Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

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Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen’s first published novel. It was published in 1811 as an anonymous author and gained immediate popularity. The goal of this post is to recommend where to find an analysis on a professional level as well as my personal insights about the novel. Hopefully, either one or both will help encourage you to read yourself, help gain insight, or build on your thoughts and ideas of the novel.

Analysis

I wrote another blog post about Jane Austen, Romance, and Modern Media and touched upon how a lot of people in popular culture usually pigeonhole Austen’s popular stories as romance. We also see people who are fans and scholars who are resistant to that idea and think differently. Sense and Sensibility is no exception to the debate. We see a story about two sisters who are very different. But they handle the drastic change and uncertainty of their lives. These two sisters also have romantic partners in this novel that play a heavy hand in the novel.

I think it is both. But I want to touch on and recommend a scholar who does an excellent analysis of this novel.

Devoney Looser is a Jane Austen scholar. She stars in The Great Courses Collection series The Life and Works of Jane Austen, on Amazon Prime Video. I recommend you check the series out, and especially watch episode 4 which is all about Sense and Sensibility.

The episode does a phenomenal job analyzing the novel that I could not bring to the table. I do however want to share my thoughts and perspectives of the novel.

Elinor and Marianne

The main characters of the novel, Elinor of sense and Marianne of sensibility. This is nothing new for people who have known or who love to analyze this novel. The two sisters have such a strong bond and they are all that each other has. Yes, they have a mother and a younger sister that they live with, but they do not live with the same challenges that young women have. They are practically glued to the hip throughout the novel, with some exceptions. And they share the same romantic distraught, though they both do not realize that until towards the end.

Both ladies are seen as complete contrasts from each other. One is free with her passion and emotions. The other is reserved and takes on a stoic and logical approach to things. These young women do end up breaking that harsh contrast at the end. With Marianne develops more sense coming out of her illness and processing and understanding Willoughby’s rejection. While also growing an attachment to Colonel Brandon. And Elinor breaks out in sensibility with all her pent-up emotions bursts when she realizes that Edward did not marry Lucy and that he came to propose to her.

Parallel love story

I had a realization when watching The Life and Works of Jane Austen when Devoney touched on how the men that romance each respective sister also reflect on how they present their emotions. Such as Edward has sense and Colonel Brandon and Willoughby have different takes on sensibility.

When reflecting on both ladies’ love stories I noticed that they both are very similar.

Marianne and Elinor both fancy men who made a very big mistake with other women in their past. Edward with an engagement to Lucy Steele. Willoughby had premarital relations with Colonel Brandon’s ward, Eliza.

Both men are challenged to either face and rectify their mistake or run away and abandon it. Either way, it takes them away from being able to show their true feelings and also from marrying the sisters. The one who takes responsibility is favored good fortune, Edward. Willoughby on the other hand has to make sacrifices and leaves Marianne distraught and heartbroken.

Other thoughts

I want to mention that the way a lot of the films portray Willoughby is a bit unjust. A lot of the period adaptations do right by him, but not with modern adaptations or loose adaptations. I think Willoughby’s choice to marry Miss Grey for the money was something he did out of fear. Who he is as a person who loves his hobbies and leisure, if that was taken away, he would have been miserable. I know Marianne eventually comes to realize this. If they marry and are poor, the things that bonded them together would be gone and they both would be miserable.

Now I do think he was so hast in ensuring he had security isn’t the most favorable for his character, and if he faced his consequences and attempted to figure out a solution, there could have been a possibility where he could of had it all. Wealth and a happy marriage with Marianne, but that can be debatable and we won’t know because he made no attempts.

You can watch The Life and Works of Jane Austen here

Listen to my favorite audiobook version of Sense and Sensibility on Audible here

Or you can purchase a beautiful hardcover copy of Sense and Sensibility here on Amazon