Author: Jane Austen

Genre: Romance novel

Publication date: 1811

Stage	Plot Event	Explanation
Exposition	Dashwood family moves	After their father’s death, the Dashwood sisters move to a small cottage.
Rising Action	Love and disappointment	Elinor loves Edward, and Marianne loves Willoughby, but both face heartbreak.
Climax	Edward becomes free	Edward is no longer engaged and can marry Elinor.
Falling Action	Marianne matures	Marianne learns to control her emotions and changes her views.
Resolution	Sisters marry	Elinor marries Edward, and Marianne marries Colonel Brandon.

Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility, published in three volumes under an anonymous name in 1811, quickly rose to fame. The caustic, humorous book chronicles the romantic connections between Elinor and Marianne Dashwood and provides a vivid portrait of middle-class society in the nineteenth century.

She followed up Sense and Sensibility with Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma, as well as two posthumously published novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

Henry Dashwood lived at his opulent uncle’s estate, Norland Park in Sussex, England. Henry has one son from a former marriage and three children with his current wife. After his uncle died, Henry’s son John and John’s own son were awarded Norland.

As a result, Henry’s three daughters had little money, and before his death, he asked John to look after his half-sisters. In response, John decides to give 3,000 pounds to each of his sisters, but his wife Fanny quickly convinces him to change his mind and give the funds to their own son.

Mrs. Dashwood, her widow, and her three daughters the young Margaret, the sensitive Marianne, and the calm, collected Elinor remain at Norland for a while after Henry’s death. Fanny is hated by Mrs. Dashwood, but Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s brother, and Elinor become close.

Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood believe he and Elinor will marry. Sir John Middleton, a relative of Mrs. Dashwood, writes to her and offers her a place to live at Barton Park. Mrs. Dashwood accepts the offer.

The Dashwoods routinely attend dinners and balls at Sir John and Lady Middleton’s home. They also meet Lady Middleton’s mother, Mrs. Jennings, a charming but gossipy elderly lady who enjoys predicting and encouraging budding relationships.

Colonel Brandon, Sir John’s 35-year-old bachelor buddy and frequent visitor to the Middletons, is also a regular guest. Brandon quickly realizes he loves Marianne, but Marianne finds the idea of marrying a guy as elderly and tasteless as Brandon ludicrous.

The Dashwood sisters take a trip in the countryside one day. They race back toward their cottage as it suddenly starts to rain, but Marianne trips and tumbles. She was scooped up by a man who was passing by and bravely carried her home.

His name is Willoughby, he says. Soon after, over supper in Barton Park, the Dashwood family runs into Willoughby once more.

Marianne begins to admire Sir John when he tells her that Willoughby is “very well worth catching.” Willoughby spends a lot of time with Marianne and frequently goes to the Dashwood cottage.

They have many common opinions and aesthetic preferences in literature, music, and the arts. Mrs. Dashwood speculates that they might get married.Marianne and Willoughby grow closer as the Dashwoods attend more social events at Barton Park.

Margaret suspects Marianne and Willoughby are engaged after she sees Marianne giving him a lock of her hair. When Mrs. Jennings asks Elinor whether she has a favorite man one evening at Barton Park, Margaret admits that she is in a relationship with a man whose name begins with F.

A large group gathers at Barton Park the next day to embark on an expedition to Colonel Brandon’s brother-in-law’s However, Brandon suddenly needs to leave for London after receiving a letter, so the trip is postponed.Everyone plans to spend the day driving in the countryside.

Willoughby and Marianne leave in one carriage for Allenham, his aunt’s estate, which he is certain to inherit. Willoughby acts as if he is in love with Marianne for the next several days.When Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, and Margaret returned from Barton Park one day, Willoughby’s carriage awaited them.

Marianne is sobbing and distraught as they enter. Willoughby informs them that he must travel immediately for London on business. Elinor is skeptical of Willoughby because no one knows if he and Marianne are truly engaged.

Marianne is deeply saddened by Willoughby’s leaving. She takes Elinor on a walk outside one day. Marianne is positive that the person they see approaching is Willoughby. However, when he approaches, they realize it’s Edward Ferrars.

Oddly, Edward does not appear pleased to meet Elinor; rather, he appears anxious and concerned.Marianne notices a band on his finger that contains a hair strand. Marianne and Elinor both assume it is Elinor’s hair, while Edward claims it is Fanny’s. Elinor believes he may have obtained it illegally from her.

About a week later, Edward leaves without making a proposal. Charlotte Palmer, Lady Middleton’s sister, and her husband are immediately welcomed by the Middletons to Barton Park, where they meet the Dashwoods for the first time.

