book / 1811
Sense and Sensibility
The Dashwood sisters navigate love, money, judgment, and restraint after their family security collapses.
Verified facts
- Author
- Jane Austen
- Published
- 1811
- Language
- English
PlotGeeks explainer signals
Why read this explainer
The Dashwoods' reduced income shapes courtship before either sister falls in love. Elinor's restraint and Marianne's openness expose them to different disappointments.
PlotGeeks note
Elinor conceals the hurt caused by Lucy's engagement, while Marianne speaks openly about Willoughby. Neither habit protects the sisters from a lover's concealed commitments.
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Timeline
Major events
- The Dashwoods leave Norland after their father's death
The move to Barton Cottage reduces their income while opening a new circle of acquaintances.
- Both sisters' attachments meet concealed obstacles
Lucy reveals her engagement to Edward, and Willoughby leaves Marianne without a formal promise.
- London exposes Willoughby's choice of a wealthy bride
Marianne's rejection is followed by illness, while Edward loses his inheritance rather than break his engagement.
- Lucy chooses Robert and the sisters' marriages become possible
Edward marries Elinor, and Marianne's affection for Brandon develops gradually after her recovery.
Story in 60 Seconds
The short version
After their father's death, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood move with their mother and younger sister from Norland to a cottage near Barton Park. Their reduced circumstances make financial considerations inseparable from courtship. Elinor remains attached to Edward Ferrars, while Marianne falls openly in love with Willoughby and dismisses Colonel Brandon's quieter attention. Lucy Steele privately tells Elinor that she is already engaged to Edward. In London, Willoughby rejects Marianne and chooses a wealthy bride. The sisters must support each other through disappointments that their different ways of expressing feeling do not prevent.
Spoiler sectionEnding ExplainedShow ending detailsHide ending details
Marianne recovers from a serious illness and reconsiders Willoughby's conduct and her own. Elinor thinks Edward has married Lucy, but his arrival reveals that Lucy chose his wealthier brother Robert instead. Free of the engagement he had honored despite disinheritance, Edward proposes to Elinor. Marianne gradually comes to love Colonel Brandon and marries him. Both sisters settle near Delaford and maintain their close family ties.
Original context
Why it matters
Money changes which promises people keep
Willoughby chooses a wealthy bride, while Edward accepts disinheritance rather than abandon Lucy. Lucy's later choice of Robert again links an apparently private attachment to financial advantage.
Key turning points
Willoughby's rejection becomes undeniable in London
His public coldness and letter end Marianne's confidence in their attachment. Brandon's account of his earlier conduct gives Elinor evidence that the problem extends beyond this rejection.
Character links
Who connects to whom
Character motivations
Elinor supports Marianne while concealing her own distress
Knowing about Lucy leaves Elinor hurt without freeing her to speak openly. Her care for Marianne makes the difference between composure and absence of feeling especially clear.
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