理智胜于情感-文学学士毕业论文.doc

Sense Rather Than Sensibility摘要理智与情感是一本描述达什伍德姐妹如何通过心中理智与情感的完美结合来寻找自身幸福的小说。在阅读此小说的时候，让我不禁去想如果这两姐妹并非如书中所说的通过理智与情感的完美结合来寻找幸福，而是从理智与情感中只选择一者，她们将会有怎样不同的结局？在爱情的世界里，理智与情感，究竟哪一个更贴合实际？本文将通过分别对这两姐妹：埃丽诺与玛丽安，进行分析并设想如果她们只追求情感而并非理智，将会得到怎样的结局。通过分析后，我们也许能找出在爱情世界里究竟是什么最贴合实际。关键词：理智；情感；实际iSense Rather Than SensibilityTable of ContentsAbstract.i摘要 .ii1. Introduciton .12. Brief Introduction .22.1 A brief introduction to Jaen Austen .22.1 A brief introduction to Sense and Sensibility.33. The Battle Between Sense and Sensibility .53.1 The story of Elinor .53.2 The story of Marianne .64. Imagination on Inference.94.1 My imagination of Elinor.94.2 My imagination of Marianne.105. Conclusion.11Reference.12Acknowledgements. 131. IntroductionJane Austen is a British writer who wrote her first novel Sense and Sensibility in 1811. The story is about Elinor and Marianne, two daughters of Mr. Dashwood, how they encounter the sense and sensibility of life and love after all the events theyve been through in the novel. Impetuous Marianne Dashwood tumbles into a fairytale romance that goes sour, and her practical older sister Elinor copes with the familys financial problems while hiding her own frustrated romantic hopes. These two sisters both find their happiness and have a happy ending. But during my reading, it makes me wonder about sense and sensibility, they overcame every heartbreak and found love, but what if they didnt have enough sense and sensibility in their hearts when they encountered all the unexpected events? Would they find the true love eventually? Would they have a happy ending and get what they wanted? Maybe its fun but necessary to have an imagination about Dashwood sisters if they listen to their heart and do not have any sense at all. This article will give a brief introduction about Jane Austen and her first novel Sense and Sensibility, then will discuss the story of Dashwood sisters according to the novel Sense and Sensibility and try to have an imagination about their ending if they do not have sense at all based on their characteristics. Eventually we would find out what is the more realistic in ones relationship. 2. Brief introduction2.1 A brief introduction to Jane Austen Jane Austen, came into the world on December,16th 1775. Born to Reverend George Austen of the Steventon rectory and Cassandra Austen of the Leigh family (Spence,2003:5) . Edmund Wilson once said: “In a hundred years, Britain has had several interesting revolution, the renovation of literary taste almost all the writers of reputation, exception of Shakespeare and Jane Austen enduring.” Jane Austen was to be George Austens seventh child and only the second daughter. Its Janes great fortune to be born into a supremely happy and resourceful family. George Austen took pupils, the sons of the local gentry, who were educated with his own children and were boarded in the house. Cassandra Austen, a greater reader and had a gift for writing verse, was a thrifty and sensible mother, she kept a few cows at Steventon and would certainly have had a well-stocked poultry-yard. Having good parents, the Austen children lived in an environment of open learning, creativity and dialogueJane has the closest relationship with her sister Cassandra, remembered many years later by their niece Anna: Their sisterly affection for each other could hardly be exceeded This attachment was never interrupted or weakened. They lived in the same home and shared the same bed-room till separated by death Cassandra was the colder and calmer in disposition, she was always prudent and well judging, but with less outward demonstration of feeling and less sunniness of temper than Jane posed Cassandra had the merit of having her temper always under command; Jane had the happiness of a temper that never required to be commanded (Lefory,2001:3).Maybe the temper of Dashwood sisters from Sense and Sensibility was based on the temper of Austen sisters.Despite Janes youthful popularity and the romantic novels she wrote, all her relationships with men came to nothing. Her obstinate heart forbade her to marry except for love (Myer,1997:103). Being single all her life, with Cassandras never-failing support and a strong family loyalty, Jane Austen wrote six novels which highlight the dependence of women on marriage to secure social standing and economic security. From 1811 until 1816, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sandition, but died before completing it. Though Austens novels are popular today, but it may be difficult for readers of the present day to believe how coldly her works were