Major 12

Krupa Rameshwarbhai Rajyaguru

 Maharani shree nandkuvarba mahila Arts and Commerce College 

TY.BA.ENGLISH

Home assignments 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 

Introduction

Sense and Sensibility is a famous novel written by Jane Austen and published in 1811. It is one of Austen's earliest and most important novels. The story mainly focuses on the lives of two sisters, Elinor Dashwood and Marianne Dashwood.

The title represents two different ways of living:

1.Sense means reason, self-control, and practical thinking.

2.Sensibility means emotion, feeling, romance, and sensitivity.

Elinor represents sense, while Marianne represents sensibility. Through their experiences in love and life, Jane Austen shows the importance of maintaining a balance between reason and emotion.

The novel also deals with important social issues such as marriage, money, family, women's position, social class, love, and inheritance.

2. Summary

The novel begins with the Dashwood family. After the death of Mr. Dashwood, his property passes to his son John Dashwood because of the inheritance laws of that time. John promises to help his stepmother and three half-sisters—Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret—but his selfish wife, Fanny Dashwood, persuades him not to give them much financial support.

As a result, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters leave their home and move to a small cottage called Barton Cottage.

Elinor and Edward

Elinor Dashwood develops feelings for Edward Ferrars, Fanny's brother. Edward also loves Elinor, but he has a secret engagement with Lucy Steele. Elinor is deeply hurt when she discovers this, but she controls her emotions and suffers quietly.

Later, Edward ends his engagement with Lucy because he realizes that their relationship is not based on true love. Eventually, Edward and Elinor marry.

Marianne and Willoughby

Marianne is romantic and emotional. She falls deeply in love with John Willoughby, a charming young man. Marianne believes that he truly loves her, but Willoughby suddenly leaves her.

Later, Marianne discovers that Willoughby married another woman for financial reasons. She is heartbroken and becomes seriously ill after becoming emotionally overwhelmed.

During this difficult time, Colonel Brandon, a kind and mature man, takes care of Marianne. At first, Marianne does not love him because she thinks he is too old and not romantic enough. However, after her experiences, she becomes more mature and realizes his true goodness. Eventually, Marianne marries Colonel Brandon.

Thus, both sisters find happiness after experiencing disappointment, suffering, and personal growth.

3. Analysis of the Novel

Sense and Sensibility is mainly a novel about the conflict between reason and emotion.

Elinor and Marianne have completely different personalities. Elinor is calm and practical, while Marianne is emotional and romantic. However, Jane Austen does not suggest that only one of these qualities is correct.

Elinor sometimes suffers because she hides her feelings too much. Marianne, on the other hand, suffers because she allows her emotions to completely control her.

By the end of the novel, both sisters learn from their experiences. Marianne develops more sense, while Elinor allows herself to express her emotions and finally receives happiness.

The novel also criticizes the society of Austen's time. Women often depended on marriage and family property for financial security. The Dashwood women become economically insecure because they cannot inherit their family property.

Jane Austen uses irony, humour, and social criticism to show the weaknesses of society. Therefore, the novel is not simply a romantic love story; it is also a criticism of the social and economic conditions of women.

Class assignments 

4. Major CharactersElinor Dashwood

Elinor is the eldest Dashwood sister and represents sense. She is intelligent, practical, calm, and emotionally controlled. She loves Edward Ferrars but suffers quietly when she learns about his secret engagement to Lucy Steele.

Elinor's greatest quality is her self-control. She does not allow her emotions to control her behaviour. However, she also suffers because she keeps her feelings inside. In the end, she marries Edward and finds happiness.

Symbol: Sense, reason, patience, and self-control.

Marianne Dashwood

Marianne represents sensibility. She is emotional, romantic, passionate, and imaginative. She believes in expressing emotions freely and initially thinks that a person should love only once and completely.

She falls in love with Willoughby and is deeply hurt when he abandons her. Her suffering helps her become more mature. Eventually, she understands that true love is not only about romance and excitement but also about kindness, loyalty, and respect.

She finally marries Colonel Brandon.

Symbol: Emotion, romance, and personal growth.

Edward Ferrars

Edward Ferrars is a quiet, honest, and kind young man. He loves Elinor, but he becomes trapped by his earlier secret engagement to Lucy Steele.

Unlike his ambitious family, Edward does not care much about wealth or social status. Although he makes mistakes, he finally chooses honesty and true love.

Colonel Brandon

Colonel Brandon is a mature, kind, loyal, and responsible man. He truly loves Marianne and patiently cares for her.