Elinor is dubious if Marianne and Willoughby are engaged, although the Palmers appear to believe so. After the Palmers leave, the Middletons’ next visitors are Anne and Lucy Steele, two little sisters and relatives of Mrs. Jennings.Elinor and Marianne dislike the Steele sisters because they exclusively discuss their forthcoming suitors and romantic activities.

When Sir John recalls Elinor’s fondness for Edward Ferrars, Anne claims they are familiar with him; however, Lucy corrects her and adds they are not that familiar with him. Lucy, when walking outdoors with Elinor, inquires about Mrs. Ferrars, Edward’s mother.

She claims that they’ve been secretly engaged for four years. They were concerned that because Lucy did not have much money, Edward’s mother, Mrs. Ferrars, would not approve of the union.In a letter from Edward that Lucy shows Elinor, she mentions that she gave him a lock of hair, which he keeps in a ring.

Elinor is stunned, but she cannot question Lucy’s account. She wonders whether Edward purposely mislead her by encouraging her love for him. Soon after, after a party at Barton Park, Elinor takes the opportunity to inquire further about Lucy’s engagement.

According to Lucy, the couple is in love, but they will most likely have to wait until Mrs. Ferrars passes away before marrying. Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to stay with her in London in January.

Marianne is passionate about traveling to meet Willoughby, but Elinor is hesitant because she knows Edward will be in London in February.The two sisters leave Margaret and their mother at Barton and fly to London to spend time there. Marianne writes to Willoughby as soon as they arrive in London, but he never responds.

Colonel Brandon, on the other hand, pays frequent visits to the Dashwood sisters. Marianne is unable to enjoy the social events they attend in the city because she is concerned about not hearing from Willoughby. Elinor writes to her mother, pleading with her to directly ask Marianne whether she is engaged to Willoughby.

Finally, Willoughby is there when Elinor and Marianne attend a party with Lady Middleton.

Willoughby treats Marianne cruelly, largely ignoring her.Marianne, in despair, must leave the party immediately. Marianne receives a letter from Willoughby the next morning and is “nearly overwhelmed by sadness” upon reading it. Willoughby tells her that he is engaged to someone else and denies having romantic feelings for her.

Willoughby’s unexpected behavior change astounds both Elinor and Marianne, and Elinor attempts to console her sister. She begs Marianne to restrain her emotions, but Marianne insists that she can’t act normally while feeling terrible.

Willoughby’s engagement to the wealthy Miss Grey becomes well known. Elinor discovers that Marianne and Willoughby never had a legal engagement, and that he had simply expressed his feelings for her in passing. Mrs. Jennings consoles Marianne, predicting that she will marry Colonel Brandon.

Colonel Brandon pays Elinor a visit one day after receiving of the awful news from Willoughby and gives some information he believes would be useful to Marianne. To establish his argument, he must tell Marianne about a woman named Eliza, with whom he formerly had a romantic relationship.Despite Eliza and Brandon’s great feelings for one other, she was forced to marry Brandon’s brother.

Eliza and Brandon attempted to run, but were discovered. After Brandon left the country to join the military, Eliza was continually enticed by males, prompting her to divorce Brandon’s brother.

When Colonel Brandon returned to the countryside, he discovered her imprisoned in a house for debt and nearly dead from consumption. He promised to care for her illegitimate daughter, Eliza. Colonel Brandon had reared this daughter, but she disappeared last year after going on a holiday to Bath with pals.

Brandon learned from a letter he got while at Barton Park that Eliza had been seduced by Willoughby, who eventually abandoned her after she became pregnant. This was why Brandon quickly left Barton. Elinor is surprised to learn this knowledge about Willoughby, but she respects Brandon’s candor.

Marianne is informed, but it does not make her feel better. She now laments “the loss of Willoughby’s character,” having previously regarded him as an honorable gentleman.

Colonel Brandon and Elinor speak frequently, and as a result, Elinor comes to value him as a friend. Mrs. Jennings thinks that Colonel Brandon will ask Elinor to marry him soon.

Brandon learned from a letter he got while at Barton Park that Eliza had been seduced by Willoughby, who eventually abandoned her after she became pregnant. This was why Brandon quickly left Barton. Elinor is surprised to learn this knowledge about Willoughby, but she respects Brandon’s candor.

Marianne is informed, but it does not make her feel better. She now laments “the loss of Willoughby’s character,” having previously regarded him as an honorable gentleman. Colonel Brandon and Elinor speak frequently, and as a result, Elinor comes to value him as a friend. Mrs. Jennings thinks that Colonel Brandon will ask Elinor to marry him soon.

Lucy is particularly pleased to see her possible mother-in-law, and Elinor is looking forward to finally meeting Mrs. Ferrars. Mrs. Ferrars treats Elinor poorly at the supper while being kind to Lucy, much to Lucy’s delight. Marianne and Elinor eventually join Fanny and John for a party.

