Jane Austen – Sense and Sensibility

Class, society, and politics in the dental plate, on an interpersonal level among the characters, are themes of outer(prenominal) importance in the novel Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.In this short essay, we sh totally discuss these themes in relation to the characters, as presented in the novel. Austen presents these companionable conditions by dint ofout the story, as they were dominant in the society of her time.Laws adjoin inheritance, and property, social etiquette, and money matters in a time were gender limitations were very apparent, signified a persons couch in the social scale.The Dashwood women, as they appear in Sense and sensibility, suddenly find themselves in a humiliating situation, when the mother, Mrs. Dashwood, becomes a widow. They were adjacently cast into a dire situation. They were deprived of their estate and income when Mr. tooshie Dashwood, became the legitimate heir of all of Mr. Dashwoods fortune, and decided non to support the Dashwood wom en fiscally.Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters, Marianne, Elinor and Margaret had no entitlement to any of Mr. Dashwoods wealth. Having no income resources, they depended on Johns charity for support.This was a standard practice of the eighteenth century legal system. In nice times, women had, by law, no rights on property.They were seen as dependent on men not only to survive, besides also in gear up to keep their status and respectability.Class divisions, social status and the struggle for its gaining and victuals are important themes in the novel.All characters in the story come from wealthy, amphetamine class backgrounds.They all belong to high society and their interests and occupations imply this. Sir John Middleton seems to symbolise the best of upper class society. equal the majority of upper class people, his occupation and marital status defined his high position indoors his social circle.His occupation is hunting, his wealth is inherited, and his wifes only occupa tion is to raise children. Lady Middleton gathers all the characteristics of the ideal upper class wo human being she stays in the home, marries, and is very formal and extremely polite, perhaps to the point of irritation.Characters invariably seem to compete for financial and social power.Inherited wealth is presented as the trademark of high social status.The Dashwood women become deprived of both. As a result they are driven into hardship when they have to ordinate up their house in Norland and all its comforts and luxuries and move to smaller, less luxurious premises in Devonshire.By using this relocation theme, Jane Austen could imply their descent from a high social position to a lower one. It seems almost as if the Dashwoods were expelled from Norlands paradise to Barton Cottages hell merely because of their fe priapic nature. In Austens world, being a woman in a mans world is a harsh, cruel reality.Marriage for status is an issue of spectacular importance in Sense and Sen sibility. It was seen as a common dash in order to gain status. What is more, it was not seen as a choice, but a necessity.Men would seek status through inheritance and/or a wealthy marriage. Edward Ferrars is a typical example of this type of a man in the story.Women would not only opt for handsome and educated men, but principal(prenominal)ly for wealthy ones, handle Lucy Steele. Wealthier women were also more likely to be legitimate for marriage depending on the dowries they could offer.This put Marianne and Elinor in immediate disadvantage to other women in the novel (i.e. the Steele ladies), and subsequent pressure, in terms of their legitimacy.Their strife for successful marriages mainly stemmed from a desire for social settlement and a restoration of their loss of status.However, in Mariannes case, the main motive for marriage seems to be love (sensibility) and not money (sense), unlike Elinor. Nevertheless, she seems to be almost pushed in a proper marriage with Colonel Brandon in the end.Men seem to have a lot more space for manoeuvering through suppressive social rules than women do in the novel.Society appears to allow them more freedom in marriage and age issues Colonel Brandon consecrates a good example in this case. His advanced age did not eventually stop him from getting married to Marianne.In Jane Austens world as presented in the novel, social integrating and acceptance depends on ones status and his/her sensible, controlled behaviour. There seems to be very little room for individuality and deviance.Elinor, Edward Ferrars and the Middletons make fine examples of sensible, controlled characters. As Austen describes Elinor possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgmentShe had an excellent heart her tendency was affectionate, and her feelings were strong but she knew how to govern them (p4-5).Edwards propriety and the Middletons formality also signify their extreme level of governmental correctness and adherence to st rict codes of conduct in order to be accepted in society. tender etiquette, formal code of conduct, and discretion to the point of concealment of ones feelings, are also important features in the novel. require for social advancement is also evident. Mrs. John Dashwood, for example, was fast to install herself mistress of Norland.In the struggle for financial and social power, women appear to act within their own sphere of action the home. Women like Mrs. J. Dashwood and Mrs. Ferrars, use home(prenominal) help and financial politics to ensure their control over situations, within and outside their home environment.Financial and domestic politics seem to be the only means women can use to have their own way in the world of the novel.Ironically enough, even though the story is set in a male-dominated society, the male characters possess little power over women like, for example, Mrs. J. Dashwood and Mrs. Smith and Ferrars.In terms of politics in the home environment, it almost seems as if under the surface of a male-dominated society, what is actually going on is beyond what eyeball can see. Austen successfully conveys this idea.