Brenda's Response to Sense and Sensibility

1.)  Talk about the significance of Austen's title. What is the difference in meaning between the words "sense" and "sensibility" ... and which sister represents which word? Which word most represents your own approach to life and love? Which matters more...or are they both equally important in choosing a mate?

The dictionary defines Sense as someone having sound practical intelligence and Sensibility as capacity for sensations or feeling, susceptible to sensory stimuli.  If I am understanding this correctly people with Sense relate to the world and everyone in it with a lot of thought.  They think things through.  They listen to their brains.  Where as Sensibility people will experience the world and everything in it through their heart and how it makes them feel.   I don’t know if I fit perfectly into one category or another but I would say in life and love I am ¼ Sense and ¾ Sensibility.  I try to think things through logically and do all the brain work in, but I think I lead life in general more with my heart then with my head.   Which matters more?????  Hummm….I actually think both are important.  In choosing a mate I think you need to think it out, you can’t just say oh he’s cute I’ll marry him.  You have to see if your interests are compatible, and your beliefs and morals and life goals are equal.  You have to make sure financially you are on the same page and your ideas on raising a family are equal.  Although Sensibility may draw you to a person, Sense needs to win out when marrying someone. 

 

2.)  Looking deeper into the sub-characters in Sense and Sensibility what are your opinions of Mrs. Jennings, Mrs. Fanny Dashwood, and Lucy Steele?

Mrs. Jennings… She struck me as the busybody type, a likable character but into everyone’s business.   Mrs. Fanny Dashwood…I didn’t like this character.  I can see the purpose and reason for having a rude, mean character like this in a story, and she did add contrast and dimension, but I just didn’t like her.  I found her very rude, and selfish, and possessing nothing redeeming in her character.  She almost seemed like she got some sort of sick pleasure out of being mean.  And I really don’t understand why her husband was so blind to her ways, he seemed a bit wimpy to me, to let a women like her rule the roost.   Lucy Steele…I thought she was just young and immature.  She seemed to easily sway her affections to whoever had the most money, and wasn’t really driven by true love but rather by financial security as many women of that era seemed to be.  

3.)  What are your impressions of Elinor? What are your impressions of Edward? Are they a good match? 

I liked Elinor.  I thought her character was even tempered and logical at all times.  She seemed to lead her life with her brain. It seemed as though listening to her heart was meaningless, and a bit difficult for her, and she really saw those who did listen to their heart as being foolish.  Edward…He didn’t seem to be an actual speaking character until later in the book.  In the beginning of the book when he is introduced he is dealt with only by the narrator.   I felt like Edward was meant to be Elinor’s key to finally being able to feel something with her heart.  Until him I think she didn’t allow herself to feel love for a man, but they seemed to click right away in a sweet way.  They kind of reminded me of what Jane and Bingley’s relationship was like in Pride and Prejudice.   Are they a good match, yes, I think they are a very good match. 

 

4.) After Colonel Brandon told Elinor about his and Willoughby’s past, did it offer deeper insight into their characters? Did your impression of either change?    

Yes, I think after Colonel Brandon had that private conversation with Elinor about his and Willoughby’s past it did offer us as the reader a deeper insight into their characters.   I don’t know if my impression of Colonel Brandon changed, but I think after this talk a lot was explained about him, and it gave this character great depth.  I could really see that he was a good man, yet a man with a past.   His explanation of Willoughby’s past only confirmed for me what a scum bag Willoughby was.  I suspected that there was something dark about this character but until this revelation I didn’t know what it was, but after Colonel Brandon spilled the beans about Willouhby it just confirmed my dislike for Willoughby.  

There is a line from the book I’d like to quote here….it is this line that revealed to me Willoughby’s true character.  He seemed to always want to make himself look good in front of Marianne and yet when he said this to her it just made me think of him as such a scum bag.  I wasn’t sure under what other question this would fit, but it was a point I wanted to point out somewhere about Willoughby’s character….The quote is found on page 42, while Willoughby was talking to Marianne he referred to Colonel Brandon by saying - - - “ Colonel Brandon……one whom everybody speaks well of, and nobody cares about, whom all are delighted to see and nobody remembers to talk to”  and page 43  “He has everybody’s good word and nobody’s notice”.   I think these lines and several other similar lines illustrate his inner arrogance and make him a very unlikeable character, and make me wonder what did Marianne see in this man. 

