Classicism And Romanticism In Sense And Sensibility By Jane Austen

In the novel Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen introduces Classicism and Romanticism culture as themes in her novel. She introduces Classicism and Romanticism through the representation of two of her characters, Marianne and Elinor. Accordingly, Elinor most strongly represents Classicism, and Marianne strongly represents Romanticism.

Classicism as defined by Dictionary.com is “An approach to aesthetics that favors restraint and rationality” (classicism). Hence, Classicism deals with belief in reason or rationality which are ideals Elinor’s character most strongly possess. For example, Elinor considers her family’s financial standing when considering items of leisure. The narrator says, “The house, too, as described by Sir John, was on so simple

Hence, Romanticism deals with opposition to belief in reason or rationality, which opposes Elinor’s character but strongly captures Marianne’s character. Elinor readily accepted the fact that her family could no longer reside at Norland, and thus quits the place in a quite manner Marianne however does not hesitate to display her emotion. The narrator expresses Marianne’s behavior and thoughts in the following statement, “’Dear, dear Norland!’ Said Marianne, as she wandered alone before the house, on the last evening of their being there; ‘when shall I cease to regret you!-when learn to feel a home elsewhere!” (Austen 21). The use of repetition, repeating the word “dear” displays the depth of emotion Marianne expresses. Furthermore, Marianne speaks in a poetic manner, and thus, her words are imaginative rather than simple phrases. Marianne says, “When shall I cease to regret you!” (Austen 21). Instead of using such elegant phrases Marianne could have simply stated that she felt sadness in leaving her home, but instead she asks Norland itself when she will stop feeling its loss, and thus she speaks of Norland as if the estate was a person, which is rather imaginative. Marianne continues in this way, she says,

The narrator says, “Without considering that it was not in her mother’s plan to keep any horse, that if she were to alter her resolution in favour of this gift, she must buy another for the servant, and keep a servant to ride it, and after all, build a stable to receive them, she had accepted the present without hesitation, and told her sister of it in raptures” (Austen 45). This particular situation, where Willoughby gives Marianne a horse and she accepts the horse without thinking of the expense, and necessary accommodations for that horse shows a lack of practical thinking, but Elinor does consider all her sister neglected to reflect upon, which shows the difference in character. First of all Elinor considers that “their mother did not plan on having a horse,” which shows practicality in her way of thinking, because Elinor realizes that having horse must be planned for beforehand, since the horse requires many necessities to be meet before it can be brought. In consequence, the horse would need a servant to tend to it, and would also need “a stable to receive them” (Austen 45). A stable and a servant thus requires great expense, and this expenditure cannot obviously be meet since the family had to move to a place with such a “moderate