I saw Sense and Sensibility for the first time in theaters this past Sunday, and the only thing I knew coming into it was that the original story was by Jane Austen. I had seen the 2005 Pride and Prejudice and while it was good, I wasn’t in love with it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had no idea I would like it as much as I did.
The opening shots of the lush English landscape to the swells of soft, poignant strings had me hooked immediately. The film’s cinematography was beautiful, and the score was perfect (I’ve been listening to the soundtrack while studying all week). There were some comedic moments throughout which was a nice touch to the overall serious, moody atmosphere of the movie. I could viscerally feel the tension, yearning, and heartbreak that the characters experienced.
The emotional journey I experienced while watching this was everything, and it made me curious about the original story. Sense and Sensibility follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Spoilers ahead!
Are You Sense?
Elinor is the oldest Dashwood sister. She is quiet, reserved, and logical. She represents sense and acts as the emotional anchor for her mother and two other sisters following their father’s death and loss of the family estate. While she keeps it cool, calm, and collected on the outside, she has a deep, affectionate heart and feels things deeply. She intentionally chooses to not express them.
Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, but the two are quickly separated as the Dashwoods move to their new estate. During this time, Elinor waits and yearns for his letters. When she finds out Edward is engaged to Lucy Steele, she is heartbroken. However, she suffers silently and does not try to break the engagement.
She does not confide in Marianne, whom she is extremely close to. She emotionally isolates herself, trying to process her heartbreak and grief. The consequence of Elinor’s “sense” was not being with her true love. Elinor was going to let Edward marry Lucy, and she had accepted the fact she would’ve had to marry someone else, too. While this was the logical decision, she would’ve been deeply unhappy.
Are You Sensibility?
Marianne is Elinor’s younger sister who is wildly passionate and expressive. She wears her heart on her sleeve and represents sensibility. She enters an intense romantic relationship with John Willoughby, and everyone thought they were to be engaged. However, he leaves for London, leaving her behind.
The Dashwood sisters decide to visit London as both Willoughby and Edward are there. In London, Marianne realizes Willoughby abandoned her for a wealthy heiress. She essentially crashes out in public and is escorted away by Elinor.
“I will not apologize for my sincerity!” she yelled in the movie.
This line struck a chord with me; even though Marianne was humiliated and heartbroken, she stayed true to herself and refused to apologize for her emotions. However, she enters a deep depression and allows her emotions to fully consume her. She fails to take care of herself and develops a life-threatening fever.
Austen’s characterization of Marianne shows us the dangers of too much sensibility. While unapologetically expressing your emotions is good, you must have some self-control or “sense” in order to avoid self-destruction.
Seeing both sisters struggle on their romantic journeys teaches us the importance of having a balance between sense and sensibility. We can’t just rely on logic, but we also can’t let our emotions control us.
I not only highly recommend you to watch Sense and Sensibility (if you haven’t seen it yet), but to make sure that you are not on one extreme end of sense and sensibility.