Sense and Sensibility

Septiyani Wafda                                109014000077                                                VB

Book response form

Book title        : Sense and Sensibility

Author             : Jane Austen

Publisher         : Wordsworth

Date published: 1921                                                              number of pages          : 255

Genre              : Romance

I decided to read novel because my friend suggest me to read this novel. So, when I read the synopsis of this novel, it told about to sisters, Marianne and Elinor, who has different characteristics, each other. I was so curious about the story and I think of course so many conflicts that appear in this novel between those two sisters. And I continue read this novel.

            The main characters of this novel are Elinor Dashwood (19 years old girl and the eldest daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Henry Dashwood. She always take care about her family and her friends more than herself) and Marianne Dashwood (16 years old girl and the second daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Henry Dashwood. She is a selfish girl and always wanted to be better than her elder sister, Elinor). In this novel also there are some characters, like Mr. And Mrs. Henry Dashwood (Elinor and Marianne parent), Margaret (the third daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Henry Dashwood), Edward Ferrars (a man who love Elinor), John Willoughby (a man who love Marianne and Marianne also love him), Colonel Christopher Brandon (35 years old man who has been fall in love with Marianne at the first sight), John Dashwood (Mr. Henry son from his first wife) and Fanny Dashwood (a wife of John Dashwood).

            The most interesting part of the story for me is the end of this story. In the end of this story, Elinor get married with Edward and Marianne also get married with Colonel Brandon after being betrayed by her lovely man John Willoughby and they live happily ever after.

            The very confuse part when I read this novel is when Elinor exactly accepted to marry with Edward when  he asked her, although she knows that actually Edward asked her to marry him because he has been jilted by Lucy. If I were in her position, I would search for the truth that actually he loves me or not because I did not want only to be his releasing.

            The part of the story that I dislike most is when John Willoughby decided to leave Marianne and get married with other woman. John in his drunkenly told Elianor that his love for Marianne was genuine, but he felt that he must marry for money rather than love. I think John’s attitude is not gentleman, because as a man he has to search for money by himself. And I think although after his marriage he become a rich man, he wouldn’t be happy.

            Actually I don’t have some personal experience that related to this story. But I think the story is really good because it teach us to be more careful to choose for our life-partner. Such as when Marianne love John Willoughby, she loves him only because he helped her when she gets caught in rain and slips her ankle but she never know about his character. Finally when John leave her and decided to get marry with the other woman she felt regret because she ever fell in love with him.

            I like the end of this story. Because finally Elinor found her soul mate and also Marianne found her true love after they feel sufferings for a long time and they lived happily. And Marianne’s selfish at least disappear because Elinor’s care for her.

            The larger issues that raised by the story is about the love story of Elinor and Marianne. The novel told about their sadness and their happiness after their father died. And this novel also told about the relationship between them.

            My experience while I read this novel is nothing special. I don’ feel sleepy when I read it because the novel was very interesting and I like it.