理智与情感SenseandSensibility

　　SenseandSensibilitywasthefirstJaneAustenpublished.ThoughsheinitiallycalleditElinorandMarianne,Austenjettisonedboththetitleandtheepistolarymodeinwhichitwasoriginallywritten,butkepttheessentialtheme:thenecessityoffindingaworkablemiddlegroundbetweenpassionandreason.ThestoryrevolvesaroundtheDashwoodsisters,ElinorandMarianne.Whereastheformerisasensible,rationalcreature,heryoungersisteriswildlyromantic--acharacteristicthatoffersAustenplentyofscopeforbothsatireandcompassion.CommentingonEdwardFerrars,apotentialsuitorforElinor'shand,Marianneadmitsthatwhileshe"loveshimtenderly,"shefindshimdisappointingasapossibleloverforhersister.

　　Soonhowever,Mariannemeetsamanwhomeasuresuptoherideal:Mr.Willoughby,anewneighbor.SosweptawaybypassionisMariannethatherbehaviorbeginstoborderonthescandalous.ThenWilloughbyabandonsher;meanwhile,Elinor'sgrowingaffectionforEdwardsuffersacheckwhenheadmitsheissecretlyengagedtoachildhoodsweetheart.Howeachofthesistersreactstotheirromanticmisfortunes,andthelessonstheydrawbeforecomingfinallytotherequisitehappyendingformstheheartofthenovel.ThoughMarianne'sdisregardforsocialconventionsandwillingnesstoconsidertheworldwell-lostforlovemayappealtomodernreaders,itisElinorwhomAustenherselfmostevidentlyadmired;atrulyhappymarriage,sheshowsus,existsonlywheresenseandsensibilitymeetandmixinpropermeasure.