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In Jane Austen’s novels, innocent courting and proper marriages constitute the central strands of the story, but behind these people can see that there lurks the ulterior motive of loving and marrying for money and social position. Her heroines without any money or social rank are always placed in a desperate situation of having to lure some young and rich landlords or clergymen with comfortable livings into marrying them, either with their looks or with their wiles, or with both. Austen's perspective about marriage can still be applied to modern society, which will direct our values of marriage positively. It also has the duality between money and marriage. It not only makes people think of the subtle relationship among money, love and marriage but also illustrates us to keep balance between sense and sensibility in life.
2 Austen’s View on Love Reflected on Elinor and Marianne’s Personality
The character’s personality is the core of a literature creation. In the history of literature, some characters’ characteristics are overly simplified and conceptualized, making the images boring and dull. The German philosopher Hegel said, the human beings’ characteristics are an entity of various attributes, which shows the richness and persity of human nature. Only in that case makes the person complete and real. In Homer’s works, every hero is endowed with various characteristics. And everyone is an entity and stands by its own world. Everyone is a live and dynamic unit. On the other hand, the persity of a person’s characteristics is to some extent influenced by the external elements. With the theory of personality-formation, there are binary oppositions embodied in the two sisters’ characters, which made them true “round characters” with character dualism. The round characters can be embodied in different forms, such as the inconsistent behavior, the opposition of sense and sensibility and double even multiple characters. In this novel, Elinor and Marianne show their double characters inpidually through their words and behaviors, and the cause of the formation is due to their life experiences.
2.1 The Analysis of Elinor’s Personality
Elinor，the “perfect lady” in Austen’s novel, symbolizes the personality of sense. She came on the stage when her mother Mrs. Dashwood had a row with her brother. “She would have quitted the house forever, had not the entreaty of her eldest girl induced her first to reflect on the propriety of going.” (Austen, 2006: 4) This is our first impression of Elinor’s personality: cautious attitude.
The novel goes on describing: Elinor, this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding and coolness of judgment which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence. (Austen, 2006: 4)
These concrete words are the only detailed representation of Elinor’s personality. In the following part, the author describes her characteristics in vivid dialogues and concrete behaviour. Elinor has an excellent heart; her feelings are strong, but she knows how to control them. She is obviously an intellectual type of character with the sense of responsibility and thoughtfulness. She shows great courage in dealing with their daily livings and has become the main pillar of the family after her father’s death, which is different from her irritable mother and sentimental sister. She does not easily reveal her inner thoughts even if her brother deprives them of the house and money. Despite her affliction, she still struggles and exerts herself. She consults with her brother and receives her sister-in-law on her arrival, and treats her with proper attention, and she can even strive to rouse her mother to exertion and tolerance. Additionally, Elinor can also hold a sense and calm heart when dealing with the relationship with other people. Although she is attracted by Edward’s rich knowledge, keen sight and elegant behaviour, she is not completely lost herself and governed by her affection. She would not indulge herself in the crazy love and affection before figuring out Edward’s true thoughts. Even when facing her rival in love，she still remains graceful and even consider about others. After Lucy tells her about the engagement with Edward, she tries to talk on with composure of voice, under which is concealed an emotion and distress beyond anything she has ever felt before.