Social Class in Sense and Sensibility In her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen brought to life the struggles and instability of the English hierarchy in the early 19th century. Through the suffering and happiness shared by Elinor Dashwood, who represented common sense, and her sister Marianne, who represented sensibility, Austen tells a story of sisters who fall from the upper class to the lower crust of society and the characters that surround them. Austen juxtaposes the upper and lower classes in English society to give the reader a full understanding of the motivation to be part of the upper class and the sacrifices one will have to give up to achieve that status. Austen exposes the corruption of society, the meaning of class, and the fundamental elements that both make up the decision-making processes surrounding her protagonists, Marianne and Elinor. Austen's novel focuses on the social class known as the rural landowning gentry, and on people whose education or family ties allow them to associate with the nobility. Austen uses Marianne Dashwood to represent her sister Elinor Dashwood's "sensible and intelligent; coldness of judgment". ,” none of whom belong to the landed gentry anymore. Austen juxtaposes the two sisters' travels as a way to shed light on the corruption and instability of the social class system. Surrounding Marianne and Elinor with social-climbing characters like John Willoughby, John Dashwood and Edward Ferrars, Austen highlights the ruthlessness surrounding the sisters The three men are too concerned with getting... half the paper... of society and the desire to marry into a higher class, she is able to. expose his feelings towards society through his characters. Through Marianne and Elinor he shows the feeling of knowing the rules of society, what is respectable and what is not, but he does not always accept or respect them. John Dashwood and Edward Ferrars, alludes to the banality and falseness of the society she lived in. Austen skillfully reveals many layers of 19th century English society and the importance of having both common sense and sensitivity in such a superficial system. Word Count: 1207 Works Cited Austen, J. (1995). Reason and sensitivity. London: Penguin Classics. Page 8.(Austen, p. 8)(Austen, p. 7)(Austen, p. 299)(Austen, p. 69)(Austen, p. 69)(Austen, p. 149)(Austen, p. 90)(Austen, p. 249)