A person usually assumes that their former lover and enemies are the ones to hurt them, not the person that they look to for love and support in their current life. In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, the text is centered on two sisters, Elinor, who bases most of her actions on logic, and Marianne, who bases most of her actions on emotions. Marianne faces heartbreak since her love deceives her, and she has to discover how to move beyond her circumstances, while Elinor, who is in love with Edward Ferrars, faces an unstable and painful relationship due to unexpected factors before they find happiness in the end. Sir Thomas Malory’s story Morte d’Arthur focuses on the death of Arthur due to the head wound his son, Mordred, gives him after …show more content…
The prologue of this tale describes how Arthur travels to besiege Lancelot, who was his former best friend that had an affair with his wife, until he is forced to return. In both Sensibility and Sense by Jane Austen, and Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory, the idea that a person’s closest loved ones can cause the most torment is highlighted through techniques such as plot development and foreshadowing.
The theme that the people dearest to a person‘s heart can sometimes undermine that person’s affection and, in the end, cause them the most pain, is present in both works of literature and provokes a pronounced impact on the reading. In Sense and Sensibility, the reader is directed to the pain that the ladies face because of who they bestow their affection upon even further due to the theme. This is expressed greatly from the point that Marianne first hears of Willoughby’s
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In Sense and Sensibility, the theme of perfidy is a very central facet of the actions most vital to the plot and is very importantly used to develop the characterization of each of the sisters. Through Elinor’s pain when she finds about Edgar’s engagement, the reader can see she feels, “distress beyond anything she had ever felt before” (Austen 129). This draws her to keep her grief and the secret of the engagement concealed due to a vow she made to Lucy, her personal morals of honor, and putting others above herself even though, “she struggled so resolutely against the oppression of her feelings” (129). Also, through Marianne’s revelation of Willoughby’s character, it is shown that she is “in restless pain of mind and body… growing more and more hysterical” which is meant to highlight that she is not hesitant to express her emotions (181). However, in Morte D’Arthur, the author includes the central theme as only one of the parts of the tale which has a central focus of Arthur’s death, not his pain from his close friend Lancelot and wife Guinevere, even though it is essential. Arthur’s character is not entirely developed through the issues either, since he, generally speaking, is the same honorable and vengeful king from the beginning to the end. The reader is informed about the
In summary, throughout the novel, Arthur Dimmesdale's frailty and sorrow is shown through the author use of the physical appearance, emotional state, and finally his spoken words to other characters. The use of these three aspects of Dimmesdale's character allows the clearer understanding of Dimmesdale's frailty and sorrow Thus, understanding all aspects of a character allows true insight into the individual.
Jane Eyre, a conscientious young governess, tells her master, Mr. Rochester, that she dislikes speaking nonsense. Mr. Rochester tells her quite frankly, "If you did, it would be in such a grave, quiet manner, I should mistake it for sense...I see you laugh rarely; but you can laugh very merrily: believe me, you are not naturally austere" (141). In this way is the inner struggle between feelings and judgment recognized and revealed. In Charlotte Brontë's novel, Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester, St. John Rivers, and Jane Eyre all struggle with feelings versus judgment.
Jane Austen completes her story with a “Cinderella ending” of Catherine and Henry marrying. However, her novel is more than a fairytale ending. Although often wrong and misguided in their judgments, she shows the supremacy of males that permeated throughout her society. Jane Austen takes us from a portrayal of men as rude, self-centered, and opinionate to uncaring, demanding, and lying to downright ruthless, hurtful, and evil. John Thorpe’s and General Tilney’s total disregard for others feelings and their villainous ways prove Austen’s point. Whether reading Northanger Abbey for the happy ending or the moral lesson, this novel has much to offer.
It was enough for her that he appeared to be amiable, that he loved her daughter, and that Elinor returned the partiality" (13). As generous as thi... ... middle of paper ... ... line of thinking makes perfect sense when we consider Jane Austen's tendency, particularly in Sense and Sensibility, to use her writing as a vehicle for not only entertainment but also instruction. We may view the varying representations of mothers then, not only as examples for Elinor to learn from, but for us as readers as well.
Rationality and sensibility are essential parts of human’s life. The explanation of rationality in the dictionary is “based on clear, practical, or scientific reasons; sensible and able to make decisions based on intelligent thinking rather than on emotion ”. And the explanation of sensibility is “an acute perception of or responsiveness toward something, such as the emotions of another ”. People always want to separate rationality and sensibility into two opposite things, even the dictionary says that rationality is “intelligent thinking rather than on emotion”. In the book Sense and Sensibility, each of the two female main characters, Elinor and Marianne, stand for rationality and sensibility, but both of them pass a difficult time when they being pure rationality or sensibility. There is an idiom in China called “things will develop in the opposites direction when they become extreme”, and this is exactly what should think about how to balance two consciousness. Being excessively rational or exceeding sensible cannot make things happen just as you want it will be. Finding a “balance” between them is the correct way to live as Jane Austen suggest in the book. Problems would happen while the “scale” of consciousness being amesiality, either the rational side or the sensible one. Excessively sensible makes people show everything exterior, including their weakness. But being exceeding rational cannot make the thing totally different, it just let people hide everything internal. According to these, a fulcrum between these two extreme is necessary.
