
Sense & Sensibility is famously characterised as the story of two Dashwood sisters who embody the conflict between the oppressive nature of 'civilised' society & the human desire for romantic passion. However, there is far more to this story of two daughters made homeless by the death of their father. Elinor, 19, & Marianne, 17, initially project the opposing roles with Elinor cautious & unassuming about romantic matters, while Marianne is wild & passionate when she falls hopelessly in love with the libertine Mr Willoughby. But the lessons in love & life see the two characters develop & change with sense & sensibility needing to be compromised as a matter of survival. Written when Austen was just nineteen, this story has been read as a biographical reflection of her relationship with her own sister Cassandra, with the younger Jane being the victim of 'sensibility.' However, the novel is far more than a simple case of passion versus manners, & depicts the romantic complications of two women made highly vulnerable by the loss of their father & estate. With a raw & intense quality Austen creates a romantic masterpiece on the backdrop of a fragile social context.