Rachel's Sense and Sensibility Response

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 definition of the words sense and sensibility start to confuse me after I stare at them too long so let me start off by defining them:

Sense: Something reasonable, grasp meaning of; understand, good judgment, realistic.

Sensibility: Quickness and acuteness of feeling, emotional sensitive.

Austen’s original title for this novel was Elinor and Marianne.  I think she changed the title to Sense and Sensibility because she wanted to capture the essence of each sister. In this novel I believe Elinor represents sense in that she is a bit more reserved, she thinks things through and displays a level of good judgment and understanding in various situation. She is very realistic about her emotions and life, which in my mind makes her the clear contender for sense. Marianne represents sensibility. She is very emotional and expressed her emotions very readily. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and isn't afraid to let everyone know how she feels.

As boring as it may sound, sense is definitely represented most in my own approach to life. Sensibility does sneak in every once in awhile, but the majority of the time I am ruled by sense. I don’t believe one is better than the other. I think we all need a good balance of both sense and sensibility in our lives.  

2.)  Looking deeper into the sub-characters in Sense and Sensibility what are your opinions of Mrs. Jennings, Mrs. Fanny Dashwood, and Lucy Steele?
These three ladies are very interesting and complex characters. Each one of these ladies has an impact on the story line in different ways.
Mrs. Jennings: She is a widow and busybody who seems to try and match up and marry off all the available women in her life. I found her to be a bit pushy at times, but I think she was just trying to be helpful and also keep herself busy.
Mrs. Fanny Dashwood: O my... Mrs. Fanny. Well let’s just say she is not my favorite character, I think she has some issues.  I think she is very self centered and is only thinking about herself and not others or the feeling of the people around her.  She is very rude to her mother-in-law by making her feel very uncomfortable and also very stand-offish to her sister-in-laws. I think her husband is a weak man too. He does not stand up to her when he probably should, especially when she is questioning him about the promise he made to his dying father and making him feel guilty for taking away some of his sons inheritance to help out his sisters.
Lucy Steele:  I can't quite figure this girl out. Is she just trying to marry for money? Or did she leave Edward because she fell out of love with Edward and into love with his brother Robert? To me she seems a bit on the manipulative side.  

3.)  What are your impressions of Elinor? What are your impressions of Edward? Are they a good match?
Elinor is the reserved sister; she is not rational with her emotions she likes to keep thoughts and feelings to herself and process her emotions within herself. Once she is done processing, she will lay everything she feels/thinking out on the table. As a reader, I feel like Elinor may have had some walls up and we didn’t fully get to know her. A good example into Elinor’s character is when she finds out about Edwards secret engagement.  It truly upset her and broke her heart, but she never let it show to anyone until much later. I must admit that out of all the characters in this book I feel like my personality most matches Elinor’s. I tend to hold things in and process my thoughts and feelings before I let the world know about it. Us "Elinor’s" in the world need to learn it’s ok to express how we are feeling and it’s ok to be emotional sometimes, hence we all need a good balance of sense and sensibility. Goodness, I swear sometimes this book club is almost like mini therapy/self discovery sessions...haha... But so far I am discovering and learning little things about myself as we are reading these books, and we are only on our second book. I can’t wait to read the other books! Anyways, let’s move onto Edward.
I get the impression Edward is a very loyal man, which is an excellent quality in a person. I also think he is a bit reserved with his feelings, kind of like Elinor. He holds in how he truly feels about Elinor due to the fact he is secretly engaged to a woman that he became engaged to maybe on a young whim and has now grown out of his feeling.
To be completely honest, I think they are some-what of a plain couple. They remind me a lot of Jane and Mr. Bingley’s relationship in Pride and Prejudice. They are both sweet/kind people but (and please don’t kill me for saying this) but I think they are somewhat boring. It’s like a bran muffin vs a spice muffin...haha. They are missing this spark and passion that I love to read about in characters.


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?  
When Colonel Brandon told Elinor about his and Willoughby’s past, my impression of both characters changed. Before I knew about Col. Brandon's past, I thought he was a stiff older gentleman that had been a bachelor all his life. Once I learned about his past my outlook on his character turned softer. At that point I started thinking of him as a very sweet and caring soul who had loved and lost in an unfortunate way. Hearing about his past made me change my mind on Colonel Brandon for the better; however that was not the case with Willoughby. Before Willoughby’s past story I thought he was alright, he seems to make Marianne happy but you also felt that maybe he was hiding something. Well you found out what he was hiding with Colonel Brandon’s story. After finding out about Willoughby’s past I thought what a scummy guy he is, to up and leave a women he got pregnant and then a few weeks later go flirting with Marianne and get her emotionally hooked and involved with him to then just get up and leave again because money was more valuable to him then being happy. After hearing Willoughby’s story I really felt sorry for the woman he knocked up and wanted to hear more about her and make sure she was ok.  

