Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen is her first novel, but like the more popular Pride and Prejudice, it is about marriage and inheritance among the moneyed classes. Austen has a keen eye for vanities and personalities. While nineteen-year-old Elinor Dashwood is a sophisticated observer of manners and morals, most of the others are innocent of their foibles and delusions. Elinor’s opinions are often humorous and judgmental.
The plot centers around the matrimonial prospects of the two elder Miss Dashwoods. Elinor (sense, reason) falls in love with Edward Ferrars, but his mother would never approve of the match. Marianne (sensibility, emotion) falls for the dashing Willoughby, but he has his eyes on a richer match.
In many ways, the plot is repeated in Pride and Prejudice, both from the overall subject of manners and matrimony, and many details. For example, in both books, a rogue with the initial W gets a girl pregnant in Bath. (Why does Austen not like Bath?) The outcome differs, but Austen manages a happy ending regardless.
Warning: The 19th-century style takes some getting-used-to. Names: married couples are always Mr. John Dashwood and Mrs. John Dashwood, with the given name often unused. The eldest child is Miss Dashwood or Mr. Dashwood. All younger children are referred to by their given names. This can cause confusion, and the author is aware of this and uses it. There is much discussion of different carriages and money, both fortunes and annual incomes.
Also, Jane Austen uses more double negatives than normally seen in contemporary writing. “Not so really important,” “not from any disinclination,” and “not believe it was impossible.” In general, modern readers might find the writing pedantic and wordy.
Some of the scenes show how the world has changed in two centuries. For example, the (male) doctor’s favorite color is pink. Other scenes are universal. Edward Farrars wrecks a pair of sewing scissors by using them incorrectly.
One irony is that Elinor (Austen) observes the many foibles of the privileged class. She clearly belongs to this stratum of 19th-century society, albeit at the lower levels. However, she is blissfully unaware of the fact that these challenges are dwarfed when compared to the lower classes.
If you’d like a story lampooning Regency manners with a happy ending, this book (continuously in print for over two centuries) is highly recommended. It can also be read as an early feminist novel.
No comments:
Post a Comment