Sense and Sensibility

Style and Technique

Jane Austen's «Sense and Sensibility» is written in a style characteristic of late 18th to early 19th-century English literature. Austen employs a clear and elegant language, avoiding excessive embellishments and complex constructions. The narrative centers on the contrast between the two main heroines, the Dashwood sisters, which is reflected in the novel's very title. Elinor embodies sense and restraint, while Marianne represents emotion and impulsiveness. Austen masterfully uses irony and satire to critique social norms and expectations, particularly regarding marriage and the status of women. Dialogues in the novel play a key role in revealing characters and their internal conflicts. The structure of the novel is linear, with a gradual development of the plot, where each scene serves to deepen the theme of the contrast between sense and sensibility. Literary devices such as contrast, irony, and symbolism help the author explore the moral and social dilemmas of the era. Austen also uses epistolary elements (letters) to add depth and realism to the narrative.