SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
By: Jane Austen
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| SENSE AND SENSIBILITY By: Jane Austen |
Book summary
This is the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, sisters who respectively represent the "meaning" and the "sensitivity" of the title. Together with his mother, his sister Margaret and his half-brother John, they form the Dashwood family.
Henry Dashwood, his father, has just died. Norland Park, his estate, is inherited by John; much to his chagrin, Henry only has ten thousand pounds to bequeath to his wife and daughters. On his deathbed, he urges John to support them, and John promises he will. He is already rich as he has a fortune from his mother and is also married to wealthy Fanny Ferrars.
Immediately after Henry's funeral, a cold-hearted Mrs. Dashwood moves to Norland Park and shrewdly persuades John not to act for his stepmother and stepsisters. Disliking Fanny, Mrs. Henry Dashwood wants to leave Norland Park immediately, but Elinor wisely holds her back until they can find a home within their means.
Edward Ferrars, Fanny's brother, arrives to stay and is attracted to Elinor. Mrs. Dashwood and Marianne are hoping for an engagement, but Elinor isn't so sure. she knows Mrs. Ferrars and Fanny will oppose Edward's interest in her. Fanny objects to Edward's affection for Elinor and is so rude that Mrs. Dashwood immediately rents a cottage which her cousin, Sir John Middleton, offers her by chance.
The Dashwoods move into Barton Cottage and meet Sir John, who does his best to make them feel comfortable. They soon meet his elegant but tasteless wife and their four children.
One day, while Marianne and Margaret are walking in the hills, Marianne sprains her ankle. She is brought home by a stranger, John Willoughby, who is staying at Allenham Court, an estate he will inherit after the death of its elderly landlady, Mrs Smith. Marianne and Willoughby fall in love and are inseparable. But shortly after, Willoughby leaves unexpectedly for London without explaining or declaring himself.
Edward Ferrars soon visits Barton Cottage. But he is distraught and sullen, and Elinor is confused by his reserve.
Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs Jennings, stayed at Barton Park. He teases Marianne about Colonel Brandon, a friend of Sir Henry, who obviously admires Marianne. Although she loves the Colonel, Mrs. Jennings repeats a scandal about him; he is said to have an illegitimate daughter, Miss Williams.
Lady Middleton's younger sister Charlotte Palmer and her husband visit Barton Park. As he leaves, Sir John invites the Misses Steele, two young women he met in Exeter and discovered to be Mrs Jennings' relations.
Lucy confides in Elinor that she has been secretly engaged to Edward Ferrars for four years. He was educated by his uncle and knew Lucy and Anne well by this time. Elinor is shocked, but concludes that Edward had a crush on Lucy. Lucy persists in seeking advice, begging Elinor to convince her brother John to give Edward the living Barton if he chooses to take charge.
Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to stay with her in London. Marianne can't wait to go there because she hopes to see Willoughby there. He no longer visited them, nor wrote to Marianne.
In London, Marianne awaits a visit from Willoughby. She wrote to him several times but received no response. One day, he leaves his card but never calls personally.
Finally, Elinor and Marianne see Willoughby at a ball with an elegant heiress, Miss Grey. He speaks curtly to Marianne, distracted by her coldness. She writes to him for an explanation, and he returns the letters with a cruel note, denying that he was ever particularly interested in her and announcing his engagement to Miss Grey.
Colonel Brandon, who is also in London, is upset by Willoughby's behavior towards Marianne and tells Elinor his own story. As a young man, he had loved his cousin Eliza, his father's ward. But to win Eliza's fortune, her father married her to her eldest son, who abused her. Years later, the Colonel discovered that Eliza had left her husband for another man. She had sunk lower and lower and was now penniless and on her deathbed. The Colonel did everything he could for her and promised to raise her daughter, also named Eliza. Eliza, now an adult, had been seduced by Willoughby, who had abandoned her. The Colonel had dueled with Willoughby, but neither had been injured.
John Dashwood and his wife are coming to London for the season. He meets his sisters and is introduced to the Middletons, whom he finds very understanding. Anne and Lucy Steele are invited to stay with the Middletons and eventually visit the Dashwoods, John and Fanny. They treat them so kindly that Anne thinks it's safe to discover the secret of Lucy's engagement to Edward.
Fanny Dashwood has nervous breakdowns and orders Lucy and Anne out of her house. Edward's mother disinherits him because he won't break her word with Lucy. She decides to take charge and offers to release Lucy from her engagement, but Lucy won't give up on him.
He is born the son of Charlotte Palmer, and she invites Elinor and Marianne to accompany her mother on a visit to her country home, Cleveland. Marianne falls ill there and appears to be close to death. Colonel Brandon is also staying in Cleveland and offers to look for Mrs. Dashwood.
The Palmers leave home fearing an infection in the baby, and as Elinor awaits her mother's arrival, she is surprised by a visit from Willoughby. He found out about Marianne's illness and came to find out about her. He tells Elinor how bitterly he regrets her behavior and how unhappy his wife has made him; it was she who dictated the cruel note he sent to Marianne. Elinor feels sorry for him.
Marianne recovers and the family returns to Barton Cottage. Finally, Elinor tells Marianne about Willoughby's remorseful visit. Marianne now regrets that her family suffered for her.
One day, a servant tells them that Edward Ferrars is married. Elinor tries to put it out of his mind; however, she arrives at Barton Cottage and explains that Lucy did not marry him; instead, she ran away with her brother, Robert.
Everything ends happily. Edward reconciles with his mother and marries Elinor. He took command and stayed at Delaford, Colonel Brandon's domain. Finally, Marianne agrees to marry the colonel, and the two couples live happily, close at a distance and in friendship.
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