Above all else, Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility teaches us that nothing is sacrosanct. With such a heavy emphasis on the importance of marriage for young women of the eighteenth century, the novel suggests that there is an unspoken agreement that their romantic relationships are open to speculation and scrutiny among family and friends due to an interest in having a say in such marriages. Especially in the romantic relationships between Marianne and Willoughby, Elinor and Edward, and Lucy and Edward, large amounts of unsolicited gossip are conjured up by several residents of Sussex, old and young.
Among the most highly examined in Sense and Sensibility is the relationship between Edward Ferrars and Lucy Steele. This is because the controversial nature of their courtship tempts the opinions of others so greatly. Because they had kept their engagement a secret for so long, this sparked a sense of betrayal in the eyes of Fanny, his meddling sister who had, “thought to make a match between Edward and some Lord’s daughter” (182), and Mrs. Dashwood, …show more content…
Where the characters of Sense and Sensibility are thought of as being protective and caring, such activity in the present day would most likely be seen as gossipy and prying. Instead, there seems to be a level of necessity when it comes to this kind of discussion in the eighteenth century. Because situations like these where the rest of a woman’s life depended on this one decision were so important, without this kind of concern expressed in the relationships of the young, one would have a higher chance of blindly pursuing a marriage to an unsavory or poor-intentioned person. Whether or not the input is more helpful than damaging, the understanding of why such speculation is necessary is important in the process of shaping an individual’s own life
Among the most highly examined in Sense and Sensibility is the relationship between Edward Ferrars and Lucy Steele. This is because the controversial nature of their courtship tempts the opinions of others so greatly. Because they had kept their engagement a secret for so long, this sparked a sense of betrayal in the eyes of Fanny, his meddling sister who had, “thought to make a match between Edward and some Lord’s daughter” (182), and Mrs. Dashwood, …show more content…
Where the characters of Sense and Sensibility are thought of as being protective and caring, such activity in the present day would most likely be seen as gossipy and prying. Instead, there seems to be a level of necessity when it comes to this kind of discussion in the eighteenth century. Because situations like these where the rest of a woman’s life depended on this one decision were so important, without this kind of concern expressed in the relationships of the young, one would have a higher chance of blindly pursuing a marriage to an unsavory or poor-intentioned person. Whether or not the input is more helpful than damaging, the understanding of why such speculation is necessary is important in the process of shaping an individual’s own life