Group Activity on Presentation on Romantic Literature about Novel Theme of Sense and Sensibility

1. Themes In The sense And
Sensibility
• Sagar Ladhva
• Nidhi Jasani
• Deepika Vaja
• Jayshree Solanki
• Mayuri Dave
• Milan Parmar

2. Sense / Sensibility
• The main theme in this novel is the danger of excessive
sensibility(too emotional). The sentimentalism was the very
popular at that time.
• Austen is concerned to emphasizing the emotional and
sentimental nature of people rather than their rational
endowments.
“I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not
in every point coincide with my own. He must enter in all my
feelings; the same books, the same music must charm us
both.”-(Marianne).
• Samuel Richardson's portrayal of women in his novel has
some influence on Austen’s novel also.
• As we can see in the character of Marianne who
immediately falls in love with John Willoughby without
knowing his background.

3. • The Character of Marianne is so emotional
especially in matter of love. And her this attitude
let her to tragic end of her love story.
"The more I know of the world, the more I am
convinced that I shall never see a man
whom I can really love.“ Marianne
• When a person is too emotional at that time
he/she could not take right decision. Marianne did
the same mistakes to which she had to pay.
• The character of the Elinor represent the theme of
sense/ here I would like to call it common sense.
She chose very aptly Edward for as her life partner.
• By this novel she tried to show superiority of sense
to sensibility….

4. Money/Inheritance
• Laws surrounding inheritance are what put the Dashwoods
women in critical situation at the beginning of the novel.
"... but if you observe, people always live for ever when
there is any annuity to be paid
them..." Fanny Dashwood to her husband
• Their lack of money, compounded with their inability to
work, means that they cannot come out from their
situation, except through marrying well, and marrying with
rich guy is the only way.
• Money also dictates the eligibility of Elinor and Marianne, as
women with larger dowries are of course seen as better
prospects for marriage.

5. Gender
• There are very definite gender limitations involved in
the society of which Austen describes here; women
cannot become a master of any kind of property.(as
after the death of Mr. Dashwood mrs.Dashwood and
her daughter )
• women are expected to stay in the home, marry, and
be polite and have a good companion.(like Dashwood
sisters)
• Men can decide whether or not to pursue a career if
they have enough money, and have more latitude
within society in regards to their behavior and life
choices.(Colonel Brandon)
• Gender dictates acceptable roles and behavior of the
women characters, and even in the world of the
novel, there is little room to deviate.

6. Marriage
• For Marianne and Elinor, marriage is not a choice,
but a necessity; and their need to marry
expediently and well is a pressing concern in the
novel, as they look for suitors.
• Young men are more free to chose a life partner
for marriage, for example Mr. Colonel
Brandon reach at the age of 35 and still
unmarried.
• For women who have money, marriage is
necessary to secure their social positions and
ensure financial stability for the future.

7. Engagement
Edward
Lucy
Marianne
Elinor
Robert
Colonel Brandon

8. Appearance vs. reality
• Pertains to character especially, as many characters
in the novel present themselves as one thing, and
end up being another. John Willoughby is the best
example of this, as he seems romantic, open, and
genuine, but ends up exposing himself as vain, idle,
and cruel.
"Tell me, Willoughby- for Heaven's sake, tell me, what is
the Truth?" Marianne to
Willoughby
• Also pertains to Lucy Steel, who ends up conniving,
despite her innocent appearance. at first she
engaged with Edward and then she come to know
that Robert is the inherent of property, she
engaged with him and left Edward.

9. Hypocrisy
• A vast number of characters in the novel embody
this trait to varying degrees; John and Fanny(to him
his father asked to look after his three sisters )
"Indeed, to say the truth, I am convinced within
myself, that your father had no idea of
your giving them any money at all." Fanny Dashwood
to her husband
• Lady Middleton(Sir Middleton is good fellow who
gave resort to Mrs.Dashwood).
• The Steele girls(who tries to keep secret of their
love from each other, and tried to be more rich than
their reality).
• Mrs. Ferrars(as she disinherited Edward from her
property only because he engaged secretly).

10. • Robert, among others(as he got engaged with
same lady with whom once his elder brother
engaged).
• tend toward hypocritical displays of self-serving
flattery, vanity, and professing opinions they do
not believe in for self-gain or to get ahead with
others.
• Unfortunately, none of these characters is taught
any better in the course of the novel, as hypocrisy
is an unavoidable part of human nature, and
almost a part of polite society as well.

11. Self-sacrifice and selfishness
• Elinor especially is a model of self-sacrifice, At first she
left Edward for the sake of her mother and sisters and
started living at Barton Park. “I will be calm. I will be
mistress of myself.”
“But remember that the pain of parting from friends will
be felt by everybody at times, whatever be their
education or state. Know your own happiness. You want
nothing but patience; or give it a more fascinating name:
call it hope” Elinor
• Then she deciding to go to London for her sister's
happiness, and trying her best to be civil to everyone to
make up for Marianne's uncivil behavior.

12. • Marianne is the opposite, caring only for herself
and her feelings; she needs Elinor's help and
goodwill to get by, but needs to learn how to be
giving toward others in order to become her own,
independent person.
"We have neither of us anything to tell; you,
because you do not communicate, and I,
because I conceal nothing." Marianne to Elinor

13. Expectations vs. reality
• This is an especially important theme with
regard to Marianne and her mother, whose
romantic characters lead them to expect greater
drama or trauma than actually appears.
• “To wish was to hope, and to hope was to
expect”
• But reality always tends to subvert expectations,
whether in life or in art, as accidents and
unexpected twists and turns happen to
everyone.

14. Moderation
• Marianne must learn moderation of her
emotions if she is to become independent of
Elinor and become an adult; her trials serve to
teach her about her excesses, and luckily, she
does come to improve herself and become a
much better, more caring person toward others.
• “That is what I like; that is what a young man
ought to be. Whatever be his pursuits, his
eagerness in them should know no moderation,
and leave him no sense of fatigue.”