Quiz on Sense and Sensibility
Please answer each question with a full-formed essay response. Don’t forget to respond to all facets of the question and use evidence from the film to back up your assertions.
"Wealth has much to do with . . . happiness," Elinor states at one point. "Elinor, for shame!" says Marianne. "Money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it."
1. What is the relationship between love, happiness, and money in Sense and Sensibility? Is it different for different characters? Has the relationship changed in today's world?
2. Communication (or the lack thereof) is a major theme. What do you think Austen is trying to say about it in this novel?
3. Do you think that Austen is simply "for" sense and "against" sensibility? Does Elinor ever seem to be limited or constrained by having too much sense? Does Marianne ever seem more sympathetic than her sister? If so, do you think Austen intended us to have these responses, or do you think we just react differently than her contemporaries would have?
