From--Sensibility--to--Sense

FromSensibilitytoSense---AnalysisofMarianne’schangingviewofloveAbstract:JaneAustenisagreatfemalewriterinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.Herworkshaveaneffecttotheworld.“SenseandSensibility”isafamousoneamongthem.Thispapermainlyparesthetwosistersviewoflove:ElinorisrationalwhileMarianneisemotional.Withthedevelopmentofthestory,Marianne’sattitudeischangingfromsensibilitytosense.Underthecontemporarysocialcondition,thisrationalviewoflovehasitsparticularmeaning.Ideology,class,moneyaswellasotherpeople’shelpareimportantfactorsusedtoexplainherview.Atthesametime,thischangingviewhasitsinfluencetothepeopleandthesociety.Keywords:sensibility;sense;viewoflove;change.从情感到理智----解析玛丽安变化的爱情观摘要：简奥斯丁是英国文学史上一位著名的女作家，其著作对后世影响深远。理智与情感是其中较为著名的一篇。本文主要通过分析两姐妹玛丽安与埃丽诺对待爱情的态度：姐姐较为理智，而妹妹则较为情感。随着故事的发展，妹妹的态度发生变化，由情感转为理智。在当时的社会条件下，这种理性的爱情观有其特殊的历史内涵。思想意识，阶级，金钱以及他人的帮助，都有助于解释她的态度为何发生变化。同时，这种变化对人及社会都重要的影响。关键词：情感；理智；爱情观；变化1.0Introduction1.1TheintroductionofJaneAustenJaneAusten(1775-1817)isagreatfemalewriterinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.SheisamongthefirstEnglishwomentobreakthemalemonopolyofnovelwriting.Herbrilliantlywitty,elegantlystructuredsatiricalnovelsvividlydescribedthelifeofthemonpeopleinthecountryside.Hermainlyliteraryconcernisabouthumanbeingsintheirsocialrelationships.Hernovelsrevealinasubtledeterminedmanner,thebeautyofwomen(notonlyphysicalbeauty),andtheirlongingforfreedominthemarriagelife.Thereare6greatwoksinherlifesuchasSenseandSensibility(1811),PrideandPrejudice(1813),MansfieldPark(1814),Emma(1816),NorthangerAbbey(1818),Persuation(1818).JaneAustencanmatchwithShakespeareandDickensinthehistoryofliteraturebyherfamousnovels.H.W.Wollber,afamousEnglishscholar,hasagreatremark:“Inthisworld,itisaedytounderstandbyreason,whileatragedybyemotion”(EdwardCorpland,2001TheCambridgepaniontoJaneAusten).JaneAustenwritesmanyfamousediesbyherreason.JustasGeorgeHenryLewespointedthatthequintessenceofAusten’sartisseriousness.Austen’sediescanhelppeopletorealizetheirmistakesorshortings.Austen’snovelsaremainlyconcernedwithyoungwomen’ssocialgrowthandself-discovery.Nearlyallofthemexploreaconsistentthemethatmaturityisachievedthroughthelossoftheillusions.Faultsofcharacterdisplayedbythepeopleofhernovelsarecorrected,when,throughvarioustrialsandmisunderstandings,lessonsarelearned.1.2ThegeneralknowledgeofSenseandSensibility.Amongherworks,I’dliketoanalyzeSenseandSensibility.Thiswork,whichAustenwriteswithherusualirony,humourandprofoundsensitivity,turnsuponthetensionbetweendesireanddiscretioninawomen’ssocietyinEnglandinthe18thcentury.Giventhesocialandfinancialsystemwhichissosystematicallyheartlessinitstreatmentofwomen,andinwhichmarriagemustseemfirstofallimportantasasteptowardsmaterialprosperityoritsreverse,thequestionwhetherayoungwomanhassenseorsensibilityitselfbeestouchedwithirony.TheDashwoodfamilyholdscenterstageinthenovel.MrsDashwoodandherthreedaughters,forcedbytheavariciousdaughter-in-law,havetoleaveSussexandmovetoDever.ForthesensibledaughterElinor,themoveisapainfulseparationfromthemanheloves.However,hersisterMariannefindsinthenewplacetheromancewhichsheloves.Elinorisawomanofgoodsense,whileMarianneisthecreatureofsensibility.Whentheyfindthemantheylovehaveotherlovers,onecontrolsheremotion,andtheotherletsheremotioncontrolsheractions.2.0Thetwosisters’viewoflove.2.1Elinor’sattitudeoflove.Elinor,theoldersister,whoseadviceissoeffectual,possessesastrengthofunderstanding,andcoolnessofjudgement,whichqualifiedher,thoughonly19,tobethecounsellorofhermother,andenableherfrequentlytocounteract,totheadvantageofthethemall,thateagernessofmindinMrsDashwoodwhichmustgenerallyhaveleadtoimprudence.Shehasagentledispositionandastrongfeeling.Withthesoberjudgementandspecialview,sheknowshowtocontrolherfeelings.“Itwasaknowledgewhichhermotherhadyettolearn;andwhichoneofhersistershadresolvednevertobetaught”(JaneAusten,2001SenseandSensibility:5).Sheisgoodatdealingwiththehouseworkandrelationshipswithotherpeople.Whensheknowsthatherlover,Edward,isbetrothed,wecan’tfindthereisanythingwrongwithher.“Whensheisinjured,shecantryherbesttocontrolherfeelingsinordertolethermotherandhersisternotknowthetruth.Elinorhas‘anexcellentheart’,andstrongfeelingsaswellasprudence.Theopposingvaluesofromanceandpracticalrealismaredebatedaseachsistertakesissuewiththeconductandthe‘doctrine’oftheother.Elinorismorecircumspectmoreawareofhowtheselfinteractswithothers.Inherview,conventionsarenecessaryandevenuseful.PrudentElinorpainfullyhearsoutLucySteele’sstoryofEdwardFerrars’ssecretengagementtoherundercoverofthenoiseandmusicinLadyMiddleton’sdrawingroom.“Elinorforafewminutesremainedsilent.Herastonishmentatwhatherheardwasatfirsttoogreatforwords;butatlengthforcingherselftospeakcautiously,shesaidwiththecalmnessofmanner,whichtolerantlywellconcealedhersurpriseandsolicitude”(JaneAusten,2001SenseandSensibility:81).Thenheartbrokenbytherevelationofwhatsheconstrainsherselftothinkof,conventionally,asLucy’ssecret.Shesaysnothingaboutittohermotherandsisters,whohaveassumed,withher,thatEdward’smotheristheonlyimpedimenttohermarriage:“Itwasarelieftoher,tobes