Jane Austen's Struggle In Sense And Sensibility

Of the many societal struggles this passage from Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (1811) depicts, the condition of women and femininity stands at its forefront. From a contemporary lens, the passage details the drastically differing and clashing aspects of the feminine ideal. Women in Austen’s society battled amongst themselves to secure economically prosperous marriages, which in turn required a massive degree of emotional control. Between these struggles and empathetic trauma, women eventually became dehumanized and were reduced to mere shells of their former selves. These themes are evidenced by Austen’s use of hyphenated speech, retraining semicolons, and morbid language, respectively. By applying a stylistic writing of interruption and forced pause, Austen illustrates the ruthless competition between women in her contemporary society impelled by a system of primogeniture. Elinor’s monologue begins thus: “I understand you. — You do not suppose that I have ever felt much. — For four months, Marianne.” Hyphenated speech is heavily used throughout the rest of Elinor’s dissertation, expressing an unrelenting state of self-analysis. By …show more content…
Furthermore, Austen argues society’s forced competition among women with her word choice: “I have had to contend against the unkindness of his sister.” “Contend” signifies a struggle against an opponent, highlighting the competitive undertones within female relationships. Throughout this passage, the reticent flow of dialogue and aggressive semantics demonstrate a societal perversion — women are forced to vie for matrimony’s financial