Sense and Sensibility is the bright example of the "social" novel that offers an insight into the social structure of the 19th century English society. The meaning of social class and the distribution of wealth usually determined future destiny and lifestyle of the then English women and men.
Sense and Sensibility gives basic ideas about the 19th century’s social class distinctions. Evidently, at the beginning of the 19th century, social class was something more than it is now; social class determined behavioral patterns, attitudes, manners, and limitations of one's social conduct.In the novel, marriage and romance serve the measurements and criteria for determining class distinction: Marriane's inability to marry Mr. Willoughby is rooted in Marriane's lower social position and her inability to financially compensate for the opportunity to marry a man from the higher class. Mr.
Willoughby is engaged to Miss Grey who has sufficient fortune and can create an economically stable family union with him (Austen, 2003).Social class is determined by the amount of fortune, and not by one's professional or other social characteristics. Such class distinction was characteristic of the time when Jane Austin was writing her Sense and Sensibility. Elinor and Marianne belong to the so-called "professional class"; they potentially become good professionals. In modern terms, they would have all chances to achieve the highs of the social corporate class, but the 19th century’s social prejudices deprived them of the chance to work.
They were destined to seek a good (and mostly, economically profitable) part for marriage, without any right to reveal their desire to work. Women of the lower professional class were constantly employed with their home duties (Austen, 2003); women of the higher class spent their lives entertaining and taking care of their fortunes. For a woman to work meant to turn into a man; at the beginning of the 19th century to work meant to belong to the lower social class. The novel shows that the family of Dashwood was totally dependent on Mr.
Dashwood's will, without any personal sources of income. The families described in the novel did not have a chance to and did not want to earn; marriage and heritage (mainly, property) were the basic instruments for distributing wealth in society. In his first talk to Dashwood sisters, Colonel Barton emphasizes the "worth catching" image of Mr. Willoughby (Austen , 2003). In his, and in everyone else's eyes, Mr.
Willoughby's fortune and social position are the two excellent reasons to marry him.However, as marriages between different classes were impossible, wealth distribution took place within one certain social class and rarely reached the pockets of those from lower social layers. Conclusion The 19th century was the time when wealth was distributed within one class, and when marriage and romance emphasized class distinctions. Women were destined to look for financially profitable marriage opportunities and were not allowed to work. The representatives of the higher social class did not earn but inherited their wealth and social position.