 

5.) What is your impression of Marianne at the Beginning of the novel? What is your impression of Marianne at the end of the novel? 

I think in the beginning of the novel (because Pride and Prejudice was still so fresh in my mind) I thought Marianne was going to be this novels Lydia.  Very immature, very self centered, very vocal about every thought and feeling that passed by her brain, very self absorbed.  And in the beginning I do feel like Marianne did reflect some of those qualities.  But, to me, the character of Marianne seemed to have a little more feeling, concern, love, and affection for her family, and her sister Elinor in particular then the character of Lydia ever did for hers.  But my impression of Marianne changed by the end of the book.  I think that by the end of the book Marianne had lost some of what makes her Marianne.  I think she deflated, and ended up settling.  Maybe some may see it as she matured, but I think after her melt down about Willoughby, some part of her carefree spirit was gone.  She resolved herself to being different, more practical now.  But this was a good thing, and I like how in chapter 47 Marianne seemed to come around because she finally realized and verbalized to her sister that she could have never been happy with Willoughby because he lacked integrity.   And she seemed at peace with her new found Sense. 

 

6.)  What were Willoughby’s motives for coming to talk to Elinor while Marianne was sick?

I can’t believe that Willoughby had any other motive to come talk to Elinor than selfish ones. Maybe to relieve himself of guilt.  I don’t recall him ever asking to see Marianne, or asking about Marianne’s health and how she was feeling.  His only concerns were selfish, to blurt out his wrongs and clear his own conscience.

 

7.) Do you feel Willoughby truly loved Marianne? If so why or why not? 

Ummmm, I am going to have to say No, I don’t think Willoughby truly loved Marianne.  I viewed Willoughby as a seducer and corrupt philanderer.  He seemed insensitive, emotionally detached and mean.  Illustrated so clearly by how he treated Marianne when he saw her at that party and she approached him as if he was her Love, then he blew her off.  He seemed like a game player, a seducer of young innocent hearts.  Yet when he comes to spill his guts to Elinor he did seem to have a revelation of sorts about how he did form some attachment feelings towards Marianne, but in the end it couldn’t have been true love otherwise they would have ended up together.   I am finding that the bad guys in Jane Austens novels are always tricky men who initially seem charming and attractive and humorous, and perfect, but in the end we know they are usually only after one thing... money.  So I am going to have to say NO Willoughby definitely did not truly love Marianne otherwise they would have ended up together.   Although at the end of the book he did seem to regret his life decisions in general 

8.)  Do you think Colonel Brandon and Marianne are a good match? Is it completely out of character for Marianne to end up with Colonel Brandon? Is she abandoning her romantic ideals? 

Hmmm….I would say I don’t know if Marianne and Colonel Brandon are a good match because I don’t really see that they ever interact.  In the beginning of the book it seems like Marianne is happy to be with Willoughby and sort of blows off Colonel Brandon.  Then at the end of the book, Colonel Brandon does something very kind for Marianne…..goes and gets her mother for her when she is so sick, and Marianne seems to really appreciate this act of kindness, but I just don’t see any great love build up between them because of that.   Are they a good match…..I would say financially yes they are, she will be financially taken care of and have no worries where money is concerned, and that seemed to be important in those days,  but as far as Love I just don't know.   Although Marianne seems to change at the end of the book, maybe she matures and grows out of her silly romantic notions, so based on her new, more mellow, more mature personality at the end of the book, no its not out of character for her to have ended up with a mature secure man.  But if you base it on what her personality was throughout most of the book, more carefree, then yes it is out of character for her to have ended up with Colonel Brandon.  Is she abandoning her romantic ideals……good question, ummm…yes I think she did abandon her earlier romantic ideals, but maybe in the process of growing up and maturing by the end of the book, maybe she  gained a new set of romantic ideals and now a mature grown up man, who is financially secure, and wants to take care of her, one who has had a past of being a good person, appeals to her more and is now her new idea of romantic.

