Sense and Sensibility

SenseandSensibilityJaneAustenContextIn1811,SenseandSensibilitybecamethefirstpublishednoveloftheEnglishauthorJaneAusten(1775-1817).Thefirstversionofthenovelwasprobablywrittenin1795asanepistolarynovel(novelinletters)entitledElinorandMarianne.Atthispoint,Austenwasstilllivinginthehomeofherfather,GeorgeAusten,alocalAnglicanrectorandthefatherofeightchildren.Sherewrotetheearlymanuscriptin1797-98asanarratednovelandthenfurtherreviseditin1809-10,shortlyaftershemovedwithhermotherandsisterCassandratoasmallhouseinChawtononherbrotherEdward'sestate.In1811,ThomasEgertonoftheMilitaryLibraryinWhitehallacceptedthemanuscriptforpublicationinthreevolumes.Austenpublishedoncommission,meaningshepaidtheexpensesofprintingthebookandtookthereceipts,subjecttoacommissionpaidtothepublisher.Thecostofpublicationwasmorethanathirdofherhousehold's460-poundannualincome,sotheriskwassubstantial.Nonetheless,thenovelreceivedtwofavorablereviewsuponitspublication,andAustenmadeaprofitof140poundsoffthefirstedition.WhenthefirsteditionofSenseandSensibilitywaspublished,itsoldoutall750copiesbyJuly1813,andasecondeditionwasadvertisedinOctober1813.Thefirsteditionwassaidonlytobebyalady.Thesecondedition,alsoanonymous,containedonthetitlepagetheinscriptionbytheauthorofPrideandPrejudice,whichhadbeenissuedinJanuary1813(thoughAustenhadnotbeencreditedonthetitlepageofthisnoveleither).OnlyAusten'simmediatefamilyknewofherauthorshipofthesenovels.Andalthoughpublishinganonymouslypreventedherfromacquiringanauthorialreputation,italsoenabledhertopreserveherprivacyatatimewhenenteringthepublicspherewasassociatedwithareprehensiblelossoffemininity.Indeed,AustenusedtowriteatChawtonbehindadoorthatcreakedwhenvisitorsapproached;shewouldavailherselfofthiswarningtohidehermanuscriptbeforetheyentered.Austenmayhavewantedanonymitynotonlybecauseofhergenderandadesireforprivacy,butbecauseofthemoregeneralatmosphereofrepressionpervadingherera:herearlywritingofSenseandSensibilitycoincidedwiththetreasontrialofThomasHardyandtheproliferationofgovernmentcensorsastheNapoleonicWarprogressed.Whateverthereasonsbehindit,Austen'sanonymitywouldpersistuntilherdeathuntil1817.ContemporarycriticsofAusten'snovelstendedtooverlookSenseandSensibilityinfavoroftheauthor'slaterworks.MansfieldParkwasreadformoraledification;PrideandPrejudicewasreadforitsironyandhumor;andEmmawasreadforitssubtlecraftasanovel.SenseandSensibilitydidnotfallneatlyintoanyofthesecategories,andcriticsapproacheditlesseagerly.However,althoughthenoveldidnotattractmuchcriticalattention,itsoldwell,andhelpedtoestablishtheauthorofPrideandPrejudiceasarespectedwriter.OnlyinthetwentiethcenturyhavescholarsandcriticscometoaddressSenseandSensibility'sgreatpassion,itsethics,anditssocialvision.Inrecentyears,thebookhasbeenadaptedintofeaturefilms.Today,thethree-volumenovelbyananonymousladyhasbecomeafamedandtimelessfavorite.ToreadfurtheraboutthelifeandworksofJaneAusten,seetheSparkNotesonPrideandPrejudice,Emma,andMansfieldPark.SummaryWhenMr.HenryDashwooddies,leavingallhismoneytohisfirstwife'ssonJohnDashwood,hissecondwifeandherthreedaughtersareleftwithnopermanenthomeandverylittleincome.Mrs.Dashwoodandherdaughters(Elinor,Marianne,andMargaret)areinvitedtostaywiththeirdistantrelations,theMiddletons,atBartonPark.ElinorissadtoleavetheirhomeatNorlandbecauseshehasbecomecloselyattachedtoEdwardFerrars,thebrother-in-lawofherhalf-brotherJohn.However,onceatBartonPark,ElinorandMariannediscovermanynewacquaintances,includingtheretiredofficerandbachelorColonelBrandon,andthegallantandimpetuousJohnWilloughby,whorescuesMarianneaftershetwistsheranklerunningdownthehillsofBartonintherain.WilloughbyopenlyandunabashedlycourtsMarianne,andtogetherthetwoflaunttheirattachmenttooneanother,untilWilloughbysuddenlyannouncesthathemustdepartforLondononbusiness,leavingMariannelovesickandmiserable.Meanwhile,AnneandLucySteele,tworecentlydiscoveredrelationsofLadyMiddleton'smother,Mrs.Jennings,arriveatBartonParkasguestsoftheMiddletons.LucyingratiatesherselftoElinorandinformsherthatshe(Lucy)hasbeensecretlyengagedtoMr.Ferrarsforawholeyear.ElinorinitiallyassumesthatLucyisreferringtoEdward'syoungerbrother,Robert,butisshockedandpainedtolearnthatLucyisactuallyreferringtoherownbelovedEdward.InVolumeIIofthenovel,ElinorandMariannetraveltoLondonwithMrs.Jennings.ColonelBrandoninformsElinorthateveryoneinLondonistalkingofanengagementbetweenWilloughbyandMarianne,thoughMariannehasnottoldherfamilyofanysuchattachment.MarianneisanxioustobereunitedwithherbelovedWilloughby,butwhensheseeshimatapartyintown,hecruellyrebuffsherandthensendsheraletterdenyingthatheeverhadfeelingsforher.ColonelBrandontellsElinorofWilloughby'shistoryofcallousnessanddebauchery,andMrs.JenningsconfirmsthatWilloughby,havingsquanderedhisfortune,hasbecomeengagedtothewealthyheiressMissGrey.InVolumeIII,Lucy'soldersisterinadvertentlyrevealsthenewsofLucy'ssecretengagementtoEdwardFerrars.Edward'smotherisoutragedattheinformationanddisinheritshim,promisinghisfortunetoRobertinstead.Meanwhile,theDashwoodsistersvisitfamilyfriendsatClevelandontheirwayhomefromLondo