illustration of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood's faces

Sense and Sensibility

by Jane Austen

Start Free Trial

Discussion Topic

Major Themes and Conflicts in Sense and Sensibility

Summary:

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen explores the central conflict between sense (reason and self-control) and sensibility (emotion and passion). This conflict is embodied in the contrasting characters of Elinor, who represents sense, and Marianne, who embodies sensibility. Their differing approaches to love and life highlight themes of wealth versus poverty, passion versus reason, and marrying for love versus security. Social status and wealth also create external conflicts, affecting romantic relationships and marriage decisions. Ultimately, the novel argues for a balance between reason and emotion.

Expert Answers

An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are the main conflicts in Sense and Sensibility?

In literature there are two main types of conflict: internal (sometimes called psychological) and external. In Sense and Sensibility, we see both types of conflict at play.

External conflicts exist between characters such as Elinor and Edward, Elinor and Lucy, Marianne and Colonel Brandon, and so on. Internal conflict is evident within Elinor as she wrestles with the divide between her head and her heart, so to speak.

Though social conflict is the primary framework Austen used, it can be argued that it is merely a front. Austen brilliantly used the constructs of her own society as a literary tool to highlight the theme and underlying conflict of her story, that is, the dichotomy of sense (what is felt) and sensibility (what ought to be felt as determined by logic). All other conflicts in the story emerge out of this primary conflict.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The first most obvious conflict is social conflict....

Unlock
This Answer Now

Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.

Get 48 Hours Free Access

People are judged based on wealth and social status and even marriage is determined by one's social ranking and wealth. Love is secondary. It can even be argued that the other conflicts in this story are all related or a result of this main conflict.

The conflicts that exemplify this social conflict are:

Marianne vs. Willoughby

Elinor vs. Lucy Steele

Edward vs. his mother

Wiloughby vs his aunt

Each of these above conflicts is stemmed from wealth and social status as a barrier to true love.  Willoughby has a conflict with Marianne because he cannot marry her since she does not have enough money. He has a conflict with his aunt because he needs to act to her wishes because he needs her money. Elinor and Lucy have a conflict over who will get Edward and who has a greater stature with his mother to be approved for marriage. Edward has a conflict with his mother who will disown him if he does not marry the appropriate social/wealthy woman. All of these conflicts deal with marriage but not because of love, but rather the conflicts are based on money.

There is internal conflict which plagues Elinor throughout the novel. She struggles with hiding her own feelings and her opwn pain to protect her family - specifically her mother and sister. She constantly struggles with what she should keep to herself and when she should become involved in her sister's life.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the main theme or message in Sense and Sensibility?

As it is stated in the title, Sense and Sensibility illustrates the clash that occurs when emotions rule our common sense. Austen presents, in a variety of story lines, that romance and social expectations could be detrimental to individuals who allow themselves to be guided merely on these two parameters. Therefore, the story aims to demonstrate that love will always manifest itself the same way to everyone. However, only the strong would survive the "curve balls" that romance throws our way. In all, Sense and Sensibility is a study of how differently people react to the different manifestations of love.

Out  several different story lines, one can definitely point out Elinor and Marianne as the ultimate representatives of sense (common sense) and sensibility (emotions), respectively.

Elinor has self-control, abides by social rules, and measures her emotional acumen. She does not allow complexity to ruin her poise. She even tolerates the likes of Lucy Steele and her engagement to Edward. She is stoic and analytical in every way.

Marianne, contrastingly, believes that romance is the essence of life. She transfers her emotional nature to her everyday existence. The result is that she ends up deceived, frustrated, and sick. Eventually, as she recovers her senses, she realizes the foolishness of not quite reading between the lines. In the end, she gets her emotions in check and opts for using her common sense to understand the veracity of the Colonel's intentions towards her.

In conclusion, Sense and Sensibility explores both sides of the spectrum: Common sense in love and emotional reaction. In the end, sense wins. However, Austen also leads us to understand that, in love, all is fair. It is up to us to determine to what point that is a possibility.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the major conflict in Sense and Sensibility?

The title of the book itself could be construed as representing the main conflict. Elinor is the Dashwood sister with "sense" in the story, whereas Marianne is, for the most part, a slave to her sensibility, or emotions. As well as her undivided attention, Marianne gives Willoughby a lock of her hair. The bestowal of something so intimate symbolizes the giving of Marianne's heart to her new beau. In the long run, however, once Marianne comes to her senses, she will find a suitable husband for herself instead of lavishing her attentions on the likes of Mr. Willoughby.

