At times Marianne seems all sensibility, full of deep feeling. And at times Elinor seems all sense, full of realism. Sometimes, however, the two qualities get mixed together . . .

For this discussion I would like you to look at the following passages and discuss how the two qualities come into play in each.

1. John & Fanny Dashwood: What kind of arguments does Fanny Dashwood use to her husband in her campaign to keep him from giving any money to Elinor's mother and her daughters? -- See Volume I, Chapter 2, beginning at paragraph 3, p. 25 ff.


2. Willoughby and Colonel Brandon: When Willoughby attacks Colonel Brandon as one whom "nobody remembers to talk to" (Volume I, Chapter 10, beginning at the twelfth paragraph, "Perhaps she pitied and esteemed him . . . ," p. 58 ff.), Elinor defends him because, she says, "sense will always have attractions for me." What, according to Willoughby and Marianne, is wrong with Brandon? And what, according to Elinor, are the "attractions" of sense?


3. Edward Ferrars: In the exchange between Marianne and Edward about landscape (Volume I, Chapter 18, beginning at the fourth paragraph, pp. 94-95), why does Elinor laugh ?


4. Charlotte Palmer v. Mr. Palmer -- See Volume I, Chapter 20, beginning at the fifth paragraph, p. 105 ff.


5. Lucy Steele : She tells Elinor of her engagement to Edward (See Volume I, Chapter 21, beginning at the forty-third paragraph, "Here she took out her handkerchief . . . ," p. 122). What is her professed reason for doing so? What is her real reason for doing so? And is it sense, or sensibility, or some other quality in Elinor that enables Lucy to get her victory over her?


6. Lady Middleton -- See Volume II, Chapter 1, beginning at the tenth paragraph ("The young ladies went, and Lady Middleton was . . . ," p.129), about her card party and poor litte Annamarie's basket.


7. Mrs. Ferrars -- See Volume III, Chapter 1, beginning at the thirty-ninth paragraph ("'You have heard, I suppose . . .',"p. 224), about about how Mrs. Ferrars received the news of the engagement of Edward & Lucy.