Honors Blog Sense and Sensibility Symbolism

Choice #3) In a well developed, thoughtful piece of writing that uses direct quotes, explain the use of symbols to develop a theme in your novel.

Sense and Sensibility is a book about love and life and the sisterhood between Elinor and Marianne. Elinor and Marianne are the two main characters in the book. The symbolize the title of the book. Elinor is “sense.” She always telling the others in her life what is best and what would make sense in the situation. She is logical. Marianne is “sensibility” she falls for men easily but has high standards. Marianne is also artistic and represents love and romanticism.

Money is the other big symbol in Sense and Sensibility. Elinor, Marianne and their mother move into a small cottage away from the mansion they had been living in, moving away from the money in their life. They find though that money and companionship seems to follow them. Marianne literally falls into the arms of Willoughby. Their loves grows quickly and he offers them a horse named Queen Mab. Willoughby is rich and a horse is a large sign of money and well being. He so easily offers it to Marianne as a token of his affections that it makes her feel well off too. Only when she brings the news home to her mother does she realize her family does not have the income to take care of a horse and it becomes nothing more than a dream like what money is to her family.