through action rather than performance. Sense and Sensibility
The Conflict of Head and Heart: A Study of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility Austen uses the sisters’ romantic failures to critique