-Introduction
Sense and sensibility was
written by Jane Austen and published in January 1, 1811.
It is a literary fiction and
very interesting story It is about a family after the death of
their aristocratic father, passionate Marianne (sensibility) and practical
Elinor (sense) are as vulnerable in love as they are in fortune. Toyed with by
unscrupulous men, snubbed by wealthy relatives, the sisters must each learn a
little from the other in order to regain their footing.
-Author
Information:
Jane Austen was born on 16th December;
1775 at Steven ton, Hampshire-a country in the south of England.Jane's father was a clergyman in the
church at Steventon . Jane had six brothers-James,George,Edward,Henry and
Chales-and one sister –Cassandra .
Jane learnt French,Italian and music ,she
studied English literature and poetry.
In1803, Jane Austen's father moved with
his family to Bath ; a town in the west of England.
Bath was
popular and fashionable in the nineteeth century.poeple went there to meet
frinds.
They played games of cards,
and danced at balls in large buildings called The Assembly Rooms. They listened
to music fashionable clothes in the shop .
In 1811,Jane austen's first book was
published .her books are Sense and sensibility (1811) ,Pride and Prejudice
(1813),mansfield Park (1814), Emma Sanditon (unfinished)…..
-The meaning
behind the title; sense and sensibility:
While raeding sense and sensibility, one of the
main thing I noticed was the different ways in which the title of the book could be interpreted to:
* Sense: possessing judgmemnt and
intlligence
*Sensibility:capacity for refined
emotional response to feelings and experiences, involving delicate sensitivity to
moral and aesthetic issues
From one perspective, the character of
Elinor could be considered as having 'Sense' while Marianne would be acting out
of 'Sensibility'
Austen begins the novel by describing her two main characters
and how they appear in comparison to each other.
-Characters in
the story
Colonel Brandon - A retired
officer and friend of Sir John Middleton who falls in love with Marianne
Dashwood and acts kindly,
honorably, and graciously towards the Dashwoods
throughout the novel
Mrs. Dashwood -
The kind and loving mother of Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret and second wife to
Henry Dashwood. She has inherited no fortune of her own but wants the best for
her daughters and shares Marianne's romantic sensibilities.
Elinor Dashwood -
The nineteen-year-old eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood and the
heroine of Austen's novel. Elinor is composed but affectionate, both when she
falls in love with Edward Ferrars and when she comforts and supports her
younger sister Marianne.
Henry Dashwood -
The father of John Dashwood and, by a second marriage, of Elinor, Marianne, and
Margaret Dashwood. He dies in the opening chapter of the novel and bequeaths
his estate at Norland to his son, leaving his wife and daughters impoverished.
Fanny Dashwood - The
selfish, snobbish, and manipulative wife of John Dashwood and the sister of
Edward and Robert Ferrars.
John Dashwood -
The weak-minded and money-grubbing heir to the Norland estate. At his wife
Fanny's suggestion, he leaves his mother and sisters with very little money and
remains largely unconcerned for their welfare.
Margaret Dashwood -
The thirteen-year-old, good-humored youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Dashwood, Margaret shares her sister Marianne's romantic tendencies.
Marianne Dashwood -
The seventeen-year-old second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood.
Marianne's spontaneity, excessive sensibility, and romantic idealism lead her
to fall in love with the debaucherous John Willoughby, though he painfully
spurns her, causing her to finally recognize her misjudgment of him. After this
turn of heart, she ultimately marries her long-standing admirer, Colonel
Brandon.
Mrs. Ferrars -
The wealthy, manipulative mother of Edward and Robert who disinherits her first
son when he refuses to marry a rich heiress.
Edward Ferrars -
The sensible and friendly older brother of Fanny Dashwood and Robert Ferrars.
Edward develops a close relationship with Elinor while staying at Norland and
ultimately marries her, after he is freed from a four-year secret engagement to
Lucy Steele.
Robert Ferrars -
A conceited coxcomb and the younger brother of Edward and Fanny. Robert
inherits his mother's fortune after she disinherits Edward. Ironically, he
ultimately marries Lucy Steele, even though it was Edward's engagement to this
same woman that caused his mother to disinherit him.
Miss Sophia Grey -
The wealthy heiress whom Willoughby
marries after abandoning Marianne
. Mrs. Jennings - Lady
Middleton's gossipy but well-intentioned mother who invites the Dashwood
sisters to stay with her in London
and makes it her "project" to marry them off as soon as possible.
Lady Middleton - A distant
relation of the Dashwoods who lives at Barton Cottage with her husband Sir John
Middleton and their four spoiled children
Sir John Middleton - The
jovial but vulgar distant relation of the Dashwoods who invites Mrs. Dashwood
and her three daughters to stay at Barton Cottage after Mr. and Mrs. John
Dashwood inherit Norland, leaving the women homeless.
Mrs. Charlotte Palmer - Mrs.
Jennings' talkative and foolish daughter who invites the Dashwood sisters to
stay at her home in Cleveland on their way from London to Barton.
Anne Steele - Lucy
Steele's older, unmarried sister who accidentally reveals her sister's secret
engagement to Edward Ferrars.
Lucy Steele - Mrs.
Jennings' cousin and a sly, selfish, and insecure young woman. She has been
secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars for four years but she ultimately marries
his brother, Robert, once Edward is disinherited.
John Willoughby - An
attractive but deceitful young man who wins Marianne Dashwood's heart but then
abandons her (greedily) in favor of the wealthy Miss Sophia Grey.
-Sense and Sensibility plot
Sense and Sensibility is the
story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, Dashwood who live with thier mother
and younger sister, Margaret are forced into poverty through death of their father. Mr Dashwood was
previously married and all of the Dashwood
fortune and the estate of
Norland is then bequeathed to John his son by his first marriage, leaving the
Dashwood woman penniless, Elinor and Marianne are polar opposites when love is
concerned Marianne in the incurable
romantic and Elinor falls in love with Edward, Ferrars and Marianne ,for
Willoughby .they spend happy moments in the company ,Howevr, Edward turns out
to be engaged to another girl, Lucy Steele and Willoughby plans to marry, Miss
Grey a rich debutante. Next Elinor learns of the marriage of Lucy steele to Mr
Ferrars.
Marianne goes through a
period of depression and falls seriously ill, Elinor feels miserable to think
of her Edward .
Marianne renews her
enthusiasm for life and starts realizing the worth of Clonel Brandon, Elinor is relieved Edward
reveals the truth to her and then proposes Marianne marries Colonel Bardon and
Elinor Marries Edward Ferrars.
Themes in
the story
There are a lot of themes in
this story such as society and class, women and feminity ,wealth, love,dreams,hopes,and
plans
Most of the dreams, hopes, and plans that I see unfold in
Sense and Sensibility have to do with
love, romance, and marriage. Basically, these are the only possible futures
that are available to our two heroines, and they both have their own visions of
how these futures should play out. The novel deals with the gaping chasm
between idealistic hopes and pragmatic plans – and what happens when these two
concepts clash. The results are by turns comic and tragic; through the struggles
of our characters, we see what happens in the difficult process of making
dreams into real plans – and then into real life.
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