Plot Structure Analysis of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility
Rizal Saryadi
1.
Plot
Summary
When
Mr. Dashwood dies, his house, Norland Park, passes directly to his only son
John, the child of his first wife. His second wife, Mrs. Dashwood, and their
daughters, Elinor, Marianne and
Margaret, are left only a small income. On his deathbed, Mr. Dashwood extracts
a promise from his son, that he will take care of his half-sisters; however,
John's selfish and greedy wife, Fanny, soon persuades him to renege. John and
Fanny immediately take up their place as the new owners of Norland, while the
Dashwood women are reduced to the position of unwelcome guests. Mrs. Dashwood
begins looking for somewhere else to live.
In
the meantime, Fanny's brother, Edward Ferrars,
a pleasant, unassuming, intelligent but reserved young man, visits Norland and
soon forms an attachment with Elinor. Fanny disapproves the match and offends
Mrs. Dashwood with the implication that Elinor is motivated by money rather
than love. Mrs. Dashwood indignantly speeds her search for a new home.
Mrs.
Dashwood moves her family to Barton Cottage in Devonshire,
near the home of her cousin, Sir John Middleton. Their new home lacks many of
the conveniences that they have been used to; however, they are warmly received
by Sir John, and welcomed into the local society—meeting his wife, Lady
Middleton, his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings and his friend, the grave, quiet
and gentlemanly Colonel Brandon.
It soon becomes apparent that Colonel Brandon is attracted to Marianne, and
Mrs. Jennings teases them about it. Marianne is not pleased as she considers
Colonel Brandon, at thirty-five, to be an old bachelor incapable of falling in
love, or inspiring love in anyone else.
Marianne,
out for a walk, gets caught in the rain, slips and sprains her ankle. The
dashing, handsome John Willoughby sees
the accident and assists her. Marianne quickly comes to admire his good looks
and outspoken views on poetry, music, art and love. Mr. Willoughby's attentions
are so overt that Elinor and Mrs. Dashwood begin to suspect that the couple are
secretly engaged. Elinor cautions Marianne against her unguarded conduct, but
Marianne refuses to check her emotions, believing this to be a falsehood.
Unexpectedly one day, Mr. Willoughby informs the Dashwoods that his aunt is
sending him to London on business, indefinitely. Marianne is distraught and
abandons herself to her sorrow.
Edward
Ferrars then pays a short visit to Barton Cottage but seems unhappy and out of
sorts. Elinor fears that he no longer has feelings for her, but feels compelled,
by a sense of duty, to protect her family from knowing her heartache. Soon
after Edward departs, Anne and Lucy Steele, the vulgar and uneducated cousins
of Lady Middleton, come to stay at Barton Park. Lucy informs Elinor of her
secret four-year engagement to Edward Ferrars, displaying proofs of her
veracity. Elinor comes to understand the inconsistencies of Edward's behaviour
to her and acquits him of blame. She is charitable enough to pity Edward for
being held to a loveless engagement by his gentlemanly honour.
As
winter approaches, Elinor and Marianne accompany Mrs. Jennings to London. Upon
arriving, Marianne rashly writes a series of personal letters to Mr. Willoughby
which go unanswered. When they finally meet, Mr. Willoughby greets Marianne reluctantly
and coldly, to her extreme distress. Soon Marianne receives a curt letter
enclosing their former correspondence and love tokens, including a lock of her hair and
informing her of his engagement to a young lady of large fortune. Marianne is
devastated, and admits to Elinor that she and Willoughby were never engaged,
but she loved him and he led her to believe he loved her. In sympathy for
Marianne, and to illuminate Willoughby's true character, Colonel Brandon
reveals to Elinor that Mr. Willoughby had seduced Brandon's fifteen-year-old
ward, and abandoned her when she became pregnant.
In
the meantime, the Steele sisters have come to London as guests of John and
Fanny Dashwood. Lucy sees her invitation to the Dashwoods' as a personal
compliment, rather than what it is, a slight to Elinor. In the false confidence
of their popularity, Anne Steele betrays Lucy's secret. As a result the Misses
Steele are turned out of the house, and Edward is entreated to break the
engagement on pain of disinheritance. Edward, honourably, refuses to comply and
is immediately disinherited in favour of his brother, gaining widespread
respect for his gentlemanly conduct, and sympathy from Elinor and Marianne who
understand how much he has sacrificed.
In
her misery over Mr. Willoughby's marriage, Marianne neglects her health and
becomes dangerously ill. Traumatised by rumours of her impending death, Mr.
