Mothers in Jane Austens Sense and Sensibility Essay

Mothers in Jane Austens Sense and Sensibility I can no more forget it, than a mother can forget her suckling child. Jane Austen wrote these words about her novel, Sense and Sensibility, in a letter to her sister Cassandra in 1811. Such a maternal feeling in Austen is interesting to note, particularly because any reader of hers is well aware of a lack of mothers in her novels. Frequently we encounter heroines and other major characters whom, if not motherless, have mothers who are deficient in maturity, showing affection, and/or common sense. Specifically, I would like to look at Sense and Sensibility, which, according to Ros Ballasters introduction to the novel, is full of, indeed over-crowded with, mothers (vii). By†¦show more content†¦Like Marianne, Mrs. Dashwood is romantic and whimsical, more prone to act on feelings than reason. Also similar to her youngest daughter, she often misjudges both the characters and situations of individuals. When Elinor tells Marianne of the difficulties Mrs. Ferrars presents in marryi ng Edward, Marianne was astonished to find how much the imagination of her mother and herself had outstripped the truth (18). Furthermore, Mrs. Dashwoods reaction to Willoughby is just as naà ¯ve as Mariannes. In Mrs. Dashwoods opinion, he was as faultless as in Mariannes (43). It is only Elinor, acting with the maternal caution her mother does not possess, who has reservations about Mariannes suitor. Thus, Mrs. Dashwood clearly fails as an authority figure for her children. She does not discourage them from acting recklessly (such as Mariannes trip to Miss Smiths home with Willoughby without a chaperone), nor does she provide the sort of structure or discipline that would prevent such situations from arising in the first place. She does, however, possess the nurturing and affectionate disposition that allows us to see her as, if not always a good mother, at least a loving and well-intentioned one. When Marianne becomes ill, it is only her mothers presence that can put her at ease: Mariannes ideas were still, at intervals, fixed incoherently on her mother (264). Mrs. Jennings, like Mrs. Dashwood, is a good-natured and kind woman,Show MoreRelatedSense And Sensibility By Jane Austen1123 Words   |  5 PagesSense and Sensibility was written by Jane Austen in 1811, the novel describes the life of three young sisters after the death of their father. The sisters; Elinor, Margaret, and Marianne Dashwood each are forced to leave their homes with their mother, Mrs. Dashwood, when their father passes and their home is inherited by Mr. Dashwood’s son, from his first marriage, John Dashwood. The young women and their mother vacate the home filled with the atrocious presence of Mr. Dashwood’s first wife, FannyRead MoreSense and Sensibility by Jane Austen1151 Words   |  5 Pagescan really love† (Austen 11). 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