Jane Austen's Villains: Every Girl's Dream Man, Willoughby

Who could fail to fall in love with Willoughby like Marianne does in Sense and Sensibility? Delightfully handsome, charming, clever and refined, he is every girl's dream man. Although he is a villain, even Jane Austen herself had a soft spot for this very appealing Regency rake.

Marianne dreams of her ideal man who must combine all the virtues of Eleanor's friend, Edward Ferrars with 'every possible charm'. Although she likes Edward, Marianne find him dry, passionless and lacking in taste and romantic inclinations. Edward, for example, does not have the 'rapturous delight' in fine paintings which Marianne considers 'could alone be called taste', and he also reads poetry badly, which she finds unforgivable. Marianne would also like this Prince Charming to have £2000 a year at least, on which they could support '...a proper establishment of servants, a carriage, perhaps two and hunters.'

Marianne's meeting with the dashing Willoughby suits her romantic dreams. Gallantly he rescues her from the rain when she falls, sustaining a sprained ankle, carrying her home to the family's astonishment. Marianne's dream man personified, Willoughby has all the attractions of 'youth, beauty and elegance'. Lively and charming, he shares Marianne's love for books, music and dancing, and impressed her with his excellent reading of poetry. All of the Dashwood friends like this personable young man, and Willoughby appears to be honest and open, deeply in love with Marianne.

From the moment that she sees him, Marianne becomes obsessed by Willoughby spending almost all of her time with him. She also recklessly ignores the unwritten rules of romance. Maggie Lane in Jane Austen's World writes that behavior prohibited to young couples before they were engaged included:

"...using Christian names, unless connected by family; driving in carriages alone together, correspondence, exchanging gifts, and any kind of intimate touching. If any of these were observed to take place, then the automatic assumption was that the couple were engaged."

According to Maggie Lane:

"Marianne and Willoughby are guilty of all five kinds of transgression. He calls her Marianne; they drive to Allenham alone on the day the Picnic is cancelled; she writes to him in London; he offers to give her A horse, which she enthusiastically accepts; and she allows him to cut Off a lock of her hair. The catalogue of these transgressions is enough To indicate how close her unconventionality brings her to losing her Honor." (56 Maggie lane)

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