at first received, and how few readers had any appreciation of their peculiar merit ( Leigh, 1989:361).In 1816 Jane began to feel increasingly unwell. Being Declined Health of Jane Austen, Leigh (1989:295) wrote that we may well believe she would gladly have lived longer; but she was enabled without dismay or complaint to prepare for death In quietness and peace she breathed her last on the morning of July 18, 1817. Everyone in her family was in deep grief, Cassandra wrote to Fanny Knight:I have lost a treasure, such a Sister, such a friend as never can have been surpassed,-she was the sun of my life, the glider of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow. I had not a thought concealed from her, &,it is as if I had lost a part of myself(Cassandra,1817:1).Though Jane Austen left us forever, but we are left with what are truly timeless piece of art, which left all readers with the fanciful notion of love revealed, love enduring.2.2 A brief introduction to Sense and SensibilitySense and Sensibility was the first of Jane Austens novels published. After finishing First impression, Jane returned to Elinor and Marianne around 1797, revised it heavily, written in the form of letters, and eliminated the epistolary format in favor of third-person narration. But she found this too restricting and later transformed the text into Sense and Sensibility, which was published in 1811. The first edition of Sense and Sensibility have sold out quickly enough in twenty months and with covered the expense of printing, Austen earned a quite reasonable profit. Apparently, its doubt that the novel has a favorable reception that the Royal Family were reading it. Princess Charlotte, niece of the Duke of York, wrote on 22 January 1812:Sense and Sensibility I have just finished reading; it certainly is interesting, &, however remain very like. I must say it interested me much. The appreciative comments did delight and encourage Jane greatly to continue writing another 5 novels.In Sense and Sensibility, Austen compares the discretion, polite lies and carefully preserved privacy of one sister with the transparency, truth-telling and freely expressed emotion of the other. Austen is considering how far society can tolerate openness, and what its effect on the individual may be. The question was keenly debated in the 1790s as part of a wider political discussion, with radical writers like William Godwin and Robert Bage favoring the complete openness practiced by Marianne, conservatives insisting that the preservation of the social fabric requires an element of secrecy and hypocrisy. These were serious questions, and one of the things that gives the book its intense interest is that Austen starts as though she is favoring one set of answers, and grows less certain as the book progress (Tomalin,1997:155).Sense and Sensibility is a story about two heroines: Elinor Dashwood and Marianne Dashwood, with Elinor representing sense and Marianne representing sensibility . Along with their mother and younger sister Margaret, these two sisters were left impoverished after the death of their father, and the family is forced to move to a country cottage, offered by a generous relative Sir John Middleton. Elinor formed an attachment to the gentle and courteous man Edward Ferrars, unaware that he has already engaged with Lucy Steele, the niece of his tutor. Marianne met John Willoughby after her family moved to Barton. Willoughby is a dashing figure who charms Marianne and led her into disciplined behavior that among their mutual acquaintances is generally understood Willoughby is engaged to Marianne, After Elinor and Marianne experienced both romance and heartbreak the contrast between the sisters characters are eventually resolved as they each find love and lasting happiness.3 The battle between sense and sensibilityPeople always have two sides in their mind. Sense and Sensibility! Just like light and dark, Yin and Yang, the two opposing principles in nature. I had read such a book for many times, which is named Sense and Sensibility written by Jane Austen (16 December 1775 18 July 1817). An English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics. Although this is the first novel she had written, yet so skillful. Every plot of the story is cleverly conceived by the writer.What kind of battle between sense and sensibility really is? Maybe “sense” represents “what you should do” and “sensibility” represents “what you want to do”. This kind of battle sometimes like the battle between angle and devil, angle will help us through the darkness yet devil will let us