Sense and Sensibility.docx

1、Sense and Sensibility外 国 语 学 院读 书 报 告 题 目： Sensibility against Sense 班级: 姓 名: 学 号: 书 名: Sense and Sensibility 作 者: Jane Austen 总 页 码： 出 版 社： 出版时间： 版次，印数 Why did you choose this particular book? Typical reasons might be:1. You like the author. 2. You like this type of book (i.e. mystery, western, adv

2、enture or romance, etc.). 3. Someone recommended the book to you. 4. It was on a required reading list. 5. You liked the cover. TitleAbstract：sense and sensibility is the earliest work by Jane Austen. It mainly centers on two sisters ate in love. The elder Elinor is the representative of the sensibi

3、lity, while her sister Marianne the sense. Through the quite different reaction of two sisters to love, Austen expresses her point of view on love. In the meanwhile, her vivid and exquisite description of characters epitomizes the society of the 19th century.Key word: character analyses of main char

4、acters, the attitude toward love, girls value.Title1. Brief Introduction of Jane AustenAusten is the most perfect artist among women. -Virginia Woolf, British novelist and feministJane Austen was born in Steventon, Hampshire, where her father, Rev. George Austen, was a rector. She was the second dau

5、ghter and seventh child in a family of eight. Jane Austen was mostly educated at home and irregularly at school, in spite of which she still was a knowledgeble and cutivated woman at that time, because of her father s large stock of books and the influence of her parents eagerness for reading1 Throu

6、gh all her life time, Jane Austen lived in a quiet and peaceful life in the country which laid the foundation of novels whithout adventures and horrors and mystery but with romance between gentlemen and ladies. The inspiration of her novels derived from her careful observation of family life and soc

7、ial occasions involving gossipis. She wrote six novels altogether including Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) , Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasio(1817). Among them, Pride and Prejudice was the outstanding and most widely enjoyed one, though this maste

8、rpiece didnt get instant success in publishers as well as her other works. Jane Austen was one of the greatest novelist in the 19th century on whose works readers read and research on and admired of. 2. PlotMr.Dashwood died and his son Mr.John dashwood inherited all his property including the house

9、in Norland. His wife and three daughtersElinor, Marianne and Margaret were evicted from the house and only annually got five hundred pounds due to Mr.John dashwood and his selfish and greedy wife Fanny. They had but to move to a cottage in Barton at the invitation of Sir Middleton who was Mrs.dashwo

10、od cousin. In Barton, Elinor and Marianne, the sisters of different charasters began their romances. Marianne lost her heart to Willoughby, a handsome genteel man but proved irresponsible and inconstant, taking no notice of Colonel Brandon who was though 35, credibble and deeply and constantly fond

11、of Marianne. Elinor still continued her favor towards Edwad who was a sentimental and reserved gentlemen. Unfortunately, the two young ladies encountered some unexpected and heartbraking matters. Marianne when accompanying Mrs.Jennings in London suffered the unloyalty of Willoughby who got married w

12、ith another rich young lady without thorough explanation to her. Elinor was informed by Lucy, a culculating ignorant girl of Edwards engagement with her. They both sank into deep distress though Marianne expressed directly while Elinor repressed her emotions, standing all the sadness and helped her

13、sister recover. In the end of the story, the two young ladies both got married happily with their beloved ones. 3. Character AnalysisIn order to make a better analysis of the typical two sisters, I have first to briefly analyse other main characters who helped the development of the story and foiled

14、 the young ladies in the novel. Edward: a welleducated man with kindness and good appearance but rather sentimental, irresolute and independent on his mother. He didnt realize his affection towards Elinor until the very end, thus leaving her suspensive and distressed. His former imprudent and immatu

15、re engagement with his best childhood companion Lucy which was the result of idleness, a silent rebellion against his mother and simpleminded emthusiasm towars Lucy deprived him of his mothers favor and inheritance and almost of Elinors affection. At first, he was weak, but later he was bravely agai

16、nst his mother for the engagement which he still stuck to and determined to accept Colonel Brandons offering to be a curate. In the story, he can be said to experience a change from being sentimental, hesitant and weak to being desicive brave and independent, thus winning back Elinors heart. In fact

