CRITICAL READING SENSE AND SENSIBILITY: SOCIAL STATUS
...ense and Sensibility’ title. The ‘sense’ in the title refers to Elinor’s more sensible nature, which Jane Austen holds as exemplary. Social assimilation and upward mobility is a major theme in many of Austen’s works, and her character Elinor is a representative of a true lady of this time. Throughout the entire novel, and not only in the text extract, she never abandons herself to her emotions and maintains consistent behaviour towards others. ‘Sensibility’ refers to Marianne and her sensitive reactions that indicate she is vulnerable when it comes to relationships. This fact alone is demonstrated clearly in this extract. Marianne’s constant grieving gives the reader clear indication that she is a sensitive character and Willoughby’s decision to leave her will affect her greatly. Ultimately, I believe that it is Elinor that controls the outcome of the situation, in that throughout the novel she is the older sister that shows consideration for Marianne’s feelings. Although as we can see from all aspects of the text, the context, the style, the tone and also the language used by both the author and the characters in their speech, it is Marianne who has been affected by the unfortunate state of her relationship with Willoughby. In spite of the fact that it is Marianne that is grieving we notice a steady trend in the relationship between the two sisters, in that it is Elinor that takes a grasp of the situation to either console her, or ultimately decide upon her next actions. Elinor is trying to make her understand what has happened, as Marianne refuses to believe that Willoughby did not love her. “I can believe it, but unfortunately he did not feel the same.” This is a blunt reply we expect from an older sister that throughout the novel and the text maintains a level head and an impressionable appearance in front of others. Marianne’s dialogue in the text, as mentioned, makes it apparent to the reader that she is distraught by the occurrences, and in Elinor’s eyes is probably not behaving how a young lady of their social standing should behave. The context in which she delivers some of her words simply stands to emphasise her grief and anguish. These are descriptions such as “barbarously insolent” and “obligingly bestowed”. They serve the purpose to emphasise Marianne’s strong feelings for Willoughby. This shows how the context in the extract, particularly in the dialogue of Marianne, serves mainly to manifest how strong her feelings are for the lover she appears to have lost. Marianne’s character appears to go through, or begin to go through some minor altercations in the extract. As previously mentioned she is the sensitive little sister that appears at some moments in the novel to be spoilt, and not really care about what people think of her. However, she becomes slightly concerned that her unhappiness is affecting her older sister. “I would do more than for my own. But to appear happy when I am so miserable-Oh! who can require it?” Although she quickly lapses back into her own selfish outbursts about her own miseries concerning her and Willoughby, we can take note of a minor change in Marianne’s personality as she becomes even so slightly sensitive to other people’s needs, if only for a moment. The dialogue between the two girls and the tone and style in which Austen delivers it shows there are still great differences between the two sisters. Marianne is constantly speaking in emotional outbursts, whereas Elinor appears to deliver her statements carefully, with consideration for her sister. Austen writes passionately about the girl’s feelings whenever they are jilted by a lover, especially regarding Marianne and Willoughby. Austen herself was a member of the professional class, growing up in the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth centuries. It is probably likely she had witnessed or even experienced situations such as the ones she is writing about. This would explain the enthusiasm and passion that flourishes in her character’s use of language and the tone and style in which it is delivered to the reader. I believe that Austen’s perspective of the issues in the text reflect a clear understanding of the situations that the two girls are in, in both the text extract and throughout the rest of the novel. Jane Austen originally drafted ‘Sense and Sensibility’ as an epistolary novel, entitled ‘Elinor and Marianne’. This means that i...