Sense and Sensibility, chapters 16-20

With Willoughby gone, Marianne settles into the serious business of being a Tragic Heroine. She shuns her family's company and takes to solitary pursuits like wandering off to isolated scenic points where she can feel the full weight of her solitude, or tormenting herself by plonking down on the piano bench and going over all the music written in Willoughby's hand.

But here's where Austen's psychological savvy begins bleeding through: because rather than continue to portray Marianne as...