17、, I think some young men in modern society bear some resemblance to early Edwards dependence. They were born under the influence of the family planning, plus the reason of their sex and they are spoiled and live quite independently. What is worse, they lack masculinity， confidence and courage. Once

18、faced with difficulties, they feel they lose face and cant want live on instead of positively seeking solutions to get over by themselves. Hope they can learn something from later Edward.Willoughby: he was the representative of the young men of noble birth at that time in Britain. Though having rece

19、ived good education, he was prodigal, sociable and inconstant and irresponsible. He seduced Eliza, making her prognant and escaped. He clearly knew Mariannes affection and let go his own unchecked affections and even defamed Colonel Brandon, though he knew he wouldnt marry her. At last, he betrayed

20、Marianne and married Miss Gray for her fortune because he was debtridden and couldnt bear poverty. The confession he commited to Elinor that he really loved Marianne when he hurriedly arrived at Barton to see sick Marianne was full of insincerity though he himself asserted to be true.Colonel Brandon

21、: he was a tough man. Much as he was reserved and silent, he was kindhearted, welleducated and genteel. However, he once had troubles that was left as a result of his immaturity and sincere affections towards a young lady when he was young. His kindness was reflected by his care to the girl Eliza wh

22、o was the daughter was his former beloved one and who was seduced by Willoughby to be pregnant. Apart from that, his merits of constancy was exemplified by his abiding affections to Marianne who at first ignored and hurt him. Mrs.Jennings: she was a kindhearted old lady of emthusiasm and curiosity.

23、One of the defects in her character was her preference for gossip. This at firs made me feel sick, but later her honesty, sincerity, love and maternal love towards the two sisters rebuilt her image in my heart. When she knew Willoughbys cruelty to Marianne made her beside herself with grief, she acc

24、ompanied her, consoling her and resolved to cut off all the social relations with him though at that time Marianne still detested her. Moreover, she took every care of Marianne and was really worried about her health when she was seriously ill. Conclusion can be drawn that though she belonged to upp

25、er class, she was genuine and kind in contrast agaist Mrs. Ferrars who was hauty, selfish, cold and snobbish.Fanny and Mrs.Middleton: they bore much resemblance for they were both cold, indifferent, greedy though graceful.Lucy Steeles: she was Edwards childwood playmate and his best friend. She was

26、ignorant country girl and an anxious social climber, clever, manipulative and cunning. Lucy flattered Lady Middleton and Mrs.Ferrars for being melted into the upper class. She asserted deep attachment to Edward who she didnt love but was used as a step stone for climbing into upper class. This can b

27、e shown by her later marriage with Edwards brother Robert for Edward was disinherited as a result of his protection for his promise to her. She was rather calculating when she told Elinor her engagement with Edward for the suprior claim for him and a warning for Elinor. What was worse, she still mis

28、led Elinor to believing her marriage with Edward and wanted maliciously obstructed the affection between the two when she was in fact married to Edwards brother Robert. John Dashwood: he was the son of Mr. Dashwood with his former wife. He was greedy, doing everything just for money. “He never wishe

29、d to offend anybody, especially anybody of good fortune.” When he was acquianted with Colonel Brandon, he suggested engagement between Elinor and Brandon, for Brandon had two thousand pounds every year regardless of affections. Out of money, he followed his selfish wifes advice and broke his promise

30、 made to his father and gave nothing to his stepmother and sisters.Now I should focus on two main charactersElinor and Marianne to express my own feelings.It admits of no doubt that Elinor is the incarnation of sensibility and the ideal woman in Austens heart. Her reasonableness can be seen from thr

31、ee aspects. First, from romantic love, she was rational sometimes repressed. When her mother and two sisters were assured of her engagement with Edward in the near future, she was not thrown into blind rapture. Francis Bacon once said that it is impossible to love and to be wise. However, Elinor to

32、whom Austen showed particular partiality seemed the beast example to repute it. She didnt blindly think her engagement with Edward was without obstacles though at the very beginning she didnt know Edward secret engagement, for her knowledge of Edwards indepemndence on his mother, his reserve and tentativeness provided worry for her. She said to Marianne: “In my heart, I feel littlescarcely any doubt of his preference. But there are other points to be considered besides his inclination. He is very far from being independent.” Later in Edward fir