Sense and Sensibility – Plot Summary (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Sense and Sensibility – Plot Summary
Overview of the novel
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they navigate love, loss, and social expectations in Regency England. The novel explores the contrast between rational sense (embodied by Elinor) and emotional sensibility (embodied by Marianne), showing how both approaches to life have their strengths and weaknesses.
The story is structured in three volumes, each marking a significant phase in the sisters' romantic journeys and personal growth.
The novel's structure follows a clear progression: Volume I establishes the characters and initial romantic attachments, Volume II tests these relationships in London society, and Volume III brings resolution through revelation and personal growth.
The Dashwood family's misfortune
The novel begins with a tragedy that sets everything in motion. When Mr Henry Dashwood dies, his estate passes entirely to his son from his first marriage, John Dashwood. This leaves Mr Dashwood's second wife and her three daughters (Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret) in a precarious financial position with no permanent home and very little income.
Understanding the Social Context
This opening situation reflects the vulnerable position of women in Regency society, who depended on male relatives for financial security. Understanding inheritance laws and women's limited rights is crucial for contextualising the novel's events.
John Dashwood's wife, Fanny, makes the family's situation worse by being unwelcoming and cold. The Dashwood women must find a new home and accept their reduced circumstances.
Moving to Barton Park
The Dashwood women receive an invitation from their distant relations, the Middletons, to live at Barton Cottage on the Barton Park estate. Before leaving Norland (their former home), Elinor develops a close attachment to Edward Ferrars, who is Fanny Dashwood's brother. This connection becomes important later in the story, and Elinor is sad to leave, though she handles her emotions with characteristic restraint.
New acquaintances at Barton
At Barton Park, the Dashwood sisters meet several significant characters:
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Colonel Brandon: A retired officer and bachelor, around 35 years old, who is quiet, sensible, and honourable. He quickly develops feelings for Marianne, though she considers him too old and dull.
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John Willoughby: A handsome, charming, and impetuous young man who dramatically rescues Marianne when she twists her ankle running down the hills in the rain. He appears to be Marianne's perfect match, sharing her passionate love of poetry, music, and romantic sensibility.
Willoughby openly courts Marianne, and their attachment becomes the talk of the neighbourhood. They spend time together constantly, displaying their feelings without restraint. However, Willoughby suddenly announces he must leave for London on business, departing abruptly and leaving Marianne heartbroken and confused. This mysterious departure creates the first major emotional crisis in the novel.
Character Contrast
Notice the immediate contrast Austen establishes between Colonel Brandon and Willoughby. Brandon represents steady, mature affection, whilst Willoughby embodies passionate, impulsive romance. This contrast mirrors the novel's central theme of sense versus sensibility.
Lucy Steele's revelation
Anne and Lucy Steele, two relations of Mrs Jennings (Lady Middleton's mother), arrive as guests at Barton Park. Lucy deliberately befriends Elinor and reveals a shocking secret: she has been secretly engaged to Mr Ferrars for an entire year.
Elinor initially assumes Lucy means Edward's younger brother, Robert Ferrars. However, Lucy cruelly clarifies that she is engaged to Edward himself, the man Elinor loves. This revelation devastates Elinor, though she maintains her composure and keeps the secret to herself, demonstrating her sense and self-control.
Narrative Technique
Consider how Austen uses Lucy's character to create dramatic irony and test Elinor's emotional restraint. This secret engagement becomes a central source of tension throughout the novel, and readers witness Elinor's private suffering whilst other characters remain unaware.
Volume II: The London visit
Elinor and Marianne travel to London with the kind but gossipy Mrs Jennings. This marks a turning point in both sisters' romantic situations.
Willoughby's betrayal
Colonel Brandon informs Elinor that everyone in London is discussing an engagement between Willoughby and Marianne, though Marianne has never officially mentioned such an attachment to her family. Marianne eagerly anticipates reuniting with Willoughby, believing they have an understanding.
When Marianne finally sees Willoughby at a London party, he behaves cruelly:
- He greets her coldly and dismissively
- He refuses to acknowledge their previous intimacy
- He sends her a letter denying he ever had romantic feelings for her
- He demands the return of the locks of hair she gave him
This public humiliation crushes Marianne, who falls into deep despair. Colonel Brandon explains Willoughby's backstory to Elinor, revealing his history of callous behaviour and debauchery. Mrs Jennings confirms that Willoughby has squandered his fortune and become engaged to the wealthy heiress Miss Grey purely for financial reasons.
Thematic Analysis
Willoughby's character arc illustrates how charm and passion can mask moral weakness, while also showing the economic pressures that shaped behaviour in Regency society. His betrayal serves as a cautionary tale about judging people by appearances rather than character.
Volume III: Revelations and resolutions
Edward's disinheritance
Lucy Steele's older sister accidentally reveals the secret engagement between Lucy and Edward Ferrars to Mrs Ferrars, Edward's mother. Mrs Ferrars reacts with rage at the news of Edward's engagement to a woman with no fortune or connections. She disinherits Edward completely, transferring his inheritance to his younger brother, Robert.
