Part 2 of Book Analysis: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Austen weaves several key themes throughout the novel, each reinforcing the central tension between sense and sensibility:
1. Love and Emotional Restraint vs. Passion
Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are the novel’s living paradox—one is reason, the other is feeling; one guards her heart, and the other wears it on her sleeve. Together, they form the emotional heart of Sense and Sensibility, illustrating two vastly different approaches to love.
Marianne, the embodiment of romantic idealism, believes love should be nothing short of a tempest—grand, passionate, and undeniable. She throws herself headfirst into her attachment to Willoughby, convinced that their shared love of poetry and music is irrefutable proof of their perfect union. To her, love is not love unless it sweeps one off one’s feet. But when Willoughby trades devotion for wealth, she is left not only heartbroken but utterly disillusioned. It is not just Willoughby she mourns but the collapse of the ideal she held so dear.
Elinor, in contrast, loves no less deeply, but she does so with quiet resolve. Her affection for Edward Ferrars is steady and sincere, yet she does not indulge in grand gestures or desperate lamentations. Even when she learns of his secret engagement to another woman, she suffers in silence, holding fast to her dignity rather than surrendering to despair. She refuses to let Lucy Steele rob her of her self-respect, recognizing that while heartbreak is inevitable, self-possession is a choice. She was stronger alone… she would not let Lucy steal from her the comfort of self-respect.
“By feeling that I was doing my duty. My promises to Luch obliged me to be secret. Owed it to her, therefore, to avoid giving any hint of the truth; and I owed it to my family and friends to to create in them a solicitude about me, which it could not be in my power to satisfy.[1]“
The novel’s brilliance lies in how these sisters evolve. Marianne, nearly undone by her own sorrow, comes to recognize that unchecked passion can be as destructive as it is intoxicating. She does not become cold or unfeeling, but she learns to temper her emotions with reason. Her eventual marriage to Colonel Brandon is not a compromise but a reflection of her newfound wisdom—she chooses admiration, stability, and a love that grows rather than consumes.
Elinor, on the other hand, finds happiness not through transformation but through endurance. She remains steadfast, proving that true strength does not always roar—it sometimes endures in silence. Her reunion with Edward is not marked by dramatic declarations but by quiet, profound relief. Austen subtly suggests that love does not always require spectacle to be deeply felt.
Austen does not advocate for one path over the other but instead warns against imbalance. In a way, she echoes Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics—passion without reason leads to ruin, but cold rationality without warmth leads to emptiness[2]. True happiness, she suggests, lies in mastering both. The Golden Mean, as Aristotle might say, is the art of knowing when to feel and when to think.
2. The Role of Women and Marriage
In Austen’s world, marriage isn’t merely about romance—it’s about survival. The Dashwood sisters’ downward spiral after their father’s death lays bare an unforgiving truth of the 19th century: a woman’s security depended entirely on the men in her life. With inheritance laws skewed in favor of male heirs, the Dashwood women find themselves effectively exiled, their futures hinging on the precarious hope of a good marriage.
This harsh reality casts a long shadow over every romantic entanglement in the novel. Willoughby’s betrayal of Marianne is not rooted in fading affection but in financial necessity—he cannot afford to marry for love alone. Edward, shackled by an ill-advised engagement, faces complete disinheritance for prioritizing love over duty. Even Lucy Steele, calculating and opportunistic, understands the stakes. Marriage is her only path to stability, so she plays the game with ruthless precision.
“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy—it is disposition alone.”
Yet, despite the suffocating societal pressures, Sense and Sensibility is quietly radical. Neither Elinor nor Marianne sacrifices her principles for convenience. Marianne, though shattered by Willoughby’s abandonment, does not degrade herself by chasing him or settling for an easy escape. Elinor, though deeply in love with Edward, refuses to act dishonorably or meddle in his engagement. Their choices stand in stark contrast to the mercenary marriages around them.
In the end, both sisters do marry—but not out of desperation. Their unions are built on love and mutual respect rather than sheer financial necessity. Austen does not reject the institution of marriage outright, but she does challenge its purely transactional nature. Love, in her view, should be more than a business arrangement.
