Sense and Sensibility

As I am a real bookworm and a real Jane Austen addict I decided to tell you a bit about my favourite novel from Miss Austen, "Sense and Sensibility", which is her fist novel and was published in 1810.

The titel of the story refers to the characters of the two sisters Elinor Dashwood, who is quite severe and cool (Sense) and her sister Marianne, who is full of passion (Sensibility). The story begins in the year 1792 when Mr Henry Dashwood, father of Elioner and Marianne, their younger sister Magreth and their half-brother John Dashwood, dies and their fortune is suddenly reduced to 500 pounds, since John Dashwood, persuaded by his spiteful wife Fanny, will not give them more. They now have to live in a small cottage, which is provided by their cousin Sir John Middelton, and reduce their living standard rapidly.

One day, Mr John Dashwood invites his stepmother and her three daughters to Norland. Fanny suddenly realises that her brother Edward Ferrars is slowly falling in love with Elinor Dashwood. This makes her furious, so the Dashwood ladies have to leave Norland although they soon find new friends, like the retired officer Colonel Brandon, who is exactly what a man ought to be. For Marianne, however, her new home Barton Park does not seem that bad, since she soon gets acquainted to the handsome John Willoughby, as he saves her when she is running down the hill in the rain and twists her ankle. Marianne is in love with him form the first moment on, when he suddenly has to go to London and leaves Marianne at home, lovesick. Only little later relatives from Mrs Jennings, Anne and Lucy Steele, come to visit Barton Park, when Elinor finds out that Lucy Steele is secretly engaged to her beloved Edward Ferrars, but his mother does not allow the marriage, so they have to wait unitl he finally earns enough money to support a family. Elinor is deeply shocked when she hears it, since she thought that Mr Ferrars was in love with her.

In the second volume, Elinor and Marianne travel to London, accompanied by Mrs Jennings. Shortly after their arrival Colonel brandon infroms them that whole London is talking about the engagement of Marianne and Willoughby, although it is not true. When Marianne finally meets Willoughby again at a ball, he seems to ignore her. She is deeply hurt, and these feelings increase when she little later finds out that Willoughby is engaged to the rich heiress Miss Grey.

In volume three they visit some relatives in Cleveland, when the sad Marianne catches a cold and falls deadly sick. When he hears it, Willoughby rapidly visits her to apologise and Marianne finally realises that she could never have been happy with him. Shortly afterwards Mrs Dashwood and Colonel Brandon arrive in Cleveland and are relieved to find Mariann in a state of improving health.

At home in Barton Park, a servant tells the Dashwoods the latest news: Mr Ferrars and Lucy Steel are engaged. As Marianne is quite prepared for this informations it shocks her even more to find out that Lucy is apparently engaged with Robert Ferrars, Edward`s younger brother, since he has more money and Lucy is obssesed with money.

For Edward this is quite a relief, since he is finally free to make a proposal to his most beloved Elinor and as this happy end is not happy enough, Marianne shorty afterwards gets engaged with Colonel Brandon, who is, not like Willoughby, a gentleman for real. The couples stay together at Delaford happily ever after.

Well, "Sense and Sensibility" is my favourite novel, because it makes it so easy to identify with Elinor and Marianne and because it shows how complex human relationships are. It is also great that Elinor refelcts those of us who think to much about everything and always hide their feelings, while Marianne reflects those who are too impulsive and act without thinking at all. In the end, both of them, however, learn from their mistakes and hopefully die happily.