Summary
Sense and Sensibility starts out with the Dashowood family living in an Upper class life style in Norlad Park. When Mr. Henry Dshwood becomes ill he sends for his son, John. On the father's death bed, he tells his son that his last wishes are for John to take care of his stepsisters and step mother. Henry wanted his son to give an annuity of at least five hundred pounds a year for the four women. Although John Dashwood was somewhat of a selfish man, he decided that three-thousand pounds would be more appropriate for the family. When John goes home to his wife Fanny she finds out how much he is willing to give his stepfamily. Fanny becomes angry and makes up excuses about why she should get all the money. After a long while of debating the couple comes to the conclusion that fifty pounds every now and then would be a sufficient amount. After all "people live forever when an annuity is to be paid to them," something Fanny said to John. After the father dies, Fanny and John Dashwood move into Norland with Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters.
A few weeks after Fanny declares herself mistress of Norland Park her brother Edward Ferrars comes to visit. While he is there he and Elinor, the oldest daughter to Mrs. Dashwood, become very close and some of the family believes they will soon be married. Several months after Fanny and John have moved into Norland, Mrs. Dashwood receives a letter from her cousin, Sir John Middleton, saying they can come and live in Barton cottage; a small cottage on the Middleton’s property. After a tearful goodbye to their home in Norland, the family sets out for Barton. After settling down in Barton Mrs. Dashwood’s cousin, and landlord, Sir John and his wife Lady Middleton invite them to dinner at their house. While there the Dashwoods are introduced to Lady Middleton’s mother and Colonel Brandon. Colonel Brandon starts to fall in love with Marianne, the middle child of Mrs. Dashwood, and although she does not feel the same way he does not give up.
On a day that seems to be having good weather, Marianne and Margaret go for a long awaited walk. While on their walk it starts to pour down onto the two sisters. In a hurry to get to cover at their cottage, Marianne slips on the wet grass and twists her ankle. Luckily a young man comes to her rescue and carries her home. Once they get back Marianne finds out the gentleman’s name is Willoughby. Mr. Willoughby tells the women that he has to leave, but that he will call on them the next day. After a few weeks the family can tell the two are deeply in love; they have the same interests and do everything together; it is like they are in their own world. After a few weeks the mother comes to the conclusion that the two will probably soon be married; although the mother is happy about this Elinor has some concerns. Elinor fears that Mr. Willoughby sometimes lacks caution and good judgment, she also dislikes the way he is jealous of Colonel Brandon after he tells her that he dislikes him. A few weeks after Willoughby meets the family he offers the youngest daughter, Margaret, a horse. This gift makes Marianne happy that Willoughby is so generous; Elinor on the other hand believes it would be wrong to except a gift from a man she has only known for a few weeks.
One day Margaret sees Willoughby cut a strand of hair from Marianne and tells Elinor that this is a sure sign of their engagement. When the Dashwoods, Willoughby, Colonel Brandon, and the Middleton’s plan a picnic at Whitwell the family is excited to go.; but right as they are about to leave a man on a horse comes with a letter for Colonel Brandon. After receiving the letter Colonel Brandon tells the other members of the party that he has to set off immediately into town. Although he told nobody of the reasons for his departure he rushes away with out a word about it. One day when Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, and Margaret return home they find Marianne very upset and crying. When they ask Willoughby what happened he tells them that he has been sent to London and will not return for some time. When Willoughby is gone, Marianne goes into a depressed state and will not eat or talk to anyone and her family becomes very worried.
A few weeks after Willoughby’s departure, Edward Ferrars shows up at Barton. When he arrives Marianne notices a ring of hair on his finger and assumes it is her sister’s Elinor; although Elinor has no recollection of him taking this from her. After Edward leaves Elinor tries to spend her time not thinking about Edward because it hurts to know that he has not proposed yet. While at her drawing table, Elinor notices a large group of people coming toward the cottage. When they get to the house Elinor finds out that they are the Palmers and Mrs. Jennings and Lady Middleton. In an attempt to create friendships for the Dashwoods, Sir John Middleton invites Lucy and Anne Steele to Barton. While trying to become close to Elinor Lucy confides in her that she has secretly been engaged to Edward Ferrars for a little over four years. Elinor is very surprised and taken aback when she hears this news; she believed she and Edward were the ones to be getting married. Lucy also tells Elinor that the two of them are waiting till after Edward’s mother dies to get married; because Edward’s mother would disinherit him and they would have no money for their new life. Soon after this Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to her home in town. When they arrive Marianne is eager to see Mr. Willoughby. When Colonel Brandon shows up instead of Willoughby Marianne gets very frustrated and upset. Everyday after she sends a letter to Willoughby announcing their arrival in town; she waits for a returned letter that never comes. While at a party Marianne sees Willoughby but when she goes up to talk to him he does not look at her and acts like he is in a very deep conversation with the girls he is with. When Marianne asks if he received the letters she wrote him he says that he did but that he never found the time to see her. Marianne is so overcome with grief she has to leave the party early.