This can mostly clearly be shown when Jane comes full circle and visits her ailing aunt. Jane is forced to choose between hanging onto past insults and neglect or moving on and showing her aunt love. At Lowood Jane was taught how to love and forgive by Helen. “Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it: it is weak and silly to say you CANNOT BEAR what it is your fate to be required to bear.” ( Jane Eyre 101 of 868) Helen taught Jane in the past that you must bear your burdens, in this case, Mrs. Reed’s coldness. “‘Yes, Aunt Reed. How are you, dear aunt?’” (Jane Eyre 438 of 868) Jane’s use of an affectionate word such as “dear” to address her aunt demonstrates the transformation of Jane’s perspective on her aunt. Jane palliates her old feelings replacing them with her newfound ability to love. “I felt pain, and then I felt ire; and then I felt a determination to subdue her—to be her mistress in spite both of her nature and her will. My tears had risen, just as in childhood: I ordered them back to their source. I brought a chair to the bed-head: I sat down and leaned over the pillow.” (Jane Eyre 439 of 868) Bronte uses word choice to portray how Mrs. Reed’s antipathy towards Jane hurts Jane. Through negative word choice, a cold and frustrated tone is introduced into the passage, showing Jane’s emotional anguish. “I approached my cheek to her lips: she
In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s journey to love and marriage is the focal point of the narrative. But, the lesser known source of richness in Austen’s writing comes from her complex themes the well-developed minor characters. A closer examination of Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s dear friend in Pride and Prejudice, shows that while she did not take up a large amount of space in the narrative, her impact was great. Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances in the marriage market make her a foil to Elizabeth, who has the power of choice and refusal when it comes to deciding who will be her husband. By focusing on Charlotte’s age and lack of beauty, Austen emphasizes how ridiculous and cruel marriage can be in this time.
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.
“Said he, ‘I beg of you, for my sake and for our child’s sake,as well as for your own, that you will never for one instant let that idea enter your mind!’”(Gilman, 774) shows John begging her to withhold all feelings to save herself, him, and their child from any further pain. This suppression of feeling caused the mental confinement that the narrator felt. He hadn’t known in asking her to do so, it would cause such a reaction. While, Brently Mallard’s consistent pressure of being a perfect wife on Mrs. Mallard caused her conflicting ideas on his death as her being set free. “And yet she had loved him-sometimes. Often she had not.” (Chopin, 785) shows Mrs. Mallard's rethinking of her feelings towards her husband. The release of pressure caused by her husband death caused her to rethink and find her true feelings towards him. Mr. Mallard had unknowingly applied this pressure upon his wife because it was simply what he had always thought a woman should be which is learned from society. Meanwhile, Henry Allen consistently ridicules and rejects Elisa’s ideas of breaking free of the set standards of what a woman should be not knowing the effects it had on her. “Oh, sure, some. What’s the matter, Elisa? Do you want to
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.
In his essay “Jane Eyre: The Quest for Optimism,” Frederick L. Ashe writes, “It is hard to imagine anyone learned enough to read Jane Eyre who would consider her first ten years emotionally healthful ones” (Ashe). Ashe, whose criticism appeared in Novels for Students, Volume 4, is correct in his opinion. Jane’s abuse first begins in her own home. Her life until age ten is filled with abuse from her cousin John Reed, the mockery of the household servants, and the physical and mental abuse of her Aunt Reed. John’s first abuse of Jane comes when he throws a heavy book at her head. Bronte writes in Jane’s voice, “I saw him lift and poise the book and stand in act to hurl it, I instinctively started aside with a cry of alarm: not soon enough, however; the volume was flung, it hit me, and I fell, striking my head against the door and cutting it. The cut bled, the pain was sharp” (Bronte 13). John’s physical abuse of Jane is not the only abuse she receives, though. After Jane recovers from the abuse bestowed upon her by John, Miss Abbot, a servant, says of Jane, “If she were a nice, pretty child, one might compassionate her forlornness; but one really cannot care for such a little toad as that” (Bronte 28). Although this abuse pains Jane, it is the abuse of her Aunt Reed that hurts Jane the most. Aunt Reed’s first maltreatment of Jane is on the first page of the novel. Aunt Reed gathers her children around her for a happy family moment. Jane, however, is left alone. Jane says, “[Aunt Reed] regretted to be
...e possible consequences of a swift assessment of a person with the whole elopement fiasco with Wickham and Lydia. While Wickham is evil for being ignorant to his wrongdoings, Austen wants the reader to see that Elizabeth and society is also wrong in being ignorant to Wickham’s true nature.
In the novel Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen, the Dashwood family is left with much less money after their father dies. When their cousin takes them in, they move to a new home and start their new life. In this time period money and social rank were the most important things. For most marriage has nothing to do with love, it is about gaining property, money or rank. This is why Elinor and Marianne’s, two of the Dashwood sisters, answers to the question: “what have wealth or grandeur to do with happiness?” (122) are so important. Elinor, the eldest Dashwood sister has all the characteristics of sense and responds, “grandeur has but little . . . but wealth has much to do with it” (122). She is implying that to be happy in life one must have money. Marianne seems to be the opposite of Elinor and embodies sensibility; she disagrees and claims that money “gives no real satisfaction” (122). This theme is seen throughout the novels with many characters specifically with the characters of the two Dashwood sisters, Edward, Mr. Willoughby and Colonel Brandon. These ideas influence the characters’ decisions and have many consequences.
Literary Analysis of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The novel Pride and Prejudice, is a romantic comedy, by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a story about an unlikely pair who go through many obstacles before finally coming together. Pride is the opinion of oneself, and prejudice is how one person feels others perceive them. The novel, Pride and Prejudice, uses plot, the characters of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and the status of women and social standing, to portray the theme of the novel - pride and prejudice.
Hemingway synthesizes the theory that because of the pain that is brought about, love is not able to survive. The feeling of love is felt by both Henry and Catherine, but it is hard to realize that when pain always surrounds the couple. Hemingway’s creative mind creates a frustrating love story for the reader – one in which ends in devastation. Love is present but will not last. Human nature is to be attracted to love, but humanity may be destined for pain because of the tragedy brought about by love.