While modern readers may not face the same grim realities as Austen’s heroines, the core question remains: how do we balance love and practicality? Even today, relationships are shaped by financial stability, family expectations, and social pressures. Austen’s message is as relevant now as it was then—love should be grounded in mutual respect and genuine connection, not fleeting passion or material convenience.
Austen herself was no stranger to this dilemma. At 27, she accepted a marriage proposal, much like Pride and Prejudice’s Charlotte Lucas, who chose security over sentiment. But unlike Charlotte, Austen broke off the engagement the next day, unwilling to marry for anything less than true affection.[3] Her novels suggest that she never condemned marriage—she simply believed that if a woman must marry, she should at least do so on her own terms.
3. Social Status and Reputation
In Sense and Sensibility, reputation is everything. The characters who defy social expectations often face severe consequences, while those who conform—however unhappily—are rewarded.
Marianne’s very public heartbreak serves as a cautionary tale. Because she wears her emotions so openly, she becomes an object of gossip and pity. Meanwhile, Elinor, who suffers just as deeply but does so privately, maintains her dignity and is ultimately seen as the more respectable sister.
Even Willoughby, charming as he is, cannot escape society’s judgment. His decision to prioritize wealth over love makes him miserable in the end. Though he achieves financial security, he is condemned to a life devoid of true happiness.
Austen, however, does not condemn her characters for their mistakes—she simply illustrates the reality of the world they live in. Her sharp observations about social hypocrisy remain just as relevant today. Most readers can relate to the pressure to maintain appearances, to conform to societal norms, and to make “smart” life choices rather than passionate ones is something most readers can relate to.
4. Why Sense and Sensibility Still Matters Today
Though firmly set in the early 19th century, Sense and Sensibility grapples with dilemmas that feel strikingly familiar. Who hasn’t struggled with the tension between reason and emotion? How many have endured heartbreak—not because love faded, but because financial realities or societal expectations made it impossible? And how often do we find ourselves torn between personal desires and what the world insists we should want?
But let’s step away from love and romance for a moment and consider a different kind of pressure—the relentless push to keep up with material success. A better phone, a flashier car, a bigger house. Social networks bombard us with curated images of luxury and achievement, making it easy to believe that happiness is something we must prove rather than feel. But do we actually need these things, or have we simply been conditioned to think we do? Why chase an image of success that stretches our finances thin and our peace of mind even thinner?
Now, I’m not saying we should all abandon material aspirations and live like monks. Balance is key. But Austen’s message rings true here: happiness should not be dictated by external pressures. Whether it’s marriage, wealth, or social standing, she reminds us that real fulfillment comes from choices aligned with our own values—not society’s checklist.
Austen’s brilliance lies in how she weaves these profound questions into a novel that is both sharp and thoroughly entertaining. Her wit, her keen psychological insight, and her refusal to offer easy answers make Sense and Sensibility just as relevant today as it was in 1811. The world may have changed, but the struggle between sense and sensibility—the need to balance reason with passion and practicality with authenticity—remains timeless.
5. Reflect and Discuss
- Have you ever been torn between following your heart and making a more “sensible” choice? How did you navigate that decision?
- Do you think Marianne truly loves Colonel Brandon in the end, or does she settle for him?
- How do you think Austen would portray these themes if she were writing today?
Austen does not give us simple answers, but that is precisely why Sense and Sensibility endures. It invites us to reflect, to question, and, ultimately, to find a little more wisdom in our own stories of sense and sensibility.
[1] Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility (Wordsworth Eidtions Limited, 1992). P. 174
[2] Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Grapevine, 2025).
[3] William Austen-Leigh and Arthur Austen-Leigh, Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters: Intimate Insights into the Brilliant Literary Mind (Namaskar Books, 2023). Pp.88-89. In 1802, Jane was offered marriage, which she accepted initially. She thought horribly about the marriage proposal, so she rejected the offer. pp.89-90. In 1802, Jane received a marriage proposal, which she initially accepted. However, she soon thought about it and found the proposal horrendous, leading her to ultimately reject the offer.