Marianne gets a letter from Willoughby in which he apologizes for his actions and any offenses made towards her. In this letter he also tells Marianne that he is engaged to another women enclosed in this letter are letters Marianne had written to Willoughby in the past. Marianne allows Elinor to read her letters to Willoughby and to Elinor’s dismay finds that they are all pleads for him to go back to Marianne. A few days later Colonel Brandon comes to see if the news about Willoughby is true. When he finds out it is, he tells Marianne about how he once was deeply in love with a girl named Eliza and how she was married to his brother against her will. After the couple was divorced Eliza was found dying of consumption by Colonel Brandon and she asked him to take care of her three year old daughter; because he loved her he said he would. A year earlier the girl disappeared and Colonel searched everywhere for her, unfortunately he could not find her. Colonel Brandon then goes on to tell Elinor that the letter that he got before there picnic to Whitwell was from Eliza’s daughter; explaining that she had bean seduced and then abandoned by Mr. Willoughby.
Later on John Dashwood comes to visit the Dashwood girls at Mrs. Jennings’s house. He tells Elinor that he would be especially happy if she were to marry Colonel Brandon, he also talks about how Mrs. Ferrars expects her son to marry a wealthy daughter of Miss. Morton. When Fanny comes to visit Mrs. Jennings she decides to host a dinner party. When Elinor finds out about this she begins to worry about seeing Edward and is relieved to find out he can not attend the party. At the party John Dashwood starts to show off screens his stepsister Elinor had painted. When Mrs. Ferrars insults the paintings Marianne is at her sister’s side to defend her artwork, although not trying this makes Colonel Brandon fall even more in love with Marianne. A few days after the party Lucy Steele comes to visit Elinor, while talking to one another a servant announces the arrival of Edward Ferrars. When Edward notices both his love and supposed to be love in the same room things get very awkward for Edward and Elinor. Not knowing what is going on Marianne comes and is very excited to see Edward; very soon after he arrives he and Lucy leave. Marianne is very confused as to why he left so suddenly; sworn to secrecy by Lucy, Elinor can only sit there not telling her sister what she knows of Edward and Lucy. Later on Fanny’s friend invites her and John to a party and also invites the Dashwood girls; this is where Lucy and Elinor are introduced to Edwards brother Robert Ferrars.
When word comes out about Edward and Lucy’s secret engagement Elinor feels the need to tell her sister she has known about this for some time. Marianne is disappointed that her sister had not told her before, she also can not believe it because she thought for sure that Edward was in love with Elinor; not Lucy. When Fanny hears about this engagement she is outraged, then Mrs. Ferrars says that if Edward will not break of the engagement she will disinherit him and give the money to his younger brother Robert. Edward, being the kind hearted man he is, tells his mother that he can not break of his engagement to Lucy, that it would not be fare to her. Elinor and Marianne decide to leave London and head back to Norland; before they leave Colonel Brandon tells Elinor that he has left his Rectory in Delaford to Edward as a way of supporting his life with Lucy. She later tells Edward when he shows up, it takes him a while to realize what is happening, because he is not a great friend of Colonel Brandon.
When Elinor and Marianne leave London they decide to spend some time with the Palmers. One of Marianne’s favorite pastimes while at the Palmer’s is going for walks; although it is a very wet and cold season. When Marianne catches a cold she gets a violent fever; without calling a doctor Marianne’s condition just gets worse and worse. One night Marianne is delirious and starts yelling for her mother; so Colonel Brandon decides he will go get her back at Norland and bring her to the Palmer’s. When Elinor expects her mother to show up to her surprise Willoughby is there to explain himself to her. Willoughby tells Elinor that he really did love Marianne and will always love her and have regrets for not marrying her. What he says makes Elinor almost feel bad for him because she sees that he has suffered a great deal, even though she still sees him as the villain. After a couple weeks of her horrible fever Marianne starts to feel much better. When Marianne and Elinor return back to their home in Norland, Marianne starts to recover and is able to go for walks with her sister.
One day one of the Dashwood’s servants tells the family that Mr. Ferrars has married Lucy Steele; the news of this event crushes Elinor and she can feel her heart break. Not long after this Edward shows up at the house, at first this is awkward for the women because they still believe he is married to Lucy. He then tells them that it was his brother Robert, that married Lucy not him. When Elinor hears this she is overwhelmed with joy and can not believe what she is hearing. Later that day Edward proposes to Elinor, and she says yes with tears of joy coming from her eyes. Edward later tells the girls that it was Lucy who called of their engagement; she told him that she had fallen in love with his brother and that they were to be married. Colonel Brandon arrives and offers his parsonage as a weading gift to the couple. Later on Elinor tries to get Colonel Brandon and Marianne together, Elinor’s plan worked and Colonel Brandon and Marianne were engaged soon after Edward and Elinor. After they are all married the two couples move in together in the parsonage in Delaford together. The two couples live happily ever after with the people they love.
