Literary+Devices+for+Sense+and+Sensibility

([]) Austen uses characterization in her book __Sense and Sensibility__ to portray the characters’ personalities such as exemplified in this quote, “Mrs. Jennings, Lady Middleton’s mother, was a good-humoured, merry ,fat, elderly woman, who talked a great deal, seemed very happy, and rather vulgar” (//Sense and Sensibility// 29).
 * 1. Characterization**: //** noun **//
 * 1) portrayal; description: the actor's characterization of a politician.
 * 2) the act of [|characterizing].
 * 3) the creation and convincing representation of fictitious [|characters].

Along with describing the characters’ personalities, Austen uses this device to describe the relationships between her characters. “His manly beauty and more than common gracefulness were instantly the theme of general admiration; and the laugh which his gallantry raised against Marianne received particular spirit from his exterior attractions” (//Sense and Sensibility// 36). This quote explains to the reader the ways in which Marianne is attracted to WIlloughby.

This device is also used as a way of simply telling the reader about a character as seen in this quote, “Willoughby was a young man of good abilities, quick imagination, lively spirits, and open, affectionate manners” (//Sense and Sensibility// 41). This statement tells the reader some quick values that lie within Willoughby’s character.

([]) Willoughby and Marianne team up against Elinor, telling her that Colonel Brandon is not a suitable husband for a girl as young as Marianne. Elinor sticks up for him saying that he is a respectable man. She calls the two of them out on their ignorance by saying, “If their praise is censure, your censure may be praise, for they are not more undiscerning, than you are prejudiced and unjust” (//Sense and Sensibility// 43).
 * 2. Conflict:** //**noun** //
 * 1) a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle; strife.
 * 2) controversy; quarrel: //conflicts between parties.//
 * 3) discord of action, feeling, or effect; antagonism or opposition, as of interests or principles: //a conflict of ideas.//
 * 4) a striking together; collision.
 * 5) incompatibility or interference, as of one idea, desire, event, or activity with another: //a conflict in the schedule.//

“If they were one day to be your own, Marianne, you would not be justified in what you have done” (//Sense and Sensibility// 58). This quote supports Elinor’s argument with Marianne that she should not have gone into Mrs. Smith’s home while she was not there. Elinor is upset, because even though the estate may someday belong to Marianne through her marriage to Willoughby, she did not have the right to enter it without Mrs. Smith being there. Marianne, of course, tries to defend herself by saying that it may be hers someday and that gives her the right to be there.

In chapter XIII Colonel Brandon receives a mysterious letter that calls him to town. Everyone wants to know what the letter was about and why his leave must be so urgent, but he will not tell. Everyone begins to create ideas of what the letter was about and make assumptions on if it was real or if it was written by himself to create a situation that would cause him to have to leave the area. This situation creates a conflict between the inhabitants of the Barton cottage.

([]) “When he was present she had no eyes for any one else. Every thing he did was right. Every thing he said was clever” (//Sense and Sensibility// 45). This quote describes the all-consuming power that Wiloughby had on Marianne’s attention. He literally took her breath away and when they were together she could see no one else but him.
 * 3. Atmosphere/Mood:** **//noun //**
 * 1) a state or quality of feeling at a particular time: //What's the boss' mood today?//
 * 2) a distinctive emotional quality or character: //The mood of the music was almost funereal.//
 * 3) a prevailing emotional tone or general attitude: //the country's mood.//
 * 4) a frame of mind disposed or receptive, as to some activity or thing: //I'm not in the mood to see a movie.//
 * 5) a state of sullenness, gloom, or bad temper.

“Marianne felt for her most sincerely; but she did more harm than good to the cause, by turning very red, and saying in an angry manner to Margaret, -- “Remember that whatever your conjectures may be, you have no right to repeat them.”” (//Sense and Sensibility// 51). The situation this quote is describing is the one in which Margaret reveals the sure possibility that Marianne has feelings for a young gentleman. This causes a terrible, embarrassing atmosphere for Marianne and she becomes very upset with Margaret.

When Lucy tells Elinor that she and Edward have been engaged for four years Elinor is caught quite off guard. She is not sure of what to say to Lucy and the conversation acquires a feeling of awkwardness from Elinor’s perspective.

([])
 * 4. Theme:** **//noun //**
 * 1) a subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic: //The need for world// [|//peace//] //was the theme of the meeting.//
 * 2) a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of [|art].
 * 3) a short, informal essay, especially a school composition.

One theme in the story is the relationship between money and inheritance. The widow, Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are left with nothing after the passing of her husband. “He was neither so unjust, nor so ungrateful, as to leave his estate from his nephew” (//Sense and Sensibility// 4). Due to the society of the times, the women could not work and were left without a home. The lack of financial means, also decides the marital fate of the two single daughters of the family. They need to marry a wealthy man in order to live soundly, but it would be hard to attract one without having their own small fortune.

A second theme is marriage. The two oldest daughters of Mrs. Dashwood are nothing less than eligible to be married. The oldest daughter, Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars. It seems that they will be married before long, but her acquaintance, Lucy lets her in on a secret. She has been engaged to Edward for a long time. “"Four years you have been engaged," said she, with a firm voice” (//Sense and Sensibility// 108). Love has also crossed Marianne’s path. She had caught the attention of Willoughby. Through their time spent together she had grown strong feelings for him, but in a letter to her he expresses that he had never loved her and did not mean to give her the intention that he did. She was absolutely crushed by this. She was sure that they were to be wed also.

A third theme is secrecy. There are a few trap doors in this novel that lead to emotional turmoil. One example is found in Willoughby’s sudden pulling away from Marianne and the Dashwoods. He hid that he did not love Marianne from her and the family until it was too late and Marianne had grown very much attracted to him. Another example is the secret engagement of Lucy and Edward. No one was supposed to know that they were engaged, but Lucy told Elinor and she was crushed, because she had fallen for him.

([]) The use of the word “propriety” is a careful choice by Austen, because it describes Mr. John Dashwood’s societal appearance, “but he was, in general, well respected; for he conducted himself with propriety in the discharge of his ordinary duties”(//Sense and Sensibilty// 5). His familial correlation shows an opposite behavior, because his wife takes away from his propriety. “But Mrs. John Dashwood was a strong caricature of himself; more narrow-minded and selfish” (//Sense and Sensibility// 5).
 * 5. Diction:****// noun //**
 * 1) style of speaking or writing as dependent upon choice of words: //good diction.//
 * 2) the accent, inflection, intonation, and speech-sound quality manifested by an individual speaker, usually judged in terms of prevailing standards of acceptability; enunciation.

The diction in the description of Elinor’s feelings towards the exposition of Lucy’s engagement to Edward is very strong. Austen’s choice of words gives the reader a vivid picture of how devastated Elinor is upon discovering this news. “She was mortified, shocked, confounded” (Sense and Sensibility 111).

Austen shows a drastic change in diction within the character of Willoughby. This occurs in his return letter to Marianne in which he expresses that he never did love her and hopes that she did not get the impression that he did. She is crushed and insulted by the letter. Willoughby’s diction towards her thus far has always been comforting and joyful; however this exchange shows a change to an insulting, unyielding diction.