Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the necessity of marrying well is one of the central themes. In Austen’s era a woman’s survival depended on her potential to acquire an affluent partner. This meant a choice of marrying for love and quite possibly starve, or marry a securing wealthy person, there was a risk of marrying someone who you might despise.

In Jane Austen’s 1813 novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, the opening line of the novel; “a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a good wife" sets the tone for the aftermath of the novel, addressing the fixation of wealth and the benefit of money. Wealth can be seen as being there for social progression in the Nineteenth-Century English society. Through the use of the imperative verb “must”, Austen is emphasising on the fact that within society to have a “good wife” is an order. In contrast, it is revealed in the novel that a single man marries those who are in his class, whereas women want to marry those who are above their class. Contextually, men in Nineteenth Century England were considered to be marrying those who were daughters of a gentleman as their fathers had wealth of their own. From this, it can be inferred that social adjustment is seen as being the ultimate goal for the characters of ‘Pride and Prejudice’. This can be referenced in Bronte’s 'Wuthering Heights ' by "he will be rich, and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighbourhood, and I shall be proud of having such a husband." This illustrates that Catherine is marrying Edgar for the wealth he owns and his status but this can be seen as being a social norm in

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is a satire novel from 1813. The story is about a couple named the Bennets who try to get their five daughters to marry kind and rich gentlemen. The main characters however are the Bennets’ second and headstrong daughter Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, her aristocratic suitor. Throughout the entire novel, the two lovers must overcome pride and prejudice before “love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion”. During the novel, there are two marriage proposals between Darcy and Collins, Mr. Bennets’ cousin, which are both for Elizabeth. Both proposals have similarities but also have many differences.

Jane Austen wrote many books, but Sense and Sensibility is among one of her most popular novels. Sense and Sensibility revolves around the theme of society and social classes, allowing us insight on the social

Throughout all of Jane Austen’s writing, she uses metaphors as a representation of the societal values and culture she was undergoing in real life. Austen lived in a period where gender roles were definite and followed. Finding a suitable husband to depend on for a secure future was the sole purpose for daughters in the family. These circumstances were conventional, and for the most part, not questioned. Though, Austen had a voice that she wanted to share, so she used symbolism to minimize the provocative subjects of which she wrote about for this time period.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man is in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” (Austen 1). Mr. Bennet is growing old in age and none of his five daughters are wed, and cannot leave his estate to a woman. Mrs. Bennet has made it her goal to marry each of the daughters before Mr. Bennet passes. The news of a wealthy, young gentleman, Charles Bingley, rented a manor in the neighboring village of the Bennets’ with his sister and best friend, Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen explores the themes of pride and prejudice in the novel Pride and Prejudice, when the proud Mr. Darcy meets the prejudice Elizabeth Bennet. The dislike Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have for each other is apparent in the beginning of the novel and seems to grow for Elizabeth as she sees the amount of pride Mr. Darcy has for himself. These two undergo many complications between themselves and with others around them as the novel progresses. When Mr. Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth, he strives to show his worthiness for her hand in marriage.

The book I chose to read and analyze is a classic novel called Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This book is humorous in nature and is considered to fall into the genre category Comedy of Manners. Fundamentally, it is a study of human nature, personality defects, and societal missteps directed toward the audience of middle and upper-middle class readers. Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice in 1813 during England’s Regency period. She published it anonymously with author being “A Lady” during a time writing wasn’t an accepted occupation for women. This book was written just after the Revolutionary wars in America and France, and written during the war of 1812 and the ongoing Napoleonic Wars. While

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a perfect reflection of the time in which it was written. The themes, characters, and dialogue create an image of what was happening at the time and how people acted. This book allows historians to make big picture connections and compare the society Jane Austen lived in with those 500 years later or a million miles away. Though Pride and Prejudice is considered a classic much of what Jane Austen says in the story is relevant to current events.

Jane Austen 's Sense and Sensibility is often read as two sisters who represent either sense or sensibility. In Ang Lee 's cinematic adaptation of the book, there is obvious preference to the value of emotions, of the heart, and this approach lends an interpretation of what is otherwise left unanswered in the book. From the onset of Sense and Sensibility, Elinor is characterized by her “coolness of judgment” and her overall ability to use her sense to the benefit of the Dashwoods. (44) Marianne on the other hand is characterized by her sensibility for “her sorrows, her joys ,could have no moderation.”(44) In many ways the movie attempts to bring what is on the inside to the outside. The movie does make a preference towards the heart has a significant effect on the cinematic depictions of the sisters but also of other characters. The preference of the heart allows for deeper constructs of the characters Margaret and Colonel Brandon. The cinematic approach also allows for concrete demonstrations of Marriane 's growing affection to Colonel Brandon as well as a concrete show of Elinor 's interior emotions.