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?
At the beginning of the novel Marianne reminded me of your typical teenage girl that never hid her emotions whatever they may be. Good, bad, romantic, upset, angry, or whatever she was feeling we saw and heard about it. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. It was very much like reading an emotional roller coaster. I felt like throughout the novel we were reading about Marianne growing up. By the end of the novel she seemed to have lost that spark for life that she had at the beginning of the novel. Maybe she grew out of her “teenage” years or maybe Willoughby broke her sprits. But I felt like I was reading about a different character towards the end of the novel. 

6.)  What were Willoughby’s motives for coming to talk to Elinor while Marianne was sick?
This part of the novel really surprised me actually. Even though Willoughby made the choice to leave Marianne for money, I also believe he was hurting. I think he felt he had no other option and had to choose money, but wished he could have been with Marianne and was feeling very confused. The thing that I don’t quite understand is Willoughby never wanted to talk to Marianne; he just wanted to explain everything to Elinor. Maybe he was feeling vulnerable, scared, and that he had hurt Marianne enough already to face her himself.
One unique thing I have noticed about Austen so far is she lets the men in her novels explain themselves and share there side of the story. She gives them a chance to redeem themselves. For example, Mr. Darcy had his letter he gave to Elizabeth; Colonel Brandon shared his past, which explained his actions. So maybe this was just Willoughby’s turn to put all his cards out on the table and expose who he really is.
  
7.) Do you feel Willoughby truly loved Marianne? If so why or why not?
This is a tough question. I think he may have liked the idea of being in love with Marianne and I think he was happy around her, but I don’t know if he was actually head over heels in love with her. I think he was attracted and drawn to her more-so than any other woman he may have met before, but in love with her, I am going to have to say no on that one. I don't think Willoughby knows what love is. I say that because he seemed to jump from one girl to the next. He jumped from the lady he got pregnant and ditched to Marianne then to the lady with wealth. If he was truly in love he would have stayed with Marianne and done something like Edward did and go into the clergy to earn a living.


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?
I think Colonel Brandon and Marianne are two individuals who have very similar romantic backgrounds. They have both loved and lost. This gives them, on some level, an understanding of one another, and a common ground, which someone else may not understand. This being said, I do think it is out of character for Marianne to end up marrying Colonel Brandon and I'm not sure they are the best match. By the end of the novel as the reader you can tell Marianne's sprits are broken and she seems to have lost her romantic ideals. I don’t think she was abandoning her romantic ideals due to being with Colonel Brandon, I believe Willoughby emotionally broke her on some level and she wasn't the same after that in the rest of the novel. By marrying Colonel Brandon she will be safe and be secure for the rest of her life. I do like the individual characters of Colonel Brandon and Marianne, I just don’t know if I like them together as a couple.    


9.) When do you think Marianne fell in love with Colonel Brandon?
This is a hard question to answer because A) I don’t believe there was a moment when they fell in love. I think they are both individuals who have loved and lost once in their lives. While you were reading you felt the passion behind Colonel Brandon’s story of Eliza and you read about Marianne’s feelings and love for Willoughby, but there was never that passion and feelings of love when you read about Marianne and Colonel Brandon’s relationship. Or B) maybe as the reader we just didn’t get to see the moment they feel in love and they just feel in love as time went by.

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?
The thing I love about Jane Austen’s novels is she always ties everything together at the end, so the reader isn’t left wondering “what happened”. I found the ending to Sense and Sensibility ok, it wasn’t what I was expecting I guess and before Austen fans unite and plan an attack on me let me explain. Let’s start with Elinor and Edward. Throughout the novel I felt Elinor building up feelings for Edward, but I never got the same feeling from him. I felt like the reader saw little hints of his feelings for her here and there and maybe this was because Edward is shy or because for the majority of the novel he was secretly engaged to Lucy and felt guilty about expressing any hint of attraction for Elinor. I felt in the end when Edward came to her house, they got engaged, and then married; it was as if Austen just threw them together. They could have used more build up and growing together instead of a quick engagement/marriage. That being said, I do feel they are both very happy with each other. 
Let us move onto Marianne and Colonel Brandon……O boy here we go. To simply answer this question, did Marianne make the right choice for happiness? My answer would be no. Now let’s look back before everyone starts yelling at their computer screen. Throughout the entire novel Marianne has been pushing Colonel Brandon away saying he is too old etc. even once Willoughby was out of the picture, she still would leave the room when he was there and never showed the slightest interest in him. Towards the end of the novel, and I mean the very end, I felt like they were maybe forced upon each other a bit. You can tell that on some level Marianne still has feelings for Willoughby and Colonel Bandon still has feelings for Eliza. My answer might be different if there was more story development regarding Marianne and Colonel Brandon. I think Marianne chose Colonel Brandon for safety/security reasons and not for happiness or love.

