Sense and Sensibility - Essay Example

Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility reflects Austen’s mature approach to relationships, money and romance as characterized most often by the two protagonists, Elinor and Marianne. Elinor is propriety personified and endowed with sharp insight and economic practicalities. This is clear when she beseeches Marianne not to meet Willoughby alone as it is indecorous or when she admonishes Marianne that their mother would no longer be able to afford a pet horse. Elinor characterizes ‘sense’ as opposed to Marianne’s character representing ‘sensibility’.

Marianne is impetuous and passionate as when she weeps copiously upon having to leave Norland or when she unhesitatingly gives a lock of her hair to her lover. Taking up the theme of hypocrisy we can see how women in that century were generally side-lined even by their own flesh and blood as demonstrated by Henry Dashwood when he turns over his entire estate to his son knowing fully well that his wife and daughters would be left destitute and commiserating with them on their fate. John Dashwood, too turns out to be a bigger hypocrite for after having shamefully neglected his sisters, he comes to seek Elinor’s sympathy and says, “…..for otherwise we both wished very much to have invited you and Marianne to be with us, while your kind friend there was attending her daughter.

And now to be so rewarded! I wish, with all my heart, says poor Fanny, in her affectionate way, that we had asked your sisters instead of them." (Austen, 228) And has the gall to wait to be thanked, which the cordial Elinor does. Lucy acts disgracefully and lays open her hypocritical nature when she claims that she had asked Edward to end their engagement as it would not be a very happy one (after Edward had been disinherited) and that Edward had refused when in fact, it was Lucy who had refused to end the engagement earlier.

Both John and Lucy are epitomes of hypocrisy because they profess to be concerned about others’ welfare or are effusive in their praise for someone while all the time they are plotting how to take advantage of them. Lucy is a person who cannot restrain herself from her selfishness“….. and secretly resolved to avail herself, at Delaford, as for as she possibly could, of his servants, his carriage, his cows, and his poultry." (Austen, 253) even towards someone who had been of such help to her.

The characters in Austen’s novel are generally very aware of the importance of money and though people like Elinor take it in the right spirit (not underestimating or overestimating it) there is John who being so stingy and selfish himself cannot comprehend how someone (the colonel) can give away money to a near stranger. He along with his wife, are shocked by the engagement of Edward and Lucy (who is penniless) as for the two of them money and position were paramount. Edward’s stoical attitude in losing his inheritance to his younger brother thus leaves John enormously surprised.

Austen, juxtapositioned as it is against the two different personalities of Elinor and Marianne, very maturely etches Romance. Elinor is practical and pragmatic, as she remains cautious even after falling in love with Edward and manages to hide her consternation and hurt even from her family members for nearly four months after she finds out of Edward’s engagement to Lucy. She always places their welfare above her own. Marianne is struck by remorse about this "What! While attending me in all my misery, has this been on your heart?

And I have reproached you for being happy!" (Austen, 225) Marianne, impetuous as ever had openly shared her misery with the family without realizing how much hurt they would feel on her behalf. Though Elinor’s romance is shown as subdued, it is she who ultimately gets married for love while Marianne, the passionate one has to learn to marry for affection which later turns to love. Austen advocates a balance between reason and passion in the novel. At the end of our discussion it leaves us with three issues: Do you think Elinor was made to marry for love as her reward for unselfishness?

; The patriarchy system prevalent at that time was fair/unfair; and whether John Dashwood was unnecessarily made the villain of the novel?Work citedAustn, Jane, Sense and Sensibility, R. Bentley, 1833