Sense and Sensibility

In Regency England, Elinor Dashwood, the older of two sisters of marriageable age, is the sensible, practical one who holds her feelings inside, and Marianne is the die-hard romantic who wears her feelings on her sleeve. Legally unable to split his inheritance between his first and second families, Mr. Dashwood has left his entire estate to his eldest, his only son John Dashwood, on the vow that he will provide for his stepmother and half-sisters. Knowing that John will not keep to his word in falling prey to the control wielded by his money-hungry wife Fanny, Elinor makes arrangements for her mother and herself and two sisters to move to Devonshire to live in humble Barton Cottage owned by Mrs. Dashwood's distant cousin Sir John Middleton and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings as John and Fanny will take over the manor, the Dashwood home, in Norland Park in Sussex despite John and Fanny already having their own home in London. John's annual stipend to Mrs. Dashwood and his half-sisters from Mr. Dashwood's estate will not afford them any more than the cottage. In Devonshire, Marianne attracts the romantic attention of two men, the first, Colonel Brandon, who she sees as unromantic unlike herself. As such, she favors the second, dashing John Willoughby, who she sees as having the same romantic sensibilities as her. Elinor, on the other hand, sees her first priority to her sisters and mother, and thus hides her feelings for Edward Ferrars, Fanny's brother, within herself. Despite Edward stating that he wants happiness in his life over any ambition, career or financial, a union between the two of them seems unlikely regardless in Fanny implying that her mother would disinherit him in marrying someone beneath him like Elinor in the Dashwood women having no money. Secrets kept by Edward, Colonel Brandon, and Willoughby will affect not only Elinor and Marianne's marriage prospects, but also how they view the men in their lives.