Sense and Sensibility – Context (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Sense and Sensibility – Context
Understanding the historical, social, and literary context of Sense and Sensibility helps us appreciate why Austen wrote the novel and what she was trying to say about her society. This context reveals the pressures and expectations that shaped the lives of her characters, particularly women.
The Georgian era and literary movements
Jane Austen lived during the Georgian era (1714–1830), named after the four successive Hanoverian kings called George who ruled England. Her lifetime bridged two major cultural periods:
- The 18th century emphasised logic, reason, and rational thought
- The 19th century saw the rise of Romanticism, which celebrated emotion, passion, beauty, and living in the moment
This transition between reason and emotion is central to Sense and Sensibility. The novel's title itself reflects this cultural shift, positioning two different approaches to life against each other.
Understanding 'sense' and 'sensibility'
These two words had specific meanings in Austen's time:
Sense refers to a rational, restrained, and prudent approach to life. Elinor Dashwood embodies this quality through her careful judgement and emotional control. Contemporary reviewers praised her for her "sober exertion of prudence and judgment" and her courage when facing difficulties.
Sensibility meant something quite different from today's usage. Rather than meaning 'sensible' or 'practical', it described strong emotional or aesthetic responses experienced in the moment. The historical meaning relates to being 'aware' or 'able to feel'. Marianne Dashwood represents sensibility through her passionate responses to art, nature, and romantic love.
It's crucial to note that the title uses 'and' rather than 'versus'. This suggests Austen believed both approaches have value, and perhaps the ideal lies in balancing the two.
The novel of sentiment
During Austen's lifetime, the novel was still relatively new as a literary form, but it had already divided into various subgenres. One popular type was the novel of sentiment, which had specific characteristics:
- Characters respond intensely to art and natural beauty
- Passion and emotion are valued more highly than reason
- The heart is seen as possessing special wisdom
- Love conquers all obstacles
- Characters who try to impose reason on young lovers are portrayed as boring or ridiculous
Sense and Sensibility engages critically with this genre. Whilst novels of sentiment celebrated emotional excess and impulsive passion, Austen invites readers to question whether this is truly the best approach to life. Through Marianne's experiences, we see both the appeal and the dangers of letting sensibility rule unchecked.
This gentle critique mirrors how Austen's Northanger Abbey (published after her death) examined the Gothic novel genre.
The epistolary origins
Austen likely first wrote Sense and Sensibility as an epistolary novel – a story told entirely through letters. This was a popular format for sentimental novels, such as Samuel Richardson's Pamela (1740).
However, this format had limitations. For the plot to work through letters alone, Elinor and Marianne would need to be separated for most of the story. By switching to an omniscient third-person narrator, Austen gained the flexibility to show any character's thoughts and feelings through free indirect discourse – a technique where the narrator seamlessly blends with a character's perspective.
Despite this change, letters remain important at key emotional moments. For example, when Marianne reads Willoughby's crushing rejection letter, the letters become a powerful dramatic device that heightens the emotional impact.
Class and setting in Sense and Sensibility
The novel is set in the late 1790s and focuses on the landed gentry – a social class whose wealth came from owning land rather than from work or trade. Understanding this class structure is essential for appreciating the plot's tensions.
The landed gentry lifestyle
The landed gentry occupied a specific position in English society:
- Their income derived from agriculture and collecting rents from tenant farmers
- Manual labour was considered beneath them
- Some landowners managed their estates personally (like Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice)
- Others delegated management to employees and focused on leisure activities like hunting and entertaining (like Sir John Middleton)
The size of one's estate determined social status and income. More land meant more wealth and influence.
Inheritance laws and their consequences
The system of inheritance created particular pressures for families:
For sons:
- Land typically passed to the eldest son to keep estates intact and valuable
- If there were no sons, land went to the eldest male relative
- Breaking up estates among multiple children would reduce each portion's value
- Younger sons had to find respectable work to support themselves, usually in the church, law, or military
For daughters:
- Women rarely inherited property directly
- Daughters depended first on their fathers, then on their husbands for financial support
- Unmarried women had to rely on relatives' generosity for their income
- A woman who made a poor marriage match – or worse, remained unmarried – could face genuine poverty
These inheritance practices explain why the Dashwood sisters' situation becomes so precarious when their father dies. The estate passes to their half-brother John, leaving them dependent on his generosity (which proves limited).
Marriage and economic pressure
The inheritance system placed enormous pressure on marriage decisions:
- Marriages were often arranged to keep wealth within certain families or to unite estates
- Women needed to marry well to secure their financial futures
- Romantic love often conflicted with economic necessity
- The tension between marrying for love versus marrying for security drives much of the plot
Austen examines this central question: can both romantic love and a family's economic needs be satisfied? This dilemma faces multiple characters throughout the novel and creates many of the story's key conflicts and complications.
The rigid class structure means that characters cannot simply work their way to financial security. For the Dashwood sisters, marriage represents not just personal happiness but economic survival.
Key Points to Remember:
- Jane Austen wrote during the Georgian era (1714–1830), bridging the Age of Reason and the Romantic movement
- Sense means rational restraint (Elinor), whilst sensibility means emotional responsiveness (Marianne)
- Sense and Sensibility gently critiques the novel of sentiment genre by questioning the wisdom of valuing emotion over reason
- The novel began as an epistolary work but Austen changed to third-person narration for greater flexibility
- The landed gentry class derived wealth from property ownership, and their social world drives the novel's conflicts
- Inheritance laws favoured eldest sons, leaving younger sons and daughters economically vulnerable
- Women's financial dependence on fathers and husbands made marriage an economic necessity, creating tension between love and security