Passion for reading

I consider this Jane Austen´s novel as one of the best Classic Literature book that I have ever read. It captivates you since the beginning and in spite I have not finished to read it yet, I would like to continue doing my analysis after the ending of my Advanced English Course. Also, reading a British Book always represents an improvement of my English Level and I will have the opportunity of learning new words.

Jane Austen´s novels are a challenge of every reader, and especially for the ones that believe in love stories. Finally I am considering the reading of another books of this author, for example Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and Emma. I hope you have enjoyed this blog, so that you could get any inspiration to discover the passion for reading. Thank you, very much. 

A big Secret

I really enjoyed the passages that I have read on this Jane Austen´s Book. For someone who also likes the love stories and dramas; this is a good option to read. So far Mr. Willoughby unknown whereabouts still continues causing so much pain to Marianne Dashwood. A feeling totally understandable because she does not have any idea or news about that dear person.

In order to give the Sisters Dashwood more enjoyable moments, Mrs.  Jennings organizes a trip to London, in which she invites her cousin Lucy Steel to join them. During the road trip, Lucy Steel becomes very close to Elinor Dashwood and trust her some personal secrets. One of these secrets turns to one of the worst pains for the eldest Dashwood sister. This consists of a secret engagement between Lucy and Edward Ferrars, the only man she love, which occurred during their permanence at college years ago.  

After knowing this disappointing secret, Elinor really hopes not to see Mr. Ferrars again, but she still do not know all the surprises that London will give her. 

An unexpected departure

During the next few weeks, John Willoughby became a very close friend of the family, and for Marianne was more than a simple friend, they were in love. For her, Willoughby was a respectful man, with an elegant figure, handsome for most of the female eyes of the village and a privileged economic situation. They had spent a lot of free time commenting a large diversity of Classic literature books, reading Shakespeare poems, going to a field for picnic or just attending together to Sir John Middleton´s social meetings at Barton Park. We could infer that this relationship was in such a formal way that they will end being husband and wife before the end of the year.

Nevertheless, one day he left Allanhan County on an unexpected way, arguing that he had urgent matters to attend in London, leaving a desperate and confused Marianne alone for a while.  As we can imagine, the time passed by and no one in town had news for John Willoughby. The reasons for his fast departure was still unknown. 

Dashwood Sister´s Love Affairs

It is important to mention that before the ladies departure from Norland, Edward Ferrars had promised to visit them to their new cottage. Although I believe that the promise was possibly directed more intensively to Elinor than to the other ladies. I consider that by the time of the house moving they had already felt more love to each other than the one they could ever imagine; the principal problem was the fact that neither of those two people was capable to express it. But the time at Barton Cottage has passed, and Elinor´s heart was still waiting secretly for Edwards visit.

On the other hand, Marianne have known a new guy, his name was John Willoughby of Allenhal County. Both met each other accidentally on a rainy day when Marianne Dashwood hurt his foot during a walk through nearby fields and he went to help her. The love chemistry between Willoughby and Dashwood arose instantly. 

The Coronel Brandon

On chapter 7th, we can spend a good time by reading all the funny and sometimes vulgar comments coming from Mrs. Jennings sense of humor. Due to her big experience in love dates and all kinds of stuff related with love themes. In fact we can notice, that three centuries later, in our years those sarcastic and awkward phrases still exist. The Dashwoods are extremely well welcomed to Barton Park by their hosts.

In this evening, a very close friend of Sir John Middleton also comes to dinner; he is the Coronel Brandon, a very silent and serious man, but his physical appearance is not that bad at all. He looks like 35 years old, with such good manners that all gentlemen could possess and maybe with his bachelorhood as his most valuable attribute.

Since the first moment, Mrs. Jennings suggests the idea of a soon marriage between the most famous single man of the County (Coronel Brandon) and one of the Dashwood sisters. 

From Norland to Barton Park

In the following two chapters, we can imagine how the sisters Dashwood have done the house moving, because once Mr. Dashwood had died all the properties are now part of Fanny’s and John´s Dashwood heritage so the three ladies are obligated to move on and they must leave their previous house immediately.

Besides we can visualize in our minds, how they were installed in their new home, a smaller one than Norland´s, I mean at the Barton Cottage. Thus, new characters are integrated to the plot of Sense and Sensibility. Firstly we have the lord of the House, Sir John Middleton, a 40 year old man whose personality is so amiable, and I could say enchanting and a gentleman in all sense of words. We can also find Lady Middleton, and Mr. Jennings (Sir John´s Middleton mother in law), a very funny lady who is the typical gossiping neighbor we all familiarized with. Both are so kind that once the Dashwoods are installed, they extend them an invitation for visiting Barton Park to dinner.

Is in this dinner where Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne and little Margaret could meet another character that could change their lives for good. 

Sir John Middleton Offer

On chapter IV of this book, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood express their contrasting points of view about Edward Ferrars.  For the eldest Sister, Edward Ferrars was close to be her ideal man, good-looking and with well-informed mind. Despite his disability of drawing or playing some musical instrument, he had great pleasure in seeing, appreciating and evaluating performances of other people, so that he was “by no means” deficient in natural taste, he only had not the opportunities of learning to make some kind of art. Otherwise for Marianne, Edward´s character was only amiable and worthy indeed but with completely lack of taste and opinion in a lot of things. We could assume the compatibility of characters between Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood, both have similar tastes, and they do not show their feelings openly because of the external pressures and the economic and social situation of sisters Dashwood.