 

9.) When do you think Marianne fell in love with Colonel Brandon? 

I love this question and I couldn’t wait to answer it…..I re-read chapters 49 and 50 at least 3 times trying to find any evidence of love between Marianne and Colonel Brandon.   All I could see was ALL of Marianne’s family strongly pushing her into Colonel Brandon’s arms.  Everyone, Elinor, her mother, Edward John all (page 311) wanted Marianne to accept Colonel Brandon.  Then later on page 311 you read Marianne giving into their pressure.   I don’t understand nor do I ever see that Marianne has fallen “IN LOVE” with Colonel Brandon.  This is something that is annoying me about Jane Austen’s novels.   In this case, Marianne and Colonel Brandon barely interact at all in the novel.   Especially the last chapters where the big epic romantic finale’ is supposed to take place.  I don't think these two characters exchange words at all in the last two chapters.  These characters thoughts seemed to only be revealed by other characters.  I think Jane Austen builds us up and we are expecting the big grand romantic ending, then she just vaguely, barely clues us in, then BAM they are married…….For example, at the beginning of Chapter 49, Edward is proposing to Elinor, and we get nothing in the way of details.   When talking about the proposal, Jane Austen says in the third paragraph down “… In what manner he expressed himself, and how he was relieved need not be particularly told”   In other words how Edward proposed or what words he used need not be written here in this book.....I WANT TO BE TOLD I WANT THE DETAILS!  

How is it even possible for us as the reader to conclude that Marianne Loves Brandon?????  So much is NOT said.  No real emotion is felt.   In this novel we could see and feel the build up of Marianne’s feelings towards Willoughby and her extreme distress and anguish over losing him, but I don’t feel there was any real romantic build up between her and Colonel Brandon.   Throughout the book we read of His feelings of affection towards her, and read what he does for her, but Jane Austen never seems to give me a satisfying moment when I know these two characters have fallen in love with each other.   I don’t think they fell in love.  At the very end of the book Jane Austen gives us some clue that EVENTUALLY Marianne did fall in love with her husband, but it was long after they were married saying on page 312  “Marianne could never love by halves; and her whole heart became, IN TIME, as much devoted to her husband as it had once been to Willoughby.”   So although it seems that in the years to come, Marianne does end up falling in love with Colonel Brandon, I just wish we could have been a part of that. The potential Love Story between these two characters would have been really romantic, but in the end (as written), I find their "love story" very unsatisfying.   

 

10.)  Do you find the ending satisfactory for both sisters? Do you feel the two make the right choice for happiness? Why or why not?

I like that the two sisters live together in the end and remain close throughout the entire novel.  I feel like it was a good ending for Elinor, she was in love, and very happy.  I think Marianne will eventually be very happy and that it is good for her to remain close to her sister.  I think that they both made the right choice for happiness.  Elinor found true love, and Marianne found someone who truly loves her and whom she eventually falls in love with. 

 

11.) What are “second attachments” and how are they important to this story? 

To me “second attachments” are throughout this book.  I take that to mean that everyone in this book has been in love with someone former to whom they end up actually marrying.  So they were attached previously to someone as in the case of Edward to Lucy, or Marianne to Willoughby etc….. but in the end form a “second attachment” with the person they end up marrying.   Maybe in those times falling in love only happened once in a life time and here Jane Austen is writing about the occurance of a group of people who had fallen in love twice.  I think they are important in the story because they demonstrate to us in some ways the whole premiss of the book which is Sense and Sensibility……Choosing early on in all cases with sensibility but later in life with sense a true mate.  

 

12.) What role did marriage and social class play throughout this novel? How were the characters affected by it? 

Social class and marrying as high a ranking a person as possible always seem to be a central theme in Jane Austen’s novels, as it was in this one.  Great importance is always placed on how much yearly income everyone has.  And sometimes like in the case of Willoughby money wins out over love.  

 

13.) How does Sense and Sensibility compare to Pride and Prejudice?