11.) What are “second attachments” and how are they important to this story?
Second attachments mean experiencing that close connection a second time to another person that you have had with someone else before; being in love a second time. Second attachments play a large role in Sense and Sensibility. Austen starts the novel right off the bat with this theme when we the reader find out Mr. Dashwood has been married twice and Elinor, Marianne and Margaret are children from his second marriage.  You see it especially in the characters of Marianne and Colonel Brandon. You find out Colonel Brandon once loved and lost a lady named Eliza. We read about Marianne’s first love, Willoughby, and how she loved and lost. Many of the characters in this novel gave love another shot. Edward was engaged to Lucy, whether he was fully in love is up for debate, but he must have felt something for her to propose. Now we all know how that ended up and how Edward fell in love with Elinor. Same goes for Lucy, she loved Edward but marries and falls for Robert. Even Willoughby you can tell he cared for Marianne, but then left her to marry another. In chapter 11 (pg 46-48) Colonel Brandon asks Elinor if Marianne believes in second attachments after witnessing Willoughby and Marianne together. Elinor tells Colonel Brandon that Marianne does not and instead believes in love at first site, which is a bit surprising taking her father who married twice. It is interesting to see how Marianne's thoughts on second attachments change throughout the novel. 

12.) What role did marriage and social class play throughout this novel? How were the characters affected by it?
Marriage and social class played a major role throughout this novel. For example, Willoughby completely changed his life when he decided to marry for money and social status, instead of waiting awhile longer to be with the one who made him happy, Marianne. If he would have married Marianne he would not have very much money and would probably live a harder life. On the other hand you have Edward who lost everything when he wouldn't break off his engagement to Lucy. Unlike Willoughby, Edward took Colonel Brandon's offer and went into the clergy so he would still be able to be with Elinor who he wanted to marry even if it affected his wealth and social standing in the end. 

13.) How does Sense and Sensibility compare to Pride and Prejudice?
There are several similarities as well as some differences between these two novels. Each one is very unique in there own way, but if you completely strip down the story line, they are very similar. They are both love stories that revolve around social class, marriage, and wealth and how those aspects shape the characters lives.  As I was reading I also saw very close similarities among the personalities and temperament of the characters in each novel. For example, as I was reading about Willoughby I couldn’t help but compare him to Wickham from Pride and Prejudice. They are both very similar characters. They are both portrayed as the good guys at the beginning then something happens and then ones opinion changes and not for the better. They both lead the leading lady on only to turn their backs on them and marry for ulterior motives. The list goes on of character comparisons: Elinor and Jane, Marianne and Lydia/kitty, Mrs. Jennings and Mrs. Bennet, Edward and Mr. Bingley, and I even see some comparisons between Colonel Brandon and my beloved Mr. Darcy. 
Even though the stories are very similar there are some differences. In Sense and Sensibility, one of Austen’s themes was second attachments and how even if one has loved and lost they shouldn’t give up on love.  In Pride and Prejudice she wrote more about first impressions and how ones first impression is not always accurate.  Hmm… After writing that out I guess on some level that can be considered a similarity. I guess what it boils down to is, Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen’s first novel, so maybe she was working out some kinks in her writing. It’s pretty cool to have read both novels because you can see some growth, especially in the area of story/character development from one novel to the next.      

14.) Would you recommend this novel to a friend? Why or why not?
Even though I have ripped this book apart a bit, I still have to applaud Austen in creating a unique and interesting story line. I would recommend this book to a friend. It is a classic and should be read at least once.

15.) Compare and contrast the 1995 movie version of Sense and Sensibility to the novel.
I love reading novels that also have a movie version out. I love reading the book first and then watching the movie to see how other people interpreted the story and if they had the same vision I did while reading or if they interpreted and took it to a whole other level. For the majority of novels turned to movie, the book is ten times better. I feel like the movie version of Sense and Sensibility had so much potential, but I don’t think it followed the book too closely.
I’m surprised they left out Willoughby coming back and confessing to Elinor his true feelings for Marianne.  I thought that was such an interesting point in the story and one of the major events throughout the novel. So I was surprised they left that part out. I also felt like they showed Edwards feelings for Elinor more in the movie than the novel. In the movie you also didn’t really see as much of Marianne’s indifference towards Colonel Brandon verse the novel. I did like how they brought the characters to life, the wardrobe, and the scenery was breath taking.  One thing I Absolutely LOVED about the movie…. Alan Rickman…YUM!!!! ...enough said! J

image via here

Closing Thoughts:
I can’t believe we have finished our second Jane Austen novel! I feel so accomplished and proud of all of us! J  I do love Austen’s style of writing and it is always a pleasure reading one of her novel.  I don’t know if this is only me, but as I read her novels I always find out little bits about myself that I didn’t know before. With Pride and Prejudice I fell in love with Elizabeth Bennet’s strength, sass, and loyalty; I found myself wanting to be exactly like her. I always find myself in situations where I tell myself …channel your inner Elizabeth Bennet and everything will be ok… After reading Pride and Prejudice a little part of me changed for the better. For Sense and Sensibility I also felt like I learned more about myself, just go back to question #3.  I feel like I grow as a person after reading her novels and to find that in a novel that was written well over 200 years ago is so unbelievably special. Her novels have a way of touching ones heart and sticking with a person long after they are done reading. I am very much looking forward to the next stop on this journey, which is Mansfield Park!
Until next time… Happy reading!!!!