This paper will examine the development of Jane Austen’s changing views on emotional sensibility, the capacity to react to emotions and emotional stimuli, from adolescence to adulthood and attempts to answer the question: How does Jane Austen’s opinion on emotional sensibility change as she matures to reflect both her own ideas and the ideas and norms of the society in which she lives. In order to investigate this question, both “Love and Freindship[sic] and Sense and Sensibility, two works addressing the concept of emotional sensibility, were read, compared, and analyzed. In addition, various literary criticisms concerning these two works and several other novels by Jane Austen were consulted to further analyze her developing opinions, as they are portrayed through numerous methods such as recurring themes, throughout her works. I first examined the depiction of emotional sensibility through parallel characters in the two works, such as Laura of “Love and Freindship”[sic] and Marianne of Sense and Sensibility. I then explained how Austen’s opinion of emotional sensibility changed by comparing the conclusions to each of the works. I further verified this change by examining recurring themes present in both works.
After this research, I found that Jane Austen, while always remaining a strongly opinionated writer, diluted her harsh portrayal of emotional sensibility in her earlier work “Love and Freindship”[sic] into a more moderate depiction in Sense and Sensibility. The underlying thought in both works remains essentially the same; that is, a general disapproval of overtly emotional sensibility, although Austen does later concede that sensibility should be used in tandem with logic rather than discarded altogether. However, ther...
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Shubinsky, Diane. "Sense and Sensibility: An Eighteenth-Century Narrative." Jasna.org. Volume 20, number 1. The Jane Austen Society of North America. Web. 14 May 2011. .
Fowler, Karen J.Introduction. Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen: The Complete Novels. By Jane Austen. New York: Penguin, 2006. 211-421. Print.
Wallace, Tara Ghoshal. Jane Austen and Narrative Authority. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995. 17-30.
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This story was written “during an important transition in English cultural history when the sensible eighteenth century enlightenment ideas were giving way to the more sensitive romantic ideas of the nineteenth century” (Mazzeno n.p.). Some may believe that the story may fit into the anticipated scene where common sense is battling against emotional sensibility, but Austen proves in this novel that there are many ways to attain happiness. Two critics who explore this theme of “sense” and “sensibility” are P. Gila Reinstein and William W. Heath who both use Marianne and Elinor Dashwood to make their
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Halperin, John. The Life of Jane Austen. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 1984. Print.
The first of Jane Austen’s published novels, Sense and Sensibility, portrays the life and loves of two very different sisters: Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. The contrast between the sister’s characters results in their attraction to vastly different men, sparking family and societal dramas that are played out around their contrasting romances. The younger sister, Marianne Dashwood, emerges as one of the novel’s major characters through her treatment and characterization of people, embodying of emotion, relationship with her mother and sisters, openness, and enthusiasm.
Each of Jane Austen’s characters in her novel, Pride and Prejudice, experiences a significant character development. Whether the change occurs by self-realization or through the assistance of another character varies from each individual character. For Austen’s leading man, Mr. Darcy, his character improvement is documented through his two marriage proposals to Elizabeth Bennet and her subsequent first rejection of his proposal. His first proposal demonstrates his extreme arrogance, elitism, and blindness to his many flaws. While his latter proposal shows not only the recognition of his deficiencies, but the overall improvement in his mentality. Mr. Darcy’s two proposals, though having the same intended end result, are completely different
Jane Austen Society of North America, Inc. A Brief Biography. jasna.org. 26 April. 2014.
In her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen brought to life the struggles and instability of the English hierarchy in the early 19th century. Through the heartaches and happiness shared by Elinor Dashwood, who represented sense and her sister Marianne, who stood for sensibility, Austen tells a story of sisters who plummet from the upper class to the lower crust of society and the characters that surround them. Austen juxtaposes the upper and lower classes in English society to give the reader a full understanding of the motivation to be a part of the upper class and the sacrifices one will give up to achieve such status. Austen exposes the corruptness of society, the significance of class and the fundamental building blocks both are to the decision-making surrounding her protagonists, Marianne and Elinor.
Austen was raised in an unusually liberal family where her father was a part of the middle-landowning class. They had a moderate amount of luxuries, but were not considered well off. Unlike many girls of her time Austen received a fairly comprehensive education. She received this mainly through the undivided support of her family. Austen and her sisters, like most girls of their time, were homeschooled. Austen’s zealous parents encouraged the girls to play piano, read and write. Her parent’s encouragement led to her interest in writing. Austen’s father housed an extensive library filled with books which kept Austen occupied for years (“Sense and Sensibility” 119). Through her observant nature and passion to read and write, Austen was able to eloquently write of the many “hidden truths” of social and class distinction during her time. They included daily societal changes some of which foreshadowed future societal leniency. Familial support also extended societal norm of marriage. Her parents attempt...
“Biography of Jane Austen.” Critical insight: Pride and Prejudice (2011): 18-31. Literary Reference Center. Web. 24 Nov 2013.
Within the novel, Jane Austen’s exploits of irony are shown linked throughout Emma’s notions of love and the real within her own society. Emma’s lack of education on the concepts of love is quite evident within her apathy towards Frank Churchill as her opinions are deeply rooted within her own affections, as she states, “Emma continued to entertain no doubt of her being in love. Her ideas only varied as to the how much. At first, she thought it was a good deal; and afterwards, but little. She had great pleasure in hearing Frank Churchill talked of; and for his sake, greater pleasure than ever in seeing Mr. and Mrs. Weston; she was very often thinking of him. But, on the other hand, she could not admit herself to be unhappy, nor, after the first morning, to be less disposed for employment than usual; she was still busy and cheerful; and, pleasing as he was, she could yet imagine him to have faults,” (Austen 264). Emma’s sketch of Harriet is another illustration of irony surrounded by Emma’s arrogance as it does not portray an accurate depiction of Harriet as Emma has altered ...
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Fergus, Jan. “Biography.” The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen. Ed. Janet Todd.