Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility: A Novel of Love and Social Norms
Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
About the Author
Jane Austen (December 16, 1775 – July 18, 1817) was an English novelist renowned for her wit and social commentary. Her works offer insightful glimpses into the lives of women in the early 19th century. Born in Steventon, Hampshire, she was one of eight children. She began writing as a teenager and her family later moved to Bath. After her father’s death in 1805, Austen, her sister Cassandra, and their mother settled in Chawton.
Austen’s Publications
With the help of her brother, Henry, Austen’s first novel, Sense and Sensibility, was published in 1811. Pride and Prejudice followed, a work she cherished. Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), dedicated to an admirer, the Prince Regent, were also published during her lifetime. All of Austen’s novels were initially published anonymously. Posthumously, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were released, with a final novel remaining incomplete. Austen’s declining health, likely due to Addison’s disease, led to her death in Winchester in 1817.
Summary of Sense and Sensibility
Following Mr. Henry Dashwood’s death, his second wife and three daughters—Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret—are left with limited resources. They find refuge with distant relatives, the Middletons, at Barton Park. Elinor grieves leaving Norland and her connection with Edward Ferrars, her half-brother’s brother-in-law. At Barton Park, the sisters meet Colonel Brandon and John Willoughby, who charms Marianne. Their open courtship ends abruptly with Willoughby’s departure, leaving Marianne heartbroken.
The arrival of Anne and Lucy Steele complicates matters. Lucy reveals her secret engagement to Mr. Ferrars, leaving Elinor devastated to learn it is Edward, not his brother Robert. In London, rumors of Marianne’s engagement to Willoughby circulate. However, he cruelly rejects her, revealing his engagement to the wealthy Miss Grey. Colonel Brandon shares Willoughby’s history of poor character. Returning to Barton, the Dashwoods learn of Lucy’s engagement, assuming it is to Edward. Edward clarifies it is Robert, leaving him free to propose to Elinor. Marianne and Colonel Brandon also find happiness together, with both couples maintaining close ties to their family.