A few weeks after Fanny declares herself mistress of Norland Park her brother Edward Ferrars comes to visit. While he is there he and Elinor, the oldest daughter to Mrs. Dashwood, become very close and some of the family believes they will soon be married. Several months after Fanny and John have moved into Norland, Mrs. Dashwood receives a letter from her cousin, Sir John Middleton, saying they can come and live in Barton cottage; a small cottage on the Middleton’s property. After a tearful goodbye to their home in Norland, the family sets out for Barton. After settling down in Barton Mrs. Dashwood’s cousin, and landlord, Sir John and his wife Lady Middleton invite them to dinner at their house. While there the Dashwoods are introduced to Lady Middleton’s mother and Colonel Brandon. Colonel Brandon starts to fall in love with Marianne, the middle child of Mrs. Dashwood, and although she does not feel the same way he does not give up.
On a day that seems to be having good weather, Marianne and Margaret go for a long awaited walk. While on their walk it starts to pour down onto the two sisters. In a hurry to get to cover at their cottage, Marianne slips on the wet grass and twists her ankle. Luckily a young man comes to her rescue and carries her home. Once they get back Marianne finds out the gentleman’s name is Willoughby. Mr. Willoughby tells the women that he has to leave, but that he will call on them the next day. After a few weeks the family can tell the two are deeply in love; they have the same interests and do everything together; it is like they are in their own world. After a few weeks the mother comes to the conclusion that the two will probably soon be married; although the mother is happy about this Elinor has some concerns. Elinor fears that Mr. Willoughby sometimes lacks caution and good judgment, she also dislikes the way he is jealous of Colonel Brandon after he tells her that he dislikes him. A few weeks after Willoughby meets the family he offers the youngest daughter, Margaret, a horse. This gift makes Marianne happy that Willoughby is so generous; Elinor on the other hand believes it would be wrong to except a gift from a man she has only known for a few weeks.
One day Margaret sees Willoughby cut a strand of hair from Marianne and tells Elinor that this is a sure sign of their engagement. When the Dashwoods, Willoughby, Colonel Brandon, and the Middleton’s plan a picnic at Whitwell the family is excited to go.; but right as they are about to leave a man on a horse comes with a letter for Colonel Brandon. After receiving the letter Colonel Brandon tells the other members of the party that he has to set off immediately into town. Although he told nobody of the reasons for his departure he rushes away with out a word about it. One day when Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, and Margaret return home they find Marianne very upset and crying. When they ask Willoughby what happened he tells them that he has been sent to London and will not return for some time. When Willoughby is gone, Marianne goes into a depressed state and will not eat or talk to anyone and her family becomes very worried.
A few weeks after Willoughby’s departure, Edward Ferrars shows up at Barton. When he arrives Marianne notices a ring of hair on his finger and assumes it is her sister’s Elinor; although Elinor has no recollection of him taking this from her. After Edward leaves Elinor tries to spend her time not thinking about Edward because it hurts to know that he has not proposed yet. While at her drawing table, Elinor notices a large group of people coming toward the cottage. When they get to the house Elinor finds out that they are the Palmers and Mrs. Jennings and Lady Middleton. In an attempt to create friendships for the Dashwoods, Sir John Middleton invites Lucy and Anne Steele to Barton. While trying to become close to Elinor Lucy confides in her that she has secretly been engaged to Edward Ferrars for a little over four years. Elinor is very surprised and taken aback when she hears this news; she believed she and Edward were the ones to be getting married. Lucy also tells Elinor that the two of them are waiting till after Edward’s mother dies to get married; because Edward’s mother would disinherit him and they would have no money for their new life. Soon after this Mrs. Jennings invites Elinor and Marianne to her home in town. When they arrive Marianne is eager to see Mr. Willoughby. When Colonel Brandon shows up instead of Willoughby Marianne gets very frustrated and upset. Everyday after she sends a letter to Willoughby announcing their arrival in town; she waits for a returned letter that never comes. While at a party Marianne sees Willoughby but when she goes up to talk to him he does not look at her and acts like he is in a very deep conversation with the girls he is with. When Marianne asks if he received the letters she wrote him he says that he did but that he never found the time to see her. Marianne is so overcome with grief she has to leave the party early.
