Does Elinor’s sense save or preserve her from anything?
...se mechanism to be her sense. By skillfully using her sense, Elinor’s emotional responses can be masterfully hidden instead wantonly expressed. To express one's grief in troubled times is quite natural, but to assist another, or to comfort others in spite of one's affliction is indeed heroic and admirable. Her own heartbroken state due to Edward did not prevent her from comforting her sister Marianne after she was deserted by Willoughby. She understood that Marianne needed all the support she could get from her loved ones to heal her from her heart’s affliction. Elinor gave of herself to nursing her sister back to health even though the memory of Edward caused a heart to suffer. Elinor’s ability to covet her feelings is sensible as compared to Marianne’s inability to hide emotions. As for Marianne, under the loving care and guidance of her sister she too learned to appreciate and respect true love by accepting Colonel Brandon's proposal and to govern her feelings and emotions for the benefit of her own self and for those who love her to no end. Again, Elinor’s balance of emotions helps her sister to see that Willoughby would never be able to love her the way she loved him. Elinor’s greatest preservation came when she found out that Edward was secretly engaged. She could have lost her senses, but she continued to keep her wits about herself in order to ward...