In the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, it is illustrated through the motif of sense that when it comes to reason versus passion, man should be more sensible in choosing the better for them. She emphasizes this through some of the characters and their relationships in the novel, such as, Jane Austen and Mr. Bingley, Mr. Collins and Charlotte, Mr. Wickham and Elizabeth, and Lydia and Mr.Wickham. Within many of these relationships a lot of suspicion and scandal takes place. In the novel, Austen attest that people should use your mind more when it comes to relationships and sometimes passion could prevent people from making logical decisions.

Throughout Austen’s focus on Willoughby’s early visits, the issue of each Marianne’s suitors’ age is repeated multiple times, reminding the reader of its importance to Marianne and its lesser importance to Elinor. Initially, as the budding couple delve into their first real conversation, Austen brings the reader’s attention to Willoughby’s age as a general type of young gentleman. Austen writes, “… [Marianne’s] favorite authors were brought forward and dwelt upon with so rapturous a delight, that any young man of five and twenty must have been

In the 19th century England love and marriage were concepts that weren’t very closely related. The novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, centers on the importance of marriage as one of life’s most important treasures and life’s greatest source of happiness. As the book title so rightfully depicts, pride and prejudice was demonstrated by the various social classes against each other as per the moral and social expectations of that society. Austen presents the reader with two main factor about relationships that are each based around different struggles including social class, love and marriage especially as it impacts the relationship between Elizabeth and Darcy.

Recently, women around the world established and portrayed their ability to perform in the workforce and as independents; various female writers paved the way for this sense of respect toward women and an overall female reformation. Although women were mainly acknowledged for their domestic role in the home and their social role as secondary to their husband, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility illustrates the fullness of female capability while breaking the captive social role of women in this time; Austen accomplishes this through contrasting the traditional view of women and a reformed view, Marianne and Elinor, and the Dashwood girls reasons for marriage compared to most women’s. The setting of this novel takes place in the 1800’s, a time defined by strict gender roles and an overwhelming sense of tradition. Austen uses characters in Sense and Sensibility to portray the distinction between those that view women as simply wives and those that view the significance of individual women. Although many traditional women of this time viewed marriage as a necessary task for survival, Austen emphasized that marriage is the natural progression after a deep emotional attachment.

The novel Pride and Prejudice written by Jane Austen is a satirical depiction of the social life and atmosphere of eighteenth and nineteenth century England, which at the time was predominantly concerned with the courtship customs of the English gentry. The novel, through Austen’s ironic and subtle writing style, is far more than just a romantic comedy, since it skillfully addresses and combines the political, economic, philosophical and feminist themes of its period with parody and drama to accentuate the overall basic plot of the story. The title of the novel is also an allusion that reflects and supports the running theme which is pride and prejudice. The story centers on an unlikely pair, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet; both whom endure many challenges before coming together. Jane Austen dramatized the theme of pride and prejudice through the plot and the two main characters to portray how woman’s status in society and social ranking play an important role as well. The author also wittily intends to use the opening line of the novel to introduce to the reader a satirical view of the institution of marriage, not love, concepts that were not necessarily closely related in early nineteenth century England. However, the concepts of pride, prejudice, and “universally acknowledged truth” are not only the central ideas of the novel, but they also foreshadow all the main events of the story and dictate almost all of the major characters’

Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility, contains many themes common to novels of her time such as class, inheritance, and love. In particular, love is one of the most prominent themes throughout the novel. While the novel features a complex intertwining of multiple characters’ lives, it mainly focuses on that of the two eldest Dashwood daughters, Elinor and Marianne. In particular, our focus is on that of the second to oldest, Marianne. She experiences a whirlwind romance with the dashing John Willoughby but ultimately ends up marrying the older Colonel Brandon. This rushed approach to the marriage may have resulted from Marianne learning to love Colonel Brandon. Brandon has shown nothing but the utmost respect and care for Marianne from the start and she should have taken notice. However, the marriage to Colonel Brandon is an unlikely event brought on by Austen to end the plot rather than the true love Marianne has always longed for in her life. The marriage takes place within the last few pages of the novel with little to no lead up by Austen. Although the marriage of Marianne and Colonel Brandon could be the result of a slow burning love that grew between the two characters, it is actually the result of a swift and unlikely ending to the novel, a deus ex machina.