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What is the relevance of the title? Does it allude to any characters or situations?
- In what ways do the Dashwood sisters differ in personality and outlook?
- Do you think Jane Austen punishes the richer and rewards the poorer in Sense and Sensibility, or is money seen as merely a means to an end?
- Does the fact that the narrative seems to be from Elinor’s opinion affect our judgement of the actions of other characters?
- Throughout Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen seems to suggest that Elinor’s behaviour is always correct, and punishes Marianne accordingly. And there are various ‘case studies’ of women who have fallen from favour throughout the novel. Is this a moralistic novel? Do you think that Marianne’s relationship with Willoughby is reprehensible? If you translated her actions into a modern setting, would they still be inappropriate or indecorous?
- Do you think Marianne’s decision to marry Colonel Brandon is appropriate to her character? Is it a satisfactory resolution for her and for the novel?
- Sense and Sensibility’s detail is very domestic; it is in part about women setting up a house together, much smaller and more meagre than the grand houses their male relatives inhabit (John Dashwood and Sir John Middleton). Do you think the magic of Jane Austen’s novels is due to the domestic setting she knew so well? Or do you think she would have written even greater novels had she cast her sights, and her plots, further afield?
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