Love, Relationships, And Moral Decisions - 1595 Words

Sense and Sensibility is a novel of love, relationships, and moral decisions. The two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, have very different ways that they approach life and its decisions. As guessed by the title of the novel, one sister looks at the world with pre-formed ideas and emotions-sensibility; and one goes through life with a logical and methodical approach-sense. Elinor prefers to make observations and get all the facts before she comes to a decision or forms an opinion. Marianne has ideals already in mind and then reacts based on how life and people compare to her idea. The question the reader must consider after reading the novel, is which approach seems to bring a more accurate conclusion, and which sister has grown more in†¦show more content†¦Elinor, as she embodies the term â€Å"sense†, is a very practical person. She takes time while making a decision to think things through without rushing into things. This quality is demonstrated by the careful, though tful way she forms a relationship with Edward. Elinor does not wish to make assumptions, so she takes her time getting to know him. This fear she has of making a false judgement leads to much uncertainty of Edward’s actual feelings, â€Å"She can add up the minuter aspects of his personality to build up an image of who she thinks he is, and she can know her own feelings about him, but she cannot gain access to the truth about how he feels about her† (Weiss 263). Elinor, while wise, is a bit timid. She gets easily wrapped up in her own mind, and does not entertain feelings of passion. There were times when I wanted Elinor to step out and put her heart into something. She is indeed kind and caring, but she is a bit detached because she tends to be a private person who keeps her more intimate thoughts and feeling to herself. Though most of the other characters in the novel do not quite understand Elinor’s way of thinking, she tends to be correct in her interpretations of the things she observes. There is much discussion and confusion as to the state of Willoughby and Marianne’s relationship earlier on in the novel. At first, like her mother, Elinor believes that the two must be engaged because of the intimate way in which