There are also a number of metaphors in the book which pertain to the sense versus sensibility conflict. A metaphor can be defined as a person, place, thing, or event that stands both for itself and for something beyond itself. In the scene where Mr. Willoughby assists Marianne after her accident, he's out hunting, and he's introduced to us as carrying a gun, with two pointers playing around him. Metaphorically speaking, Willoughby is hunting Marianne; she is his quarry. And just as a hunt's quarry ends up being put through a lot of pain and suffering, so too does poor Marianne suffer emotionally from her ill-advised involvement with the frightful Willoughby. In this particular case, sensibility prevails over sense.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

As the title of the novel indicates, the major conflict is between sense and sensibility. By sense, Jane Austen means reason, logic and self-control. By sensibility, she means a heightened sensitivity to emotions and feelings. Each of the title characters represents an excess of one of these poles. Elinor displays "sense," and it is through her eyes that most of the novel's action unfolds. She is the oldest of the three sisters, rational, controlled and sensible to a degree that can appear unfeeling and which shuts others out of her emotional life. Her younger sister, Marianne, on the other hand, represents an excess of sensibility, wearing her emotions on her sleeve, in need of greater restraint and self-control as she rushes headlong into assuming Willoughby will marry her, despite the fact that neither of them has much money. Austen explores the damage that both too much sense and too much sensibility can cause, but because the book is told from Elinor's point of view, its critique of sensibility is the stronger of the two: Marianne's emotionalism is often rude and hurtful, and in the end she almost kills herself from her excessive reactions to events. These two character studies illustrate the importance of finding a middle ground between effusiveness and restraint, but most pointedly show the folly of self-centered emotionalism, both to oneself and to the larger world.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

The conflict with the most scope and influence inSense and Sensibilityis wealth vs. poverty, because of its effects on so many relationships in the novel.  This conflict finds its way into the Dashwood family, forcing them to find cheaper lodging after their father's death. 

The wealth vs. poverty conflict also affects Edward's choice in whom he can marry, risking the wrath of his family were he to marry too 'low.'  Willoughby and Marianne's relationship is also subject to the poverty vs. wealth conflict, as his decision to abandon Marianne comes from his need to procure a large dowry (after having been cut off from his inheritance).  The main story line of the novel revolves around the idea of the penniless Dashwood sisters attempting to balance love and a sensible marriage without the advantage of a dowry. 

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What are the major themes in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility?

As the title suggests, the primary theme of Sense and Sensibility is the use of sense vs. sensibility. In protest against the romantic literature of her day that praised extreme emotionalism and focused on the needs and wants of self above the common good or community, Jane Austen used Sense and Sensibility as a warning to show just how dangerous violent, uncontrolled emotions, or sensibilities, really are. Hence, Austen juxtaposes two sisters with two different philosophies.

The eldest sister, Elinor, governs all of her choices and actions with sense and even believes in controlling her emotions. Her sensibleness and her ability to think calmly and coolly make her an indispensable counselor for their mother. In contrast, while Marianne also has sense and cleverness, she prefers to be governed by her passionate emotions. As Austen describes, Marianne is "eager in everything: her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation" (Ch. 1). Even Mrs. Dashwood has a tendency to think and act like Marianne, and both encourage each other to be passionate about their emotions. Hence, when during the course of the story, both sisters become equally brokenhearted due to love, Elinor makes the conscious decision to govern her emotions while Marianne violently gives in to them, leading to a dangerous fever that nearly takes her life.

Elinor argues that it was her duty to keep her emotions in control. For one thing, she made a promise to Lucy to continue to keep her engagement to Edward a secret. Not only that, Elinor knew just how much hearing of Edward's engagement would upset Marianne and her mother; therefore, she was eager to protect them by keeping them from finding out. Marianne, on the other hand, feels it's her right to express her grief, even at the cost of hurting other people. However, she soon understands that her philosophy about unguarded emotion was wrong. She even understands that her behavior had been selfish and had nearly cost her her life, as we see in her lines:

I saw that my own feelings had almost led me to the grave. My illness, I well knew, had been entirely brought on by myself by such negligence of my own health, as I had felt even at the time to be wrong. (Ch. 46)

Hence, we see that Austen is showing us that all things must be governed by sense, even one's sensibilities, or emotions, making sense vs. sensibility the main theme.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the main conflict of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility?

