Sense and Sensibility
Novel by Jane Austen (1811) contrasting reason and emotion through the lives of two sisters; explores marriage, inheritance, class and social manners in late 18th‑century England.
Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen first published in 1811. Often introduced as a study of contrasting temperaments, it follows the lives and romantic fortunes of two sisters and the effect of family losses and social expectation on their prospects. The narrative is set in southern England in the late 1790s and began in Austen's notebooks under the working title "Elinor and Marianne." The book was issued anonymously, as was common for women writers of the period, and was presented to the reading public as a novel of manners.
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Overview and themes
The novel contrasts "sense" (practical restraint, represented by the elder sister) and "sensibility" (impulsive feeling, embodied by the younger). It examines courtship, marriage as economic security, inheritance laws, and social rank. Austen uses irony and a restrained wit to critique fashions in sentimentality and to show how social constraints shape private lives.
Plot essentials and style
Following the death of their father, the Dashwood women lose their principal home because of inheritance arrangements and move to a modest country house. The story traces two central romantic plots: the quiet, dutiful attachment between the sensible sister and a reserved suitor, and the passionate, tumultuous affair between the more impulsive sister and a charismatic but unreliable man. Austen deploys free indirect discourse to reveal characters' thoughts while maintaining an omniscient, ironic narrator.
- Main characters: Elinor Dashwood, Marianne Dashwood, Edward Ferrars, John Willoughby, Colonel Brandon.
- Settings: country houses and small towns of southern England.
- Central concerns: emotion versus reason, money and marriage, social reputation.
Publication history is notable: Austen paid for the first edition, which was printed in a limited run; the publisher took a commission and the venture produced a modest profit for the author. Early sales and reviews were sufficient to warrant further printings within a few years, and the work helped establish Austen's reputation as an acute observer of domestic society. For contemporary readers the details of Austen's arrangement with her publisher are often discussed alongside the book's themes.
Legacy and adaptations
Regarded as a cornerstone of Austen's oeuvre, the novel has inspired stage, radio and screen adaptations and remains widely read and taught. A prominent 1995 film adaptation by and starring Emma Thompson renewed popular interest, and television dramatizations have repeatedly revisited its characters. Scholars continue to study its social critique, narrative technique and enduring reflection on how feelings and prudence must be balanced in ordinary life.
Questions and answers
Q: What is Sense and Sensibility?
A: Sense and Sensibility is a novel written by Jane Austen, her first novel published in 1811.
Q: What is the plot of Sense and Sensibility?
A: The novel centers around two sisters named Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and their lives and romantic relationships.
Q: Where does the story take place?
A: The story takes place in southern England during the 1790s.
Q: How was Sense and Sensibility published?
A: Jane Austen paid to have the book published. The publisher received a commission on sales.
Q: Did Jane Austen make a profit on the first edition of the book?
A: Yes, Jane Austen made a profit of £140 (equivalent to almost £5,000 in 2008 currency) on the first edition of the book, which sold all 750 printed copies by July 1813.
Q: Was there a second edition of Sense and Sensibility?
A: Yes, a second edition was advertised in October 1813.
Q: What was the role of the publisher in the publication of Sense and Sensibility?
A: The publisher received a commission on sales of the book, which Jane Austen paid to have published.
Related articles
Author
AlegsaOnline.com Sense and Sensibility Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/88859
Sources
- janeaustensworld.wordpress.com : janeausensworld.wordpress.com