Sense and sensibility
Jillian Dinmore
Mrs. Bell
World Lit Per. 1
24 October 2012
Independent Novel Essay Society places many pressures upon people with regards to specific gender roles. There are stereotypical male and female character roles that pervade literature in all cultures. In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility sisters Elinor and Marianne represent “sense” and “sensibility,” respectively. Although two very different characters, they face many similar obstacles when it comes to finding a potential husband so they can secure their place in society as well as financial security. Due to the expectations of these roles, Elinor and Marianne find it challenging to balance their individuality with these expectations. Similarly, in Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, societal norms impede how the characters Elizabeth and Jane find their niche. Through humor, characters, and diction, Austen demonstrates how flaws are prevalent in social roles in Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, and how ideals valued as a society are not necessarily valued by the individual[a].
Humor is Austen’s way of expressing her own view of social roles. Usually through this humor, she is trying to say something about how there are problems with how gender roles are generally portrayed. An example is when it reads,[b] “John Dashwood had not much to say for himself that was worth hearing, and his wife had still less” (Austen 159). This description of John Dashwood shows that he despite society’s way of viewing men at the time, he did not have much to say that was “worth hearing,” giving the impression that he is not as strong as the typical male stereotype[c]. Another example of this humor is when Robert Ferrars is describing Lucy, his brother Edward’s fiancee, “I happened to drop in and I saw quite enough of her. The merest, awkward country girl, without style, or elegance, and almost without beauty” (Austen 205). The humor in this comes from the ridiculousness of Robert’s comment. By
Mrs. Bell
World Lit Per. 1
24 October 2012
Independent Novel Essay Society places many pressures upon people with regards to specific gender roles. There are stereotypical male and female character roles that pervade literature in all cultures. In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility sisters Elinor and Marianne represent “sense” and “sensibility,” respectively. Although two very different characters, they face many similar obstacles when it comes to finding a potential husband so they can secure their place in society as well as financial security. Due to the expectations of these roles, Elinor and Marianne find it challenging to balance their individuality with these expectations. Similarly, in Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, societal norms impede how the characters Elizabeth and Jane find their niche. Through humor, characters, and diction, Austen demonstrates how flaws are prevalent in social roles in Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, and how ideals valued as a society are not necessarily valued by the individual[a].
Humor is Austen’s way of expressing her own view of social roles. Usually through this humor, she is trying to say something about how there are problems with how gender roles are generally portrayed. An example is when it reads,[b] “John Dashwood had not much to say for himself that was worth hearing, and his wife had still less” (Austen 159). This description of John Dashwood shows that he despite society’s way of viewing men at the time, he did not have much to say that was “worth hearing,” giving the impression that he is not as strong as the typical male stereotype[c]. Another example of this humor is when Robert Ferrars is describing Lucy, his brother Edward’s fiancee, “I happened to drop in and I saw quite enough of her. The merest, awkward country girl, without style, or elegance, and almost without beauty” (Austen 205). The humor in this comes from the ridiculousness of Robert’s comment. By