Marriage Related to Economics and Society in Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility, originally titled Elinor and Marianne, is Jane Austen’s first published work. Sense and Sensibility, as well as Austen’s most popular novel Pride and Prejudice, are considered to be romantic comedies which portrayed Austen’s cleverness. Sense and Sensibility starts off in a financial setting and continues with falling deeply in love, tragic heartbreak, and many other heart wrenching emotions. Austen's books are normally centered around women and what was socially acceptable for them in their societies. Even though Austen’s characters break away from the norms of society, her themes are still clearly stated and received by the reader. Recurring themes in Austen’s novels are the economic and social norms and how those two key themes impact and lead the course of the characters’ lives. These themes are showcased well through marriage and the reasons for marriage. Austen does a fantastic job of displaying the social and economic sides of marriage, from both perspectives of men and women.

Henry Dashwood, father to Elinor, Marianne, Margaret Dashwood, and husband to Mrs. Dashwood, dies with only one heir to leave his house to. Mr. Henry Dashwood’s son is the product of a previous marriage and his current family does not affiliate with Mr. John Dashwood. John Dashwood is married to a very greedy wife, Fanny Dashwood, who urges Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters to move out of her newly inherited manor shortly after they move in. Marriage was important for women because it secured a woman’s financial position. A woman did not receive much money, if any at all, unless her mother's parents were wealthy. Until she was married, her finances were controlled by her father. In order to live a fairly wealthy life, she need...

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...tivations for decisions made by characters. Those decisions are based around how to improve one's wealth or social status. Jane Austen was influence by the world around her. Her novels are a representation of the society she was living and what she experienced in her personal life. Austen does a great job of getting her points across to the reader while keeping her themes discrete.

Works Cited

Baker, William. Critical Companion to Jane Austen: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. New York: Facts On File, 2008. Print

Jennings, Charles. A Brief Guide to Jane Austen: The Life and times of the World's Favourite Author. London: Robinson, 2012. Print.

Lane, Maggie. Jane Austen's World: The Life and times of England's Most Popular Author. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media, 1996. Print.

Ray, Joan Klingel. Jane Austen for Dummies. Chichester: John Wiley, 2006. Print.