Willoughby arrives to repent and reveals to Elinor that his love for Marianne
was genuine. Threatened with disinheritance because of his immoral behaviour,
he felt he must marry for money rather than love, but he elicits Elinor's pity
because his choice has made him unhappy.
When
Marianne is recovered, Elinor tells her of Mr. Willoughby's visit. Marianne
comes to assess what has passed with sense rather than emotion, and sees that
she could never have been happy with Mr Willoughby's immoral and expensive
nature. She comes to value Elinor's conduct in a similar situation and resolves
to model herself after Elinor's courage and good sense.
Upon
learning that Lucy has married Mr. Ferrars, Elinor is grieved, until Edward
himself arrives to reveal that Lucy has jilted him in favour of his wealthy
brother, Robert Ferrars. Edward and Elinor are soon married and in a very few
years Marianne marries Colonel Brandon, having gradually fallen deeply in love
with him. Colonel Brandon then invites Edward and Elinor to live at his estate
with him and Marianne.
The plot structure analysis of this novel is based on Freytag’s pyramid which at least consists of exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, and resolution. (http://www.ohio.edu/people/hartleyg/ref/fiction/freytag.html)
1. Exposition
There are two main characters in this novel. They areElinor and Marianne. These both characters represent the "sense" and "sensibility" itself. As taken from answers.yahoo.com, Electric Blue (pseudonym) said
“Both Elinor and Marianne are the protagonists of the novel. In fact, Jane Austen had originally entitled the novel Elinor and Marianne, since the novel mostly deals with the life of both the girls. Later, she revised the novel and changed its title to Sense and Sensibility, based on the qualities her heroines possess. Both Elinor and Marianne are wooed by the men of their choice, but later they are let down by these men. As a result, they both face disappointments and rejection. However, Elinor lets her good sense guide her, and she is ultimately united with her lover. Marianne gets carried away by her sensibility (emotion) and becomes despondent. She is ultimately rewarded with a competent husband when she recovers her sense of judgment.” (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090111092741AA0EAc7)
In Sense and Sensibility, the action moves from one great country house to another, the main action taking place in Norland Park, Barton Park, and Cleveland. The Dashwood sisters spend a season in London; they attend balls and dances, and visit a fashionable jeweler's shop. (http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/sense-and-sensibility/critical-essays/background-of-sense-and-sensibility)
2. Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is the death of their father. Then after the burial, the Dashwood sisters and their mother move from their home, Norland, to a whole new life far away in Devonshire. Here is the beginning of their experiences. (http://michellezieglerauthor.com/2013/01/14/inciting-incident-part-2-examples/& http://www.shmoop.com/sense-and-sensibility/plot-analysis.html)
3. Rising Action
The rising action occurs when Fanny Dashwood, who is also in London for the season, declines her husband's offer to invite the Dashwood girls to stay with her. Instead, she invites the Misses Steele as their guest. (http://www.chacha.com/question/what-is-the-rising-action-of-sense-and-sensibility-by-jane-austen)
4. Climax
The first climax takes place when Marianne receives her heartbreaking letter from Willoughby. It is at this moment that the reader knows for sure that there is absolutely no future relationship for Marianne and Willoughby.
The climax in the plot involving Elinor happens a bit later. At first we have a false climax when Fanny Dashwood learns about Edward's secret engagement and it begins to look like his marriage to Lucy is inevitable.(http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/where-climax-novel-sense-sensibility-306354)
5. Resolution
Both Marianne and Elinor are hopeless. Willoughby gets married and Edward's marriage seems like a sure thing. Marianne sympathizes with her sister, but still can't pull herself out of her slump. When they're at Cleveland, Marianne falls ill as a result of her long, melancholy walks in the rain – her life is in danger. Elinor is terrified and essentially alone.However at last, Marianne gets married with Colonel Brandon, and Edward and Elinor are soon married in a very few years Marianne marries. They are happy here after. (http://www.shmoop.com/sense-and-sensibility/plot-analysis.html)
3. Conclusion
Based on the analysis previously mentioned, it can be concluded into some points regarding the plot structure.
a. Exposition: the main characters are both Elinor and Marianne with the main action taking place in Norland Park, Barton Park, and Cleveland.
b. Inciting incident: it begins with the death of their father, Mr. Henry Dashwood.
c. Rising action: It begins with Fanny Dashwoodinvites the Misses Steele
d. Climax: Marianne receives her heartbreaking letter from Willoughby and Fanny Dashwood learns about Edward's secret engagement to Lucy.
Komentar
Posting Komentar