Despite losing his fortune, Edward honourably refuses to break his engagement to Lucy, demonstrating his integrity even though he no longer loves her (if he ever truly did).
Character Development
Edward's decision to honour his engagement despite disinheritance reveals his true character. Unlike Willoughby, who chose money over love, Edward prioritises honour and moral obligation over financial security, even at great personal cost.
Marianne's illness at Cleveland
On their journey home from London, the Dashwood sisters stop to visit friends at Cleveland. During this visit, Marianne takes long, solitary walks in the rain, indulging her melancholy. This imprudent behaviour leads to her developing a severe cold that worsens into a dangerous fever.
As Marianne lies deathly ill, Willoughby arrives unexpectedly at Cleveland. He attempts to explain his past actions and beg forgiveness, revealing that he genuinely cared for Marianne but felt compelled to marry for money. Elinor listens to his story with a mixture of pity and understanding, later sharing it with Marianne.
Mrs Dashwood and Colonel Brandon rush to Cleveland when they hear of Marianne's illness. Fortunately, Marianne begins to recover, and during her convalescence, she reflects on her behaviour. She realises she acted imprudently with Willoughby and recognises that she could never have been truly happy with someone of his weak character.
Critical Turning Point
Marianne's near-death experience and subsequent recovery mark her maturation from excessive sensibility toward a more balanced perspective that incorporates both feeling and reason. This illness serves as both a physical and symbolic transformation, allowing her to emerge with greater wisdom and self-awareness.
The final twist and happy endings
When the Dashwood family returns to Barton, their manservant tells them that Lucy Steele and Mr Ferrars have married. Everyone assumes this means Lucy married Edward as planned, and whilst Elinor is devastated, she is not surprised.
However, Edward soon arrives at Barton Cottage in person and corrects this misunderstanding. Lucy actually married Robert Ferrars, Edward's younger brother, who inherited the family fortune. The greedy and calculating Lucy chose wealth over her long engagement to Edward, freeing him from his obligation.
Edward immediately proposes to Elinor, who joyfully accepts. Edward's mother eventually forgives him and restores part of his inheritance, allowing him to take a position as a clergyman.
Not long afterward, Marianne and Colonel Brandon also become engaged. Marianne has grown to appreciate Brandon's steadiness, kindness, and genuine affection, recognising that these qualities matter more than youthful passion.
Resolution and Rewards
The novel's conclusion demonstrates Austen's moral framework: characters who display integrity, patience, and genuine goodness are rewarded with happiness, whilst those driven by greed and manipulation (like Lucy) or moral weakness (like Willoughby) face less satisfying fates.
The novel concludes with both couples happily settled:
- Edward and Elinor live at Delaford parsonage (on Colonel Brandon's estate)
- Marianne and Colonel Brandon live at Delaford mansion
- Both couples remain in close contact with Mrs Dashwood and Margaret at Barton Cottage
Key character journeys
Elinor Dashwood
- Represents sense, reason, and self-control
- Suffers quietly through Lucy's revelation and Edward's engagement
- Maintains propriety and emotional restraint throughout
- Rewarded for her patience and dignity with marriage to Edward
Marianne Dashwood
- Represents sensibility, emotion, and romantic idealism
- Initially scorns restraint and social conventions
- Suffers intensely from Willoughby's betrayal
- Grows through illness and reflection to balance emotion with reason
- Finds happiness with the steady, mature Colonel Brandon
Edward Ferrars
- Honourable but passive character
- Trapped by his early engagement to Lucy
- Demonstrates integrity by refusing to break his promise despite disinheritance
- Eventually freed to marry his true love, Elinor
John Willoughby
- Charming but morally weak
- Genuinely attracted to Marianne but chooses money over love
- Marries Miss Grey for her fortune
- Serves as a cautionary example of sensibility without sense or honour
Colonel Brandon
- Steady, honourable, and mature
- Quietly loves Marianne despite her initial rejection
- Provides crucial information about Willoughby's character
- Rewarded for his constancy and goodness with Marianne's love
Lucy Steele
- Manipulative and calculating
- Uses her engagement to Edward as social leverage
- Ultimately mercenary, choosing Robert's fortune over Edward
- Serves as a contrast to both Elinor's genuine feeling and proper behaviour
Character Archetypes
These characters represent different moral positions in Austen's world. The heroes and heroines (Elinor, Marianne, Edward, Brandon) combine good character with personal growth, whilst the antagonists (Willoughby, Lucy, Fanny Dashwood) prioritise self-interest over virtue.
Summary
Key Points to Remember:
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The novel's title reflects the central thematic contrast between Elinor's sense (reason and restraint) and Marianne's sensibility (emotion and passion), with both sisters learning from each other.
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The three-volume structure marks clear phases: establishment at Barton, trials in London, and resolution at Cleveland and Barton.
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Inheritance, money, and social class drive much of the plot, reflecting the economic realities that shaped women's lives in Regency England.
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Both heroines face betrayal and disappointment but ultimately find happiness by balancing sense with sensibility.
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The novel rewards good character (Edward's honour, Brandon's steadiness, Elinor's restraint, Marianne's growth) whilst punishing moral weakness (Willoughby's selfishness, Lucy's greed).