As the title suggests, Austen's main point in Sense and Sensibility is to philosophize or moralize about two different perspectives or personality types. Hence, since Austen uses two sisters to make her point, the main conflict in the book is actually twofold. The first main conflict in the story is between the two sisters. Elinor rightly judges Marianne as being too irrationally emotional, or relying too much on her sensibilities, while Marianne incorrectly judges Elinor as having no heart. The second main conflict is that Marianne finds herself in conflict with herself because all of her romantic ideals lead her to not only fall in love with a man of ignoble character but also to destroy herself, nearly causing her death. Hence, the first main conflict is character vs. self.

When Marianne first meets Willoughby, both she and the reader believe that he is the ideal man. When Marianne slips and falls, twisting her ankle, while walking through the downs with Margaret, Willoughby appears out of nowhere in the rain and carries her home safely. He is handsome, charming, and gallant. As Marianne phrases it, "His person and air were equal to what her fancy had ever drawn for the hero of a favourite story" (Ch. 9). However, we soon learn that his character is actually far less than ideal. Not only is he extravagant, we later learn that he is guilty of seducing and impregnating Colonel Brandon's charge, Eliza. Marianne's heartbreak over Willoughby lead to a raging fever that nearly takes her life, emphasizing the character vs. self conflict. However, eventually Marianne realizes that, like her sister, she could have born her heartache with more "fortitude"; she further realizes that her passionate, uncontrolled feelings led her to be selfish and hurtful towards others, especially Elinor. Marianne instead later resolves that "[her] feelings shall be governed and [her] temper improved," leading to the resolution of the conflict (Ch. 46).

Similarly to Marianne, Elinor also suffers a broken heart when she learns that the man she has fallen in love with is secretly engaged to Lucy Steele. However, unlike Marianne, she does not let others see the nature of her sorrow, one reason being that she swore to Lucy that she would keep their engagement a secret. Nonetheless, Elinor must remain the strong one. When Marianne is crushed by Willoughby, Elinor must comfort her; when Marianne learns of Edwards engagement, again, Elinor must comfort her. When Marianne asks Elinor how she bore it all, Elinor explains that she would rather selflessly spare anyone from knowing how she feels and making them feel equal pain. Marianne believes that Elinor really didn't feel much for Edward. But as Elinor argues:

Then, if I had not been bound to silence, perhaps nothing could have kept me entirely--not even what I owed to my dearest friends--from openly shewing that I was very unhappy. (Ch. 37)

Hence, we see that the nature of the character vs. character conflict between sisters is that Marianne believes she should be self-serving towards her emotions while Elinor believes that emotions should be controlled and that one must be selfless and pay attention to duty at all times. This conflict is resolved when Marianne sees the error of her ways.

Approved by eNotes Editorial
An illustration of the letter 'A' in a speech bubbles

What is the main theme in Sense and Sensibility?

Well, in any Austen novel the theme of courtship and marriage and the complex social negotiations that they represent is a good one to explore and think through. This excellent novel is all about Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and the vexing question of who will they marry. Yet their social position is one that reduces their possibilities of making a "good match" considerably, as is the case with a number of Austen's heroines. Likewise, the way in which the favour in which a suitor is received is directly related to the amount of wealth he has. This, of course, brings great sadness to both of the two protagonists. Willoughby discards Marianne, even though he did love her, because of his need for money and her lack of it. Mrs. Ferrars uses her power as matriarch to try and force her sons to make appropriate matches based on connections and wealth.

Note too the way in which Austen presents us with two different approaches to love and marriage through the sisters and how they manage courtship and the rejection that they both suffer. Throughout the novel, sense, in the person of Elinor's rational and practical approach to romance, is contrasted with sensibility, which of course is characterised by Marianne's flighty and impulsive passions. Austen seems to be presenting us with two opposites, and pointing towards the merits of approaching the problematic issue of love and marriage with a head full of sense rather than sensibility. Tellingly, at the end of the novel, Marianne herself recognises her own faults and adopts a more practical and down-to-earth approach, as exemplified in her marriage to the Colonel.

Approved by eNotes Editorial