Jane Austen's Heroes: Colonel Brandon

Colonel Brandon has been considered by many critics to be a dull, older man. Marriage to him is, they think, Marianne’s punishment for breaching decorum with the love of her life Willoughby and being a rather selfish and egotistical girl.

Alan Rickman, who played him in the film Sense and Sensibility, did much to glamorize Colonel Brandon’s image, because he gave the role great sensibility and dignity.

However, even in the novel Colonel Brandon is a much more romantic figure than critics and many readers realize.

When young, beautiful and over-romantic Marianne first meets Colonel Brandon she thinks that he is much too old for love at over 35. Silent and grave, he doesn’t seem animated enough to be capable of falling in love at his age. She also sneers at his talk of ‘flannel waistcoats’ which she associates with age and infirmity.

Colonel Brandon, on the other hand, falls in love with Marianne at first sight and remains constantly devoted. He first sees her playing the piano and singing and admires her from then on. In spite of the fact that they do share an interest in music and that he is not vulgar like the Jennings, Marianne doesn’t have much time for him. She forgets all about him when handsome and lively Willoughby appears on the scene.

Willoughby also sneers at Colonel Brandon calling him: “the kind of man whom everybody speaks well of and nobody cares about; whom all are delighted to see and nobody remembers to talk to.” ¹ Marianne agrees, but Eleanor who likes the Colonel is upset by Willoughby’s disrespect.

When Willoughby, who does love Marianne to some extent, breaks her heart by marrying the very wealthy Miss Grey for her money Colonel Brandon decides to tell Eleanor what he knows about him. His seeing Marianne in such a state upsets him very much.

Eleanor discovers that Colonel Brandon has a romantic past. He fell in love a long time ago with Eliza a ward of his father. She married his brother to please his father although the brother did not love her and treated him unkindly. Colonel Brandon tried to help her but couldn’t save her from becoming a ‘fallen woman’ who left his brother and had had affairs with other men.

Eliza left her child in Colonel Brandon’s care. She was a headstrong schoolgirl and became seduced by Willoughby who left her penniless and in a state of despair. In Regency times she was disgraced.

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