At first, Marianne does not consider him attractive because he does not match her romantic idea of a hero. However, she later recognizes his true value.

Colonel Brandon represents mature and selfless love.

John Willoughby

Willoughby is charming, handsome, and romantic. Marianne falls deeply in love with him. However, he is weak and selfish because he chooses wealth and financial security over true love.

He represents the difference between appearance and reality. Although he appears to be the perfect romantic hero, his actions reveal his weaknesses.

Lucy Steele

Lucy Steele is clever, selfish, and ambitious. She secretly becomes engaged to Edward Ferrars.

She is mainly interested in gaining social and financial security. Through Lucy, Jane Austen shows how marriage could sometimes become a means of gaining money and social status.

Mrs. Dashwood

Mrs. Dashwood is affectionate and emotional. She loves her daughters deeply and often shares Marianne's emotional nature. However, she learns to become more practical through the difficulties faced by her family.

5. Major Themes

1. Sense versus Sensibility

This is the central theme of the novel.

Elinor represents sense, while Marianne represents sensibility. Through their lives, Jane Austen shows that neither extreme is perfect. A successful life requires a balance between reason and emotion.

2. Love and Marriage

The novel presents different types of relationships.

Elinor and Edward – true love based on understanding and respect.

Marianne and Willoughby – passionate but unstable romantic love.

Marianne and Colonel Brandon – mature and lasting love.

Lucy and Edward – a relationship influenced by social and financial ambition.

Jane Austen shows that a successful marriage needs not only love but also trust, understanding, loyalty, and responsibility.

3. Money and Social Class

Money plays an important role in the novel. The Dashwood women experience financial problems because they cannot inherit their father's property.

The novel shows that, during that period, economic security strongly influenced marriage and social relationships. Willoughby, for example, chooses a wealthy marriage instead of marrying Marianne.

4. Women's Position in Society

The novel presents the limited position of women in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century society. Women often had limited financial independence and depended on fathers, brothers, or husbands.

The Dashwood sisters' situation clearly shows how inheritance laws could affect women's lives.

5. Appearance versus Reality

Some characters are not what they appear to be.

Willoughby appears to be a perfect romantic hero, but he proves unreliable. Lucy appears innocent and polite, but she is ambitious and manipulative.

Jane Austen teaches us not to judge people only by their appearance or first impression.

6. Family and Relationships

Family relationships strongly influence the lives of the characters. The selfishness of John and Fanny Dashwood creates difficulties for Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters.

At the same time, the close relationship between the Dashwood sisters gives them emotional support during difficult times.

Conclusion

Sense and Sensibility is a novel about love, emotions, reason, society, and personal growth. Through Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Jane Austen presents two different approaches to life: sense and sensibility.

By the end of the novel, the sisters learn from their experiences and become more mature. The novel's main message is that neither pure reason nor uncontrolled emotion is enough. A happy and balanced life requires both the mind and the heart.

Eassy 

The Old Man and the Sea – Summary

The Old Man and the Sea is a famous short novel written by Ernest Hemingway. It tells the story of an old Cuban fisherman named Santiago and his struggle with a giant fish in the sea.

Summary

Santiago is an old and experienced fisherman. However, he has not caught any fish for eighty-four days. Because of his bad luck, the parents of a young boy named Manolin, who used to help Santiago, tell the boy to work with another fisherman. But Manolin still loves and respects Santiago and continues to care for him.

On the eighty-fifth day, Santiago decides to go far into the Gulf Stream to catch a big fish. After some time, a huge marlin takes his bait. The fish is extremely powerful and pulls Santiago's boat far out into the sea.

Santiago struggles with the marlin for three days and three nights. Although he is tired and in pain, he does not give up. He develops a deep respect for the marlin because he sees it as a strong and noble opponent.

Finally, Santiago manages to kill the marlin and ties it to the side of his boat. He feels proud because he has caught the biggest fish of his life.

However, while Santiago is returning home, sharks attack the marlin. Santiago fights against them and tries to protect his fish, but the sharks gradually eat its flesh. By the time he reaches the shore, only the skeleton of the giant marlin remains.

Santiago returns home exhausted and goes to sleep. The other fishermen see the huge skeleton and realize the greatness of his achievement. Manolin is deeply moved and promises that he will fish with Santiago again.

Conclusion

The novel shows that success is not only about winning or bringing home a reward. Santiago loses the physical fish, but he does not lose his courage, dignity, or spirit.

The main message of the novel is that a person may face defeat, but they should never lose hope or give up. Santiago becomes a symbol of courage, endurance, determination, and human dignity.

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