Sunday, 21 January 2018

Sense and Sensibility: Representation of society

Q7- "Austen has presented the society in which she lived". Explain with special reference to sense and sensibility.


Austen presented the real society in her novel. We can see the reflection of her own contemplative society.  Austen is very domestic kind of person. She always present story revolving around domestic Idea. She deals with many household problems also in her novel. There are many points which shows the reflection of her own society:-

1. Marriage for money

Austen was live in society where, marriages are held for the sake of own profit, for money. In this novel Sense and sensibility we can see  that Willoughby married to Sophia for money and left Marrianne heartbroken. Even we can also see greediness in the character of Lucy who replace her choice when Edward to Robert Ferrar when Edward get disinherited from the wealth of his family.

2. Female as gossipers

Female are normally known for gossip and during the era when Austen write that novel Female are much household creature who engage in talking of useless things inside the four walls of home. In the novel also three sisters and their mother Mrs Dashwood always involved in gossip, the youngest sister Margaret also love to involve in gossip and when she is going outside she request to wait till she come and then began their arguments.

3. Match maker

In most of the novel of Austen we can see some character who involves in match making. In Emma also we can see that Emma was interested in match making and always ready to make couple of her own thinking without knowing what other thinks. We can find that type of mindset of peoples who don't think of their own and engage in public welfare. In sense and sensibility also we can see that the mother in law of  Sir John Middleton always busy in making pairs, she also paired Colonel Brandon with Marianne a perfect suitor and in last her wish also proceed in right way.

4. Gender

We can see gender discrimination in Austen novels. The position of female in society is also get reflected. We can see that women are not allowed to inherit the property, only son will get the entire property of his father. In novel also we can see that female are supposed to stay in four walls and didn't get a small amount from property.

5. Social Order

We can see the conflict between upper and lower class, means marriage are only done with those family who has equal status in society, below their status or order they cant marry. In novel Edward wants to marry with Elinor, but his sister denied because Elinor doesn't have any wealth, all wealth gone to her brother John and she is outcasted from the inheritance of her father.

In this way we can see many social problems which are highlighted in the novel of Jane Austen and reflect the current situation of society.

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