Sense and Sensibility
Marianne Dashwood
Willoughby
Edward
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775. She was the seventh of eight children born in the Parsonage House of Steventon in Hampshire. Jane loved her older sister, Cassandra, and went to school with her for a short time in Southampton. Most of her education took place at her home and she started writing at the age of tewlve. Her novels were inspired by her experience in the country and its class-consciousness. She also was inspired by a romance and engagement that ended in 1802. All of her literary works are romantics fictions and all were published anonymously. On July 18, 1817 Jane Austen died and was buried in Winchester Cathederal.
Marianne Dashwood is one of the intelligent, beautiful, and slightly foolish, main characters.
In the main setting of this novel, Barton Cottage, she meets her love, Willoughby. She falls very easily in love with this seemingly sensible gentleman and hopes to be engaged. But, her plans are shattered by Willoughby's mysterious dissaperance and surprise engagementand and marriage to another woman. She enjoys the arts, playing the piano-forte, and reading. I think Marianne is endearing becuase she is the most relateable in the fact that she is young and has fallen in love. Although I do think she is quite foolish for falling in love with a person such as Willoughby. In the end though she is happy in marrying Colonel Brandon which I think is extremely sweet.
This is a beautifully written tale of fun, flirtation, foolishness, and of course marriage. It centers around two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood, in their quest for a good sensible husband. Which is not quite as easy as it sounds! Elinor trys to be as rational as she can in her dealing with love, and Marianne is all about the emotions she feels and whom she feels for. She falls head over heels for a charming, manipulative, player and Elinor falls for a man who is already engaged! The plot twists and turns with the meeting of Elinor's rival, Miss Lucy Steele, and the introductions of Willoughby's wife. In the end, things don't quite turn out as first predicted. But, love finds its way in ways least expected!
"I was simple enough to think, that because my faith was plighted to another, there could be no danger in my being with you; and that the consciousness of my engagement was to keep my heart as safe and sacred as my honour. I felt that I admired you, but I told myself it was only friendship; and till I began to make comparisons between yourself and Lucy, I did not know how far i was got. After that, I suppose, I was wrong in remaining so much in Sessex; and the arguments with which I reconciled myself to the expediency of it were no better than these:--
The danger is my own; I am doing no injury to any body but myself." - Edward Ferrars
This is my favorite quote because it is romantic, cute, and confirms Elinor's convictions about Edward and his engagement to Lucy. It also shows that at heart , Edward is a gentleman who is true to his word and has made some bad choices . But, is human and has always been in love with Elinor.
The theme throughout the book was particularly interesting to me. It centered around sense, as in practical intelligence, and sensibility, as in emotional capacity. The two main characters themselves are in fact symbols of sense and sensibility. Marianne being sensibility and Elinor being Sense. Marianne is full of passion and love with every emotion in between and Elinor is filled with knowledge and intellect. Jane writes this novel not to promote the theme but to have it as a lovely after thought. Fraser's magazine said," Everyone says the right thing in the right place and in the right way." And I would have to agree with them.
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rawilliams 1 year ago
This looks good.
Hansonjm 1 year ago
Charlotte,
Nicely done!