Elinor and Marianne are presented as foils from the start of the story, as well as in the title which ties “sense” (or reason and rationality) to Elinor and “sensibility” (or emotional expression) to Marianne. Austen makes this difference clear in her descriptions of both women. First, she describes Elinor in the following way:
Elinor, this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother […] She had an excellent heart;—her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn, and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.
Unlike Elinor, who had a “coolness of judgment” and “knew how to govern” her feelings, Marianne had “no moderation”:
Marianne’s abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinor’s. She was sensible and clever; but eager in every thing; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: she was every thing but prudent.
What’s notable about both of these descriptions—apart from the obvious juxtaposition of their temperaments and characters—is that Austen intentionally names that Elinor does have strong feelings and Marianne does have cleverness and good sense, they just tend to suppress those parts of themselves. Over the course of the novel, Elinor learns an important lesson about letting some of her emotions out rather than controlling and concealing them—such as her fit of joyful tears when Edward finally proposes near the end of the novel. Marianne, similarly, comes around to developing moderation and reason, such as in her decision to marry Colonel Brandon, who is a steady partner rather than a passionate one. In the end, Austen intentionally shows that being foils to one other allowed each sister to learn from each other and, in the end, embrace both qualities of sense and sensibility.
Edward’s brother Robert acts as his foil throughout Sense and Sensibility, even before he is actually present in the novel. Near the start of the story, the narrator describes how Robert is quite ambitious, while Edward wants a more simple life:
His mother wished to interest [Edward] in political concerns, to get him into parliament, or to see him connected with some of the great men of the day […] All his wishes centered in domestic comfort and the quiet of private life. Fortunately he had a younger brother who was more promising.
Here readers learn that Edward may be a perfect match for Elinor because they share a similar desire for the “simple life.” Later, when Elinor meets Robert, she notices how rude he is and compares him in her mind to Edward:
He was exactly the coxcomb she had heard him described to be by Lucy. Happy had it been for her, if her regard for Edward had depended less on his own merit, than on the merit of his nearest relations! […] But while she wondered at the difference of the two young men, she did not find that the emptiness and conceit of the one, put her at all out of charity with the modesty and worth of the other.
Robert is the perfect foil for Edward because, as Elinor notes, Robert’s arrogance only leads her to value Edward and his “modesty and worth” all the more. In Elinor’s eyes, Edward is all the more desirable because of the fact that he’s not like his brother. This shows how Elinor is less interested in strategizing to have the grandest future with the most money—unlike Lucy, who ultimately shifts her affections onto Robert, likely due, in part, to his greed and ambition.
Marianne’s two suitors—Colonel Brandon and Willoughby—are initially set up as foils for each other, meaning their juxtaposition reveals more about each of their characters. This comes across in Elinor’s internal reflections on the differences between them:
[H]owever a general resemblance of disposition between the parties might forward the affection of Mr. Willoughby, an equally striking opposition of character was no hindrance to the regard of Colonel Brandon. She saw it with concern; for what could a silent man of five and thirty hope, when opposed by a very lively one of five and twenty?
Here, Elinor notes that Willoughby has a similar disposition to Marianne—they are both young, energetic, and full of passion. Colonel Brandon, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Marianne—he is older and quieter, and therefore less of an obvious choice. Though readers likely agree with Elinor at first that Colonel Brandon is not the right fit for Marianne, over the course of the novel, it becomes clear that first impressions are not always correct. Willoughby’s youth and passion get him into trouble, as he gets one woman pregnant and marries another one despite the fact that he wants to be with Marianne, hurting all three women in the process.
Colonel Brandon, on the other hand, is a consistent friend to Marianne, even as she is obviously more interested in Willoughby and he even cares for her when she is gravely ill. That Marianne ends up with Colonel Brandon is Austen’s way of communicating that character is more important than attitude or disposition—Colonel Brandon is the right choice for Marianne because he is consistent and trustworthy, not because he is energetic and engaging.
Edward’s brother Robert acts as his foil throughout Sense and Sensibility, even before he is actually present in the novel. Near the start of the story, the narrator describes how Robert is quite ambitious, while Edward wants a more simple life:
His mother wished to interest [Edward] in political concerns, to get him into parliament, or to see him connected with some of the great men of the day […] All his wishes centered in domestic comfort and the quiet of private life. Fortunately he had a younger brother who was more promising.
Here readers learn that Edward may be a perfect match for Elinor because they share a similar desire for the “simple life.” Later, when Elinor meets Robert, she notices how rude he is and compares him in her mind to Edward:
He was exactly the coxcomb she had heard him described to be by Lucy. Happy had it been for her, if her regard for Edward had depended less on his own merit, than on the merit of his nearest relations! […] But while she wondered at the difference of the two young men, she did not find that the emptiness and conceit of the one, put her at all out of charity with the modesty and worth of the other.
Robert is the perfect foil for Edward because, as Elinor notes, Robert’s arrogance only leads her to value Edward and his “modesty and worth” all the more. In Elinor’s eyes, Edward is all the more desirable because of the fact that he’s not like his brother. This shows how Elinor is less interested in strategizing to have the grandest future with the most money—unlike Lucy, who ultimately shifts her affections onto Robert, likely due, in part, to his greed and ambition.