As far as confusion due to a LARGE number of characters I think they are equal.  As far as showing families and how they functioned and what was important to them in that time I think they were equal.  As far as setting and social attitudes I think they were equal.  As far as lead female characters I think Elizabeth wins over Elinor and or Marianne, but I do think all these characters were interesting to read, I just had a personal stronger attachment to Elizabeth.  As far as a romantic Love Story, Pride and Prejudice wins hands down. Pride and Prejudice touched me in a way that this novel didn’t.  I felt like a little small part of me had changed after reading P&P.  I admired Elizabeth, I wanted to be more like Elizabeth.  I loved Mr. Darcy,  I wished every women in the world could have a Mr. Darcy.  He was so wonderful in my opinion as a character, the way he showed his love toward Elizabeth and it touched me in a way that I just didn’t feel in Sense and Sensibility.   P&P touched me heart, and soul.  Sense and Sensibility was a sweet story, I liked reading it, and enjoyed it very much, and I feel a sense of accomplishment having read 2 Jane Austen novels now, but, it just didn’t touch my heart the way P&P did, but it was enjoyable and I did like it very much.  

 

14.) Would you recommend this novel to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, I would recommend this novel to a friend.  But, of the two Austen novels I have read so far this one comes in second.   Although by the end I was invested in these characters lives, I just wasn’t touched by them the same way I was with the characters in Pride and Prejudice.   I could tell this novel was written by Jane Austen when she was younger.   I do think it was a really good novel for demonstrating the closeness and love between 2 sisters.  I feel like that was the most important attachment or relationship in this book, the one between Elinor and Marianne.  And for that reason it did capture my affections, but as a love story it failed to capture my heart.   I just wanted more detail,  I wanted to read the details of how Colonel Brandon eventually captured Marianne’s heart, but it just wasn't there.  Elinor and Edward’s love story was nice, sweet and innocent which I liked.  I would recommend this book to a friend as a great, feel good novel on Sisterly Love, but not to someone who wants to read a great romantic Love Story. 

 

15.) Compare and contrast the 1995 movie version of Sense and Sensibility to the novel.

I always like watching the movies of the Jane Austen Stories.   I find them helpful in understanding the book better.   I get characters all muddled up in my head when I am just reading the book so watching the movies help me a lot in understanding what I am reading.  I actually enjoyed this Movie.  Aside from the end, I did enjoy watching the words come to life.  Having a face to put with the character helped me.   I watched the movie when I was about half way through the book.  So although in some cases I really didn’t picture those actors in my head as I was reading, I did picture them in my head after watching the movie.   Still, Emma Thompson seemed a little old to be Elinor to me, although she did a good job with the roll.  Kate Winslet didn’t seem like the Marianne I had pictured but she also did a good job.  The minor rolls seemed ok….Mrs Jennings, Fanny, etc.   I liked Hugh Grant as Edward and Alan Rickman  (TOTALLY DELICIOUS TO WATCH) as Colonel Brandon.   All in all it did give me a really good visual of the novel.   It was enjoyable to watch.  It seemed to follow the book fairly close, with minor changes here and there.   But the ending……ugh, that I just did not understand.  It seemed to me that the movie (I guess like the book) was just starting to address the possibility of Marianne welcoming Colonel Brandon into her life, then  BAM we were at their wedding.    WHERE WAS THE LOVE STORY?   WHERE WAS THE ROMANCE?  WHERE WAS THE RELATIONSHIP BUILD UP?  But, overall, I felt the movie was a good visual for the book. 

 

Closing thoughts from Brenda: 

I just want to say that I really did enjoy this novel even though some of my answers may suggest otherwise.  15 was a LOT of questions to answer at one time, but they were ALL really GREAT questions and I enjoyed answering them.  At this moment, as I conclude my Sense and Sensibility journey, I feel (like I did at the end of Pride and Prejudice), a sense of sadness in leaving this cast of characters.  Somehow I grow attached to them as I read these novels and it feels like I am leaving friends behind to move on and make new friends.  I am looking very forward to reading your answers to these GREAT questions.   Thank You Rachel for putting our blog together so nicely and inspiring us to keep on track with our posted schedule.  And Thank You Laura for such GREAT input this time into the questions and for your insight into the movie.  I am so happy to be a part of this Book Club.   I look forward to your comments.   Onto Mansfield Park………. Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!!      Happy Reading Ladies!!!!!!