At the end of the chapter, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters received an offer of a small house to live, a cottage at Barton Park, owned by a gentleman named Sir John Middleton. This is one of the places where the story will be developed from now on. 

Meeting Edward Ferrars

During the 2^nd and 3^rd Chapter of Sense and Sensibility, we can meet a new character. He is Edward Ferrars, the eldest brother of Mrs. John Dashwood. He stayed several weeks in the house of Norland Park, maintaining a friendly relationship with either the Dashwood sisters or Mrs. Dashwood. Hence we can notice that little by little more than a simple esteem is arising beneath Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood, and is precisely Mrs. Dashwood who realizes this tentative love firstly. It is important to mention that even though the lovely couple do barely demonstrate their afflections, Mrs. Dashwood, considered their serious attachment as a certain fact, and looked forward for a soon marriage.

Although, I can comment how wrong was Mrs. Dashwood to think and wait for a convenient marriage soon. Like many other good prospects in that time, Edward Ferrars was born in a family who only expected and wished his interest in political concerns like get into Parliament and be connected with some of the richest men of the time, and an arranged marriage, which could guarantee his economic stability. Therefore a marriage with Elinor Dashwood could be intolerable and non-approved by their relatives. 

Some of the hardest words to understand during my Sense and Sensibility Reading:

Because the Sense and Sensibility novel is written in an Ancient British English, some words could represent a big deal by the time we are reading it, so I consider that is important to find those definitions in a Dictionary in order to get a better understanding,  for instance:

To remain: To continue in the same place, state or position.

Beyond: After or later than

                -Farther along or away

Impoverishing: To reduce, to poverty.

To neglect: To pay little or no attention to.

Indeed: Without a doubt

                -Certainly

Afterwards: After an earlier event or time

                      -Subsequently

Claims: A demand for something as rightful of due

Acquaintance:  Knowledge of a person acquired by a relationship less intimate than friendship. 

Trifling: Frivolous or idle.

Grandeur: The quality or condition of being grand; magnificence

Unanimous: Sharing the same opinions of views.

All the previous definitions were retrieved from http://www.thefreedictionary.com

Brief Description of Dashwood´s Sisters Personality Part II

Marianne:  She is the second one of Dashwood sisters, whose personality is well characterized by Kate Winslet on Sense and Sensibility´s Movie. By reading the book we can notice she is a very young and inexpert woman with a still childish and immature personality. Her day to day living way is both spontaneous and with none moderation. Because of that, she is involved in so many love affairs with the idealistic Mr. Willoughby and the amiable Coronel Brandon. 


Margaret: She is the youngest member of the Dashwood family. Her greatest concerns about life are the reading of Geographical Atlases and expeditions to Africa. Her personality is very funny, like any girl of the age of thirteen. Besides all the bad experiences, she always has a joke to bring joy to the moment. 

Brief Description of Dashwood´s Sisters Personality

Elinor: She is the eldest of three daughters. I consider that she has a very reasonable point of view and a severe judgement about life. She evaluates things twice before the developing of any action.In my opinion she has perfectly defined of what is right and what is wrong and she doesn´t give preference to her feelings than to her rationality. Her feelings are some of the deepest in the novel. She is the only one who thinks about the practical and really important stuff for example where they are going to live or how many pounds they will receive per year, etc.

Finally, I could suggest that she can be attributed by any adjective except being an imprudent person.

Summary of 1st Chapter

Like in many other books, the first chapter states the principal problem of “Sense and Sensibility”. It mentions that the inheritor of Norland State, Mr. Henry Dashwood, father of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, died by natural causes. So that, he left her two daughters and wife completely  unprotected and vulnerable in economic issues. I consider that an important fact to highlight is that in early years of nineteenth century, women were incapable to possess either own money or properties by themselves. 

Relevant Cuotes of Sense and Sensibility

“Sense will always have attractions for me” .  By Elinor Dashwood.

“There´s something so amiable in the prejudices of a young mind, that one is sorry to see them give away to the reception of more general opinions”.  By Coronel Brandon.

“She was stronger alone, and her own good sense so well supported, that her firmness was as unshaken, her appearance of cheerfulness as invariable, as, with regrets so poignant and so fresh, it was possible for them to be”.  Little description of Elinor´s Dashwood Character.

Why have I chosen Sense and Sensibility?

I´ve chosen this Jane Austen´s book because is my opportunity to read the first published novel of her whole work. I find very interesting how the author develops this nineteenth-century story. Another reason that justifies my choice could be the plot. It relates the life and personality of two sisters, emphasizing their points of views about love, family, marriage, and moral values. Finally, I think that I could learn new vocabulary and improve my knowledge about Classic Literature.

Novel

200-500
Explaining ideas
Record VOCABULARY
Opinion

Characters
Place/setting
Story/Plot
Themes


Genres:
Fantasy
Mistery
Historical
Romance
Thriller

Old Novels + translation
Funny novels- slang