Elinor identifies the man from the jewellery store and realizes that he is Edward’s brother, Robert Ferrars.Mrs. Jennings informs Elinor that Lucy and Edward’s undercover engagement was discovered around two weeks later. Fanny lost her temper after learning about it and told Lucy to leave the house where the Steele sisters were staying.

The following day, John pays Edward a visit and informs him that Mrs. Ferrars has essentially disinherited him after learning of his hidden engagement.

Edward, however, refused to call off the wedding. Elinor bumps across Lucy’s sister Anne at Kensington Gardens a few days later.Anne claims that because Edward no longer has a large sum of money, he offered Lucy the option of leaving him, but she declined, thus they proceeded with the engagement.

The next morning, Elinor receives a letter from Lucy indicating that despite everything, she and Edward are still happy together, that he intends to become a priest, and that they will marry once they have found a place to live.

Marianne and Elinor finally decide to return to Barton Cottage after more than two months in London, but not before seeing the Palmers in Cleveland. Colonel Brandon pays them a visit before they leave, and Mrs. Jennings overheard parts of the conversation and believes Brandon is ready to propose to Elinor. He is actually informing her that he will give Edward with a living on his estate, Delaford.

Elinor is also concerned since this would let Edward and Lucy to marry (something she kept from Brandon). Elinor informs Edward, who arrives shortly after Brandon departs, of the news. He walks out to thank Brandon, feeling quite grateful.When Mrs. Jennings returns, she finds that Brandon never asked Elinor to marry him.

Elinor meets with John and Fanny before leaving London and learns that Robert Ferrars will now marry Miss Morton rather than Edward. Robert has now received all of Edward’s inheritance.Marianne has a bad cold at the Palmers’ home in Cleveland.

Mrs. Jennings is afraid she may die because she is so unwell, so Elinor sends Colonel Brandon to Barton to get Mrs. Dashwood. Marianne eventually begins to feel better. Elinor hears a carriage outside while sitting close to her sleeping sister.

However, it is shown to be Willoughby rather than Barton. He is instructed to go by Elinor, but he insists on speaking with her. He begs to be given the opportunity to justify his acts. He states that when he first met the Dashwoods, he had no intention of finding a wife and was pleased to simply enjoy Marianne’s company.

He had no intention of “reciprocate her adoration” and was “careless of her happiness.” But he developed affections for her. His aunt, Mrs. Smith, had planned to leave him some money, but when she learned of his relationship with Eliza, she disinherited him.

Now that Willoughby needed money, marrying Marianne was out of the question. He married Miss Grey for her fortune, despite the fact that he did not actually love her. It saddened him to ignore Marianne in London, and when he started getting letters from her, Miss Grey began to worry what they were about. She recounted a note for Willoughby to return since she was dissatisfied.

Willoughby apologises profusely and describes himself as an idiot and a rogue. Elinor largely forgives Willoughby’s mistakes and feels sad for him. Colonel Brandon and Mrs. Dashwood are quick to follow when he leaves.

Mrs. Dashwood happily informs Elinor that Brandon told her on the journey to Cleveland that he loves Marianne and that she supports their union. When Marianne is fully recovered, the Dashwood family returns to Barton Cottage.

While enjoying a leisurely stroll outside, Marianne tells Elinor that her illness has led her to think on her life, and she regrets her inappropriate interactions with Willoughby, as well as her ungentle contempt for Mrs. Jennings, Fanny, John, the Steeles, and the Middletons.

She decides to prioritize her family and control her emotions moving forward.She claims to have moved on from Willoughby, but she wishes she had realized he wasn’t always telling her the truth. Elinor takes advantage of this chance to enlighten her about the information that Willoughby recently shared.

Marianne instructs Elinor to inform their mother, who takes the news calmly. A servant notifies Elinor shortly after that Lucy and “Mr. Ferrars” have married. Marianne and Elinor are both devastated by this news.

Elinor is looking forward to Colonel Brandon’s visit, which is scheduled for soon. But just as she anticipates his arrival, Edward appears. He informs her that his brother Robert, not himself, has married Lucy. Elinor sobs with happiness.

Edward explains that he proposed to Lucy inappropriately because he was too inexperienced and lazy to think it through. She had left him for his wealthier sibling since they were not truly in love. Elinor accepts his proposal at this stage, much to the delight of her sisters and mother.

Finally, Mrs. Ferrars forgives Edward, returns some of his inheritance, and reluctantly agrees to his marriage to Elinor. Elinor and Edward live in Delaford, and Elinor’s sisters and mother pay them frequent visits.

Marianne gradually develops romantic feelings for Colonel Brandon, as do Elinor, Edward, and Mrs. Dashwood. She abandons her rigid notions on love and allows herself to grow to love Brandon. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters maintain a “strong family affection” even when they marry. Elinor and Marianne have happy marriages and strong bonds with one another.