Sense and Sensibility Analysis of Title
Jason Leong
PU2B
“Discuss the significance of the title, “Sense and Sensibility”, in relation to the novel’s concerns and characters.
Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen set in the late 18th Century. The novel follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they move to a new home and pursue their love interests. A philosophical theme of the whole novel is the tension between sense and sensibility, rationalism and expressionism, which are embodied in the lives of the two sisters. The original drafts were titled “Elinor and Marianne” and the change to “Sense and Sensibility” suggests the thematic significance of the title to the novel.
Throughout the novel, the two main characters, Elinor and Marianne are characterized by these two philosophies in their attitudes towards marriage, their behavior in social gatherings, and their ways of thinking and feeling. Although there are many examples in the novel, which suggest sense and sensibility are opposite to each other. As the novel progresses, Austen leaves us to consider whether they can be intertwined and interdependent. This could be interpreted through the title itself, “Sense and Sensibility”, where the “and” infers interdependence and coexistence.
Interpretations of the novel suggest that this novel is primarily regarding marriage and the sisters’ quest for it. For Marilyn Butler, the sisters represent the choice between a conservative skepticism and the wild optimism. This is true to a certain extent in their quest for marriages, where one considers the question of marriage as for love, or merely economic practicality, such as to secure a home and financial security. In Austen’s time, this was a necessity as made evident in the novel through Edward and also painfully through Willoughby. In conversations with her sister, Elinor displays rational judgement when considering the prospect of marrying Edward, despite feeling ”esteem” for him, she realizes his difficulties in
PU2B
“Discuss the significance of the title, “Sense and Sensibility”, in relation to the novel’s concerns and characters.
Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen set in the late 18th Century. The novel follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they move to a new home and pursue their love interests. A philosophical theme of the whole novel is the tension between sense and sensibility, rationalism and expressionism, which are embodied in the lives of the two sisters. The original drafts were titled “Elinor and Marianne” and the change to “Sense and Sensibility” suggests the thematic significance of the title to the novel.
Throughout the novel, the two main characters, Elinor and Marianne are characterized by these two philosophies in their attitudes towards marriage, their behavior in social gatherings, and their ways of thinking and feeling. Although there are many examples in the novel, which suggest sense and sensibility are opposite to each other. As the novel progresses, Austen leaves us to consider whether they can be intertwined and interdependent. This could be interpreted through the title itself, “Sense and Sensibility”, where the “and” infers interdependence and coexistence.
Interpretations of the novel suggest that this novel is primarily regarding marriage and the sisters’ quest for it. For Marilyn Butler, the sisters represent the choice between a conservative skepticism and the wild optimism. This is true to a certain extent in their quest for marriages, where one considers the question of marriage as for love, or merely economic practicality, such as to secure a home and financial security. In Austen’s time, this was a necessity as made evident in the novel through Edward and also painfully through Willoughby. In conversations with her sister, Elinor displays rational judgement when considering the prospect of marrying Edward, despite feeling ”esteem” for him, she realizes his difficulties in