Sense and sensibility - Jane Austen

Sense and sensibility

-        Jane Austen

       “Sense and Sensibility” is a novel by Jane Austen. It is divided into three volumes. First part contains 22 chapter and other two parts have 14 chapters. Jane Austen here mocked the over sensibility and praised sense. Austen has presented the value of reason and disasters of passion.

     In the novel there are two main characters Elinor Dashwood and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor presets sense and Marianne is the representation of sensibility. There is a love triangle in the life of both sisters. Elinor loves Edward Ferrars but he has secretly married with Lucy. On the other hand Marianne loves Willoughby but he has betrayed her and married a rich lady Mrs. Gray.

       The novel can be seen as anti romanticism. Lucy and Willoughby has betrayed their partners for money and property. Expectations were so different and reality is like a shock. Colonel Brandon was also in love with Marianne and at last she has accepted his love. Brandon can be considered as the suffering hero of the novel which represents classical hero and high idealism with maturity.

      After all the sufferings the confusion was solved at the end. Marianne and Colonel Brandon get married. The novel contains various themes like, Classicism and Romanticism, Money and inheritance, marriage, family and expectation vs. Reality.