Marianne gets a letter from Willoughby in which he apologizes for his actions and any offenses made towards her. In this letter he also tells Marianne that he is engaged to another women enclosed in this letter are letters Marianne had written to Willoughby in the past. Marianne allows Elinor to read her letters to Willoughby and to Elinor’s dismay finds that they are all pleads for him to go back to Marianne. A few days later Colonel Brandon comes to see if the news about Willoughby is true. When he finds out it is, he tells Marianne about how he once was deeply in love with a girl named Eliza and how she was married to his brother against her will. After the couple was divorced Eliza was found dying of consumption by Colonel Brandon and she asked him to take care of her three year old daughter; because he loved her he said he would. A year earlier the girl disappeared and Colonel searched everywhere for her, unfortunately he could not find her. Colonel Brandon then goes on to tell Elinor that the letter that he got before there picnic to Whitwell was from Eliza’s daughter; explaining that she had bean seduced and then abandoned by Mr. Willoughby.
Later on John Dashwood comes to visit the Dashwood girls at Mrs. Jennings’s house. He tells Elinor that he would be especially happy if she were to marry Colonel Brandon, he also talks about how Mrs. Ferrars expects her son to marry a wealthy daughter of Miss. Morton. When Fanny comes to visit Mrs. Jennings she decides to host a dinner party. When Elinor finds out about this she begins to worry about seeing Edward and is relieved to find out he can not attend the party. At the party John Dashwood starts to show off screens his stepsister Elinor had painted. When Mrs. Ferrars insults the paintings Marianne is at her sister’s side to defend her artwork, although not trying this makes Colonel Brandon fall even more in love with Marianne. A few days after the party Lucy Steele comes to visit Elinor, while talking to one another a servant announces the arrival of Edward Ferrars. When Edward notices both his love and supposed to be love in the same room things get very awkward for Edward and Elinor. Not knowing what is going on Marianne comes and is very excited to see Edward; very soon after he arrives he and Lucy leave. Marianne is very confused as to why he left so suddenly; sworn to secrecy by Lucy, Elinor can only sit there not telling her sister what she knows of Edward and Lucy. Later on Fanny’s friend invites her and John to a party and also invites the Dashwood girls; this is where Lucy and Elinor are introduced to Edwards brother Robert Ferrars.
When word comes out about Edward and Lucy’s secret engagement Elinor feels the need to tell her sister she has known about this for some time. Marianne is disappointed that her sister had not told her before, she also can not believe it because she thought for sure that Edward was in love with Elinor; not Lucy. When Fanny hears about this engagement she is outraged, then Mrs. Ferrars says that if Edward will not break of the engagement she will disinherit him and give the money to his younger brother Robert. Edward, being the kind hearted man he is, tells his mother that he can not break of his engagement to Lucy, that it would not be fare to her. Elinor and Marianne decide to leave London and head back to Norland; before they leave Colonel Brandon tells Elinor that he has left his Rectory in Delaford to Edward as a way of supporting his life with Lucy. She later tells Edward when he shows up, it takes him a while to realize what is happening, because he is not a great friend of Colonel Brandon.
When Elinor and Marianne leave London they decide to spend some time with the Palmers. One of Marianne’s favorite pastimes while at the Palmer’s is going for walks; although it is a very wet and cold season. When Marianne catches a cold she gets a violent fever; without calling a doctor Marianne’s condition just gets worse and worse. One night Marianne is delirious and starts yelling for her mother; so Colonel Brandon decides he will go get her back at Norland and bring her to the Palmer’s. When Elinor expects her mother to show up to her surprise Willoughby is there to explain himself to her. Willoughby tells Elinor that he really did love Marianne and will always love her and have regrets for not marrying her. What he says makes Elinor almost feel bad for him because she sees that he has suffered a great deal, even though she still sees him as the villain. After a couple weeks of her horrible fever Marianne starts to feel much better. When Marianne and Elinor return back to their home in Norland, Marianne starts to recover and is able to go for walks with her sister.
One day one of the Dashwood’s servants tells the family that Mr. Ferrars has married Lucy Steele; the news of this event crushes Elinor and she can feel her heart break. Not long after this Edward shows up at the house, at first this is awkward for the women because they still believe he is married to Lucy. He then tells them that it was his brother Robert, that married Lucy not him. When Elinor hears this she is overwhelmed with joy and can not believe what she is hearing. Later that day Edward proposes to Elinor, and she says yes with tears of joy coming from her eyes. Edward later tells the girls that it was Lucy who called of their engagement; she told him that she had fallen in love with his brother and that they were to be married. Colonel Brandon arrives and offers his parsonage as a weading gift to the couple. Later on Elinor tries to get Colonel Brandon and Marianne together, Elinor’s plan worked and Colonel Brandon and Marianne were engaged soon after Edward and Elinor. After they are all married the two couples move in together in the parsonage in Delaford together. The two couples live happily ever after with the people they love.
