Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Book Title : Sense and Sensibility 

Author : Jane Austen 

Publisher : Words Worth Edition Limited 

Date Published : 1992 

Number of Pages : 257 

Genre : Romance 

 Book Code : 0656 

          The main characters of this novel are Elinor Dashwood, Marianne Dashwood, Edward Ferrars, Willoughby, and Colonel Christopher Brandon. Elinor, the eldest sister of Marianne, was a wise and quiet woman who was attracted to Edward Ferrars, her half-brother-in-law. Edward who was also attracted to Elinor, unfortunately, before meeting Elinor, had been engaged to Lucy Steele, the niece of his tutor. However, the engagement was kept secret by Edward in the hope that his family would mind with the engagement. Another character is Marianne, Elinor’s sister, who had a great selfish sensibility. She was an object of attention of Brandon, a close friend of her mother’s brother and 19 years older than hers; and Willoughby, her neighborhood who was capable of seducing every woman. Initially, Marianne was interested in Willoughby -a young, handsome and romantic man; not Colonel Brandon - an older and more subdued for her; until she realized that Brandon was a better man for her. 

          The part that is interesting for me is when Edward decided to refuse and give up his engagement with Lucy, a person had never he love. He preferred his inheritance rights revoked by his brother to obeying his engagement with Lucy because in his heart, there’s only Elinor, a girl he loved. It would torture him if he had to marry Lucy. Indeed, this part is realized me that the true love needs sacrifice such as Elinor, she had suffered broken heart when she knew that Edward was engaged to another woman. In short, a true love needs sacrifice, such as wealth and feelings. 

          The part that is confusing for me is on knowing that Colonel Brandon, a man who loved Marianne, didn’t tell her about Willoughby’s bad behavior instead of keeping silent until Marianne realized that he wasn’t good for her. I think, if Brandon told her that Willoughby had ever abused his foster child and left her foster child when she was pregnant, Marianne wouldn’t ever love Willoughby and suffer broken heart, and moreover he would win her heart easily because his competitor would be decreased. 

           I don’t like the part when Fanny, Elinor’s half-sister-in-law who was a selfish and greedy wife, did a bad thing to Elinor and family. She incited John, Elinor’s step brother not to fulfill his promise to his father that he would take care of his step mother and his two half-sisters. Instead, John and Fanny take their place as the new owner of Norland and the women became uninvited guests in their house. I hate this part because I think reneging on a promise and taking the rights of others is very innocent and it will make other people torment, in this case, the Elinor family. 

         I have the same experience with this novel on the sacrifice of love. I had ever loved a man. Initially, he loved me too. We then made a relationship until one day, there was a girl came into our love. He is more attracted to her than me. He left me for her. I felt hurt but I realized that true love needs sacrifice and my sacrifice is my feelings and I knew that he didn’t truly love me. 

          I think this novel is enough well-formed and the plot is so interesting. Consequently, there’s no need to make any change on this. However, I’m so curious if I changed the character of Fanny who is greedy and selfish, become to be a good half-sister-in-law, would Elinor’s know that Edward was already engaged to Lucy and would Marianne meet her soul mate namely Brandon? If so, how will they meet?

         Issue that arises from this novel is about what is the best? Is it sensible (Elinor’s character) or sensibility (Marianne’s character)? They both are faced with their love. Elinor responds her love by her sensible being whereas Marianne responds it by her sensibility. 

       The moral value from this novel is both of sensible and sensibility are needed and, ideally, must be related to each other because when we want to determine if something or someone is good for us, we need sensibility to check the thing first and we must be sensible to choose it. However this novel is initially just to compare what the best is from them but at the end the author shows uncertainty.