get lost. Now lets discuss the story of Elinor and Marianne, find out what kind of personality they have.3.1 The story of ElinorElinor, the stander of sense, was a rational girl with strong feelings and cool head. Elinor embodies a discreet and rather quiet form of good sense. Elinor, this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual , possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgmentshe had an excellent heart ;her disposition was affectionate ,and her feelings were strong : but she knew not to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn ,and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught(Austen,1992:4) .To put the matter in another way, there is a conflict between “sense” and “sensibility” within the mind of the character (Li,2006:91). Every stage in the progress of her thinking sees one tendency militating against another and each step taken constitutes a serious moral consideration.Elinor and Edward Ferrars, who was a pleasant, unassuming, intelligent but reserved young man, were clearly attracted to each other and Mrs. Dashwood cherished hope that they would marry. But Elinor didnt share a lot about her feeling with Edward that she was sorry of the warmth she had been betrayed into, when she talked about Edward with Marianne. She believed Edward has the same feeling as she had, but its impossible for her to feel easy on this subject. Therefore when Edward pays the Dashwoods a short visit at Barton Cottage but seems unhappy and out of sorts. Elinor feared that he no longer has feelings for her. But as rational she always be, she did not allow anyone to see her wallow in her sadness, even when Edward left town, she still busily employed herself the whole day, she did not lessen her own grief, feeling it her duty to stay calm for the sake of her mother and sisters, who dote on Edward and have firm faith in his love for Elinor . The appearance of Lucy Steele strengthens Elinors sorrow. Lucy confided her secret to Elinor that she has an engagement to Edward Ferrars because she senses a rivals interest and wants to forestall her. She also knows that her taunting provocation will not dent Elinors courtesy .Elinor is obliged to tease from Lucy what she wants to know about Edward but gives no sign of being rattled or jealous . Her manner of pushing Lucy for details about Edwards constancy and probing about Mrs. Ferrars are both manipulative. She was trying to deceive others that she was indifferent to this match, in order to avoid social scandal. In the meantime, Elinor needs to comfort Marinnas sadness about how Willoughby dump her for his economic security and take care of Marinna when she get cold by a sudden rain that Elinor needs to hold her feeling and control her sadness when she face to Marianne and their mother Mr. Dashwood. When Elinor knew that the engagement was discovered and Edward was disinherited in immediate favor of his brother, Robert, she felt sorry and helped Edward found a parsonage on Brandons estate at Delaford .Finally when Edward came to Barton to propose to her and in the process to explain that the propose between him and Lucy was a mistook he made in his teenage, and he found out Lucy wasnt as perfect as he thought when he grew up yet he didnt not break up with Lucy for the sake of keeping his promise of the proposal and how Lucy met his brother Robert and married him for her social standing and economic security. Elinor could stand it no longer. She almost ran out of the room; and, as soon as the door was closed, burst into tears of joy, which at first she thought would never cease (Austen,1992:278). She has lost her composure and let out her true feeling and happiness. Fortunately Edward eventually becomes reconciled with his mother, who gave him ten thousand pounds. He also reconciled with his sister Fanny. Edward and Elinor married and moved into the parsonage at Delaford to have a happy life. From the story we can see that Elinor was considerate and tried her best to conceal her true feeling about Edward for the sake of Edward and her family. No one has ever sensed her sorrow and unhappiness, even her younger sister, Marianne. Whats more, she has to take care of Marianne, who got heartbreak from Willoughby. Her sense led her through the unhappiness she has suffered to a happy ending with Edward.3.2 The story of MarianneMarianne is another heroine of the story, the stander of sensibility. She is quite different from her sister Elinor. Mariannes abilities were, in many respects, quite equal to Elinors. She was sensible and clever; but eager in everything: her sorr