ABSTRACT
Sense and Sensibility is the first published novel of Jane Austen, who is one of the most well-known female writers in England in the 18th century. This novel shows its significance in the early modern novels in English literature and also marks a milestone in Austen’s novel creation. This novel employs humorous contrast of “sense and sensibility” to describe the complicated plot of Dashwood sisters’ love and marriage. From this novel the author expresses her unique views on love, marriage and others. As sisters, Elinor and Marianne must have some similarities in personality. On the other hand, since they are two totally different individuals, Elinor and Marianne have some distinctive characteristics. The internal and external causes play an important role in the forming of Elinor’s and Marianne’s characters. This article makes comparative study of Dashwood sisters’ characters, analyzing the internal and external factors in their characters. The main purpose of my dissertation is to help the readers to have a more profound understanding of Dashwood sisters’ characters and author’s point of view embodied in this novel.
Keywords：Dashwood sisters; characters; similarities; differences; causes
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. Similarities between Elinor and Marianne 3
2.1 The traditional femininities: virtuous and gentel dispositions 3
2.2 The modern femininities: independent and rebellious dispositions 4
3. Differences between Elinor and Marianne 7
3.1 Ration vs. Emotion 7
3.2 Prudence vs. Impetuousness 9
3.3 Tenaciousness vs. Vulnerablity 10
4. The causes of Elinor’s and Marianne’s characters 12
4.1 The internal factors 12
4.2 The external factors 13
4.3 The author's own view 14
5. Conclusion 14
Acknowledgements 18
References 19
