Summary
This is the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood,
sisters who respectively represent the "sense" and
"sensibility" of the title. With their mother, their sister Margaret,
and their stepbrother John, they make up the Dashwood family.
Henry Dashwood, their father, has just died. Norland
Park, his estate, is inherited by John; to his chagrin, Henry has nothing but
ten thousand pounds to leave to his wife and daughters. On his deathbed, he
urges John to provide for them and John promises that he will do so. He is
already wealthy because he has a fortune from his mother and is also married to
the wealthy Fanny Ferrars.
Immediately after Henry's burial, the insensitive Mrs.
Dashwood moves into Norland Park and cleverly persuades John not to make any
provision for his stepmother and stepsisters. Mrs. Henry Dashwood, disliking
Fanny, wants to leave Norland Park at once, but Elinor prudently restrains her
until they can find a house within their means.
Edward Ferrars, Fanny's brother, comes to stay and is
attracted to Elinor. Mrs. Dashwood and Marianne expect an engagement, but
Elinor is not so sure; she knows that Mrs. Ferrars and Fanny will object to
Edward's interest in her. Fanny takes exception to Edward's fondness for Elinor
and is so rude that Mrs. Dashwood at once rents a cottage fortuitously offered
to her by her cousin, Sir John Middleton.
The Dashwoods move to Barton Cottage and are met by Sir
John, who does all in his power to make them comfortable. They soon meet his
elegant but insipid wife and their four children.
One day, when Marianne and Margaret are walking on the
downs, Marianne sprains her ankle. She is carried home by a stranger, John
Willoughby, who is staying at Allenham Court, a country estate which he will
inherit after the death of its elderly owner, Mrs. Smith. Marianne and
Willoughby fall in love and are inseparable. But after a short time, Willoughby
leaves unexpectedly for London without explaining or declaring himself.
Edward Ferrars soon pays a visit to Barton Cottage. But
he is distraught and gloomy, and Elinor is puzzled by his reserve.
Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs. Jennings, has been staying
at Barton Park. She teases Marianne about Colonel Brandon, a friend of Sir
Henry, who obviously admires Marianne. Though she likes the colonel, Mrs.
Jennings repeats some scandal about him; he is said to have an illegitimate
daughter, Miss Williams.
Lady Middleton's younger sister, Charlotte Palmer, and
her husband visit Barton Park. When they leave, Sir John invites the Misses
Steele, two young ladies whom he has met in Exeter and has found to be
connections of Mrs. Jennings.
Lucy confides to Elinor that she has been secretly
engaged to Edward Ferrars for four years. He was tutored by her uncle and became
well acquainted with Lucy and Anne at that time. Elinor is shocked but
concludes that Edward had a youthful infatuation for Lucy. Lucy persists in
asking for advice and begs Elinor to persuade her brother John to give Edward
the Barton living if he decides to take orders.
Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to stay with
her in London. Marianne is eager to go because she hopes to see Willoughby
there. He has not been back to visit them, nor has he written to Marianne.
In London, Marianne waits for a visit from Willoughby.
She writes him several times but receives no reply. One day he leaves his card
but never calls personally.
Finally, Elinor and Marianne see Willoughby at a dance
with a fashionable heiress, Miss Grey. He speaks curtly to Marianne, who is
distracted by his coldness. She writes him for an explanation, and he returns
her letters with a cruel note, denying that he had ever been especially
interested in her and announcing his engagement to Miss Grey.
Colonel Brandon, who is also in London, is distressed by
Willoughby's conduct to Marianne and tells Elinor his own story. As a young
man, he had loved his cousin Eliza, his father's ward. But to gain Eliza's
fortune, his father had married her to his eldest son, who had treated her
badly. Years later, the colonel discovered that Eliza had left her husband for
another man. She had sunk lower and lower, and was now penniless and on her
deathbed. The colonel did all he could for her and promised to bring up her
daughter, also named Eliza. Eliza, now grown, had been seduced by Willoughby,
who had deserted her. The colonel had fought a duel with Willoughby, but
neither had been injured.
John Dashwood and his wife come to London for the season.
He meets his sisters and is introduced to the Middletons, whom he finds very
congenial. Anne and Lucy Steele are invited to stay with the Middletons and
eventually pay a visit to the Dashwoods, John and Fanny. They are treated so
kindly that Anne feels it is safe to break the secret of Lucy's engagement to Edward.
Fanny Dashwood has hysterics and orders Lucy and Anne out
of her house. Edward's mother disinherits him because he will not break his
word to Lucy. He decides to take orders and offers to free Lucy from her
engagement, but Lucy will not give him up.
Charlotte Palmer's son is born, and she invites Elinor
and Marianne to accompany her mother on a visit to her country house,
Cleveland. Marianne falls ill there and seems near death. Colonel Brandon is
also staying at Cleveland and offers to fetch Mrs. Dashwood.
The Palmers leave their house, fearing infection for the
baby, and while Elinor awaits her mother's arrival, she is amazed by a visit
from Willoughby. He has heard of Marianne's illness and has come to get news of
her. He tells Elinor how bitterly he repents of his conduct and how wretched
his wife has made him; it was she who dictated the cruel note which he sent to
Marianne. Elinor is sorry for him.
Marianne recovers and the family returns to Barton
Cottage. Eventually, Elinor tells Marianne about Willoughby's repentant visit.
Marianne is now sorry that the family has suffered on her behalf.
One day, a servant tells them that Edward Ferrars is
married. Elinor tries to put him out of her mind; however, he arrives at Barton
Cottage and explains that Lucy did not marry him; instead, she eloped with his
brother, Robert.
Everything ends happily. Edward is reconciled to his
mother and marries Elinor. He takes orders and is given the living at Delaford,
Colonel Brandon's estate. Eventually Marianne agrees to marry the colonel, and
the two couples live happily, close in distance and in friendship.
D.N. Aloysius
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