Themes of Sense and Sensibility

Hitesh Galthariya

Roll No :- 08 M.A. Sem :- 2 Year :- 2015-16

Paper :- 05 The Romantic Literature

Submitted to :

Smt.S.B. Gardi

Department of English

M.K.Bhav.University

Theme in ‘ Sense and Sensibility ’

by jane Austen

About story and Setting

The setting of the novel mainly takes place in the EnglishCountry side. It is in southern England. Here Austen Fictionalestate Called NORLAND and CLEVELAND on the way between.The time is about 1800-1810.Neraly all of the Action involvesthe lives of the lesser gentry and wealthy people.

Sense and sensibility novel about a girl that must leave their family home and beautiful Norland park. when her father died ,she and her mother Mrs.Dashwood , and her sister, Elinor and Margret , must move to a small cottagein Devon. The girl falls in love with the has Elinor misses Edward Ferrars .This book is cool because it has an interesting story.

Sense / Sensibility

Sense : Deals with common understanding.

Sensibility: Deals with emotions and attitudes.

Elinor

Marianne

The theme of the novel is very simple. In thosenovel Austen drawn to on the cusp betweentwo cultural movements: Classicism andRomanticism. The distinction is most clearlysymbolized by the psychological contrastbetween the novel's two chief characters,Elinor and Marianne Dashwood.

Main Theme of S.&S.

Marriage/

Matrimony

Money and

Inheritance

GenderHypocrisy

Appearance /vs Reality

Main Theme of S.&S.

Moderation

Self-sacrifice and

selfishness

Theme of love

Expectations vs. reality

• Sir Walter Scott writes about Jane Austen that,

“That young lady had a talent for describing the involvements, feelings and characters of ordinary life...”

• he principal theme of her novels is her matrimony. Generally the heroin after few false starts, meets the right man, and a series of misunderstandings and frustration occurs to delay but never to prevent their union.

• For Marianne and Elinor, marriage is not a choice, but anecessity; and their need to marry expediently and well is apressing concern in the novel, as they look for suitors.

• Young men are more free to chose a life partner for marriage, for example Mr. Colonel Brandon reach at the age of 35 and still unmarried.

• For women who have money, marriage is necessary to secure their social positions and ensure financial stability for the future.

Marriage

Elinor

Colonel

Edward

Lucy

Marianne

Willoughby

Marianne

Eliza

Willoughby

Robert

Lucy

Edward

• Elinor especially is a model of self-sacrifice, At first sheleft Edward for the sake of her mother and sisters andstarted living at Barton Park. “I will be calm. I will bemistress of myself.”

• “But remember that the pain of parting from friendswill be felt by everybody at times, whatever be theireducation or state. Know your own happiness. Youwant nothing but patience; or give it a more fascinatingname: call it hope.”

• Then she deciding to go to London for her sister'shappiness, and trying her best to be civil to everyoneto make up for Marianne's uncivil behavior.

Self-sacrifice and selfishness

Self-sacrifice and selfishness

Self-sacrifice

selfishness

Elinor Marianne

• Marianne is the opposite, caring only forherself and her feelings; she needs Elinor'shelp and goodwill to get by, but needs to learnhow to be giving toward others in order tobecome her own, independent person.

Moderation

• Marianne must learn moderation of her emotionsif she is to become independent of Elinor andbecome an adult; her trials serve to teach herabout her excesses, and luckily, she does come toimprove herself and become a much better, morecaring person toward others.

• “That is what I like; that is what a young manought to be. Whatever be his pursuits, hiseagerness in them should know no moderation,and leave him no sense of fatigue.”

Judgment

In interactions with other people, judgment isalways at work; a person must determine who a personreally is and what they want, in order to avoid those whocould potentially be hurtful. These judgments can beflighty and unjust, as Marianne's appraisals of most of heracquaintance are, or blinded by kindness, as Mrs.Jennings’ judgment of Lucy Steele is.

Jealousy

Relates mostly to Lucy Steele, and is the prime determinant of her behavior toward Elinor. Willoughby also becomes jealous of Colonel Brandon marrying Marianne, and other, petty jealousies become evident in characters. Indicates insecurity, or poor character.

Appearance vs. reality

• Pertains to character especially, as many characters in the novel present themselves as one thing, and end up being another. John Willoughby is the best example of this, as he seems romantic, open, and genuine, but ends up exposing himself as vain, idle, and cruel.

"Tell me, Willoughby- for Heaven's sake, tell me, what is the Truth?" Marianne to Willoughby.

• Also pertains to Lucy Steel, who ends up conniving, despite her innocent appearance. at first she engaged with Edward and then she come to know that Robert is the inherent of property, she engaged with him and left Edward.

Expectations vs. reality

• This is an especially important theme with regard to Marianne and her mother, whose romantic characters lead them to expect greater drama or trauma than actually appears.

“To wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect”

• But reality always tends to subvert

expectations, whether in life or in art,

as accidents and unexpected twists and

turns happen to everyone.

Secrecy

Usually an indication of wrongdoing onsomeone's part, as is especially evident inWilloughby; his sudden unwillingness to shareinformation with Marianne and the Dashwoodsindicates mistakes made on his part. On the otherhand, as with Edward, secrecy can be a sign ofdiscretion, though when his secret is revealed it isdamaging as Willoughby's is.

Hypocrisy

• A vast number of characters in the novel embody this trait to varying degrees; John and Fanny(to him his father asked to look after his three sisters )

"Indeed, to say the truth, I am convinced within myself, that your father had no idea of

your giving them any money at all." Fanny Dashwoodto her husband

• Lady Middleton(Sir Middleton is good fellow whogave resort to Mrs.Dashwood).

• The Steele girls(who tries to keep secret of theirlove from each other, and tried to be more rich thantheir reality).

• Mrs. Ferrars(as she disinherited Edward from herproperty only because he engaged secretly).

• Robert, among others(as he got engaged with

same lady with whom once his elder brother

engaged).

• tend toward hypocritical displays of self-

serving flattery, vanity, and professing

opinions they do not believe in for self-gain or

to get ahead with others.

• Unfortunately, none of these characters is

taught any better in the course of the novel, as

hypocrisy is an unavoidable part of human

nature, and almost a part of polite society as

well.

Money/Inheritance

• Laws surrounding inheritance are what put theDashwoods women in critical situation at the beginning ofthe novel.

• Their lack of money, compounded with their inability towork, means that they cannot come out from theirsituation, except through marrying well, and marryingwith rich guy is the only way.

• Money also dictates the eligibility of Elinor and Marianne,as women with larger dowries are of course seen as betterprospects for marriage.