Sense and Sensibility is classical writer Jane Austen’s first novel, published in 1811 under the anonymity of “By a Lady”. The novel follows the life of the Dashwood family, particularly the two eldest Dashwood sisters Elinor and Marianne.
The story opens with a concise description of the Dashwood family and their circumstances. Henry Dashwood, his wife, and his three daughters live with their wealthy uncle in Norland Park. Due to his heartfelt service, the uncle leaves Henry Dashwood the estate for the remainder of his life, after which it must be passed onto John Dashwood. Henry Dashwood lives only for a year after that, leaving his family only ten thousand pounds to live off of. On his deathbed, however, Henry manages to extract a promise from John Dashwood to take care of the Dashwood sisters.
The entirety of the second chapter focuses on the development of the characters of Mrs. and Mr. John Dashwood. Near the beginning of the chapter, Mr. John Dashwood had internally decided to give the Dashwood sisters three thousand pounds, or a thousand pounds each, which is half of his inherited fortune. The story then develops John Dashwood as a honorable, practical person: “He did not stipulate for any particular sum, my dear Fanny; he only requested me, in general terms, to assist them, and make their situation more comfortable than it was in his power to do. Perhaps it would have been as well if he had left it wholly to myself. He could hardly suppose I should neglect them. But as he required the promise, I could not do less than give it; at least I thought so at the time. The promise, therefore, was given, and must be performed.” (Austen, Chapter 2). Mr. John Dashwood holds his promise to his father in high regard, consistently repeating “It was my father's last request to me [...] that I should assist his widow and daughters” (Austen, Chapter 2), demonstrating his honorable and respectable character.
On the other hand, Fanny Dashwood, Mr. John Dashwood’s wife, is the complete opposite. The second chapter opens with an explicit negative from Mrs. Dashwood, as “Mrs. John Dashwood did not at all approve of what her husband intended to do for his sisters. To take three thousand pounds from the fortune of their dear little boy would be impoverishing him to the most dreadful degree. She begged him to think again on the subject” (Austen, Chapter 2). Her line of thought complete betrays her true thoughts towards the Dashwood sisters, as her reasoning includes the following: “And what possible claim could the Miss Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered as no relationship at all, have on his generosity to so large an amount” (Austen, Chapter 2). It is notable that Fanny Dashwood puts quite a bit of emphasis on the fact that the Dashwood sisters are Henry Dashwood’s half sisters, with claims that “It was very well known that no affection was ever
supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages” (Austen, Chapter 2) and indirect insults such as “What brother on earth would do half so much for his sisters, even if REALLY his sisters! And as it is only half blood!” (Austen, Chapter 2).
With the personalities established, we begin to see that Mr. John Dashwood is not a resolute sort of person. He very easily crumbles under the arguments of his wife, reducing the sum he plans to give to the Dashwood sisters until there is nothing left. Mr. John Dashwood’s original plan for help was to give the sisters three thousand pounds, or one thousand pounds each. However, after criticism from Mrs. Dashwood, he promptly reduces it to half the original amount, conceding that “Perhaps, then, it would be better for all parties, if the sum were diminished one half. Five hundred pounds would be a prodigious increase to their fortunes!” (Austen, Chapter 2). This continues happening throughout the second chapter, with the sum next being reduced to a small annuity (“A hundred a year would make them all perfectly comfortable.” (Austen, Chapter 2)), then to sporadic gifts of half the amount (“A present of fifty pounds, now and then, will prevent their ever being distressed for money, and will, I think, be amply discharging my promise to my father.” (Austen, Chapter 2)). The gifts of money then disappear altogether as Mrs. Dashwood continues her argument, with Mr. John Dashwood conceding: “When my mother removes into another house my services shall be readily given to accommodate her as far as I can. Some little present of furniture too may be acceptable then.” (Austen, Chapter 2). Lastly, Mrs. Dashwood attacks Mr. John Dashwood’s personal feelings of jealousy towards the Dashwood sisters with the mention of china: “Yes; and the set of breakfast china is twice as handsome as what belongs to this house. A great deal too handsome, in my opinion, for any place THEY can ever afford to live in. But, however, so it is. Your father thought only of THEM. And I must say this: that you owe no particular gratitude to him, nor attention to his wishes; for we very well know that if he could, he would have left almost everything in the world to THEM” (Austen, Chapter 2), resulting in Mr. John Dashwood withdrawing all aid other than “neighbourly acts as his own wife pointed out.”
The excerpted Chapter 2 from Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility clearly reveals to the reader the characters of Mr. John Dashwood and Mrs. Fanny Dashwood, depicting the former as a weak, easily influenced, yet honorable sort of man, and the latter as a cunning, snobbish, selfish woman.
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