How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
"I deemed that she should atone by living some part of her life with her lusts unrequited. The more I could make her love me, the more her penance might weigh in the balance to equal her sin." (3.15.81)
This is a yuge revelation. Anna has always seen Elinor and Michael as the perfect couple, so she's shocked when Michael reveals that they never ever had sex. This was his way of punishing Elinor for her prior sexual activity. In this light, the second sentence in the passage is particularly disturbing: Michael made Elinor love him in order to cause her pain. Yikes. Talk about repressed.