Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen that explores the lives of the Dashwoods, mainly Elinor and Marianne. In their former home, Norland Park, Elinor is seen to be fond of Edward Ferrars, but after moving to Barton Park, the two don't see each other much anymore. At their new home, the sisters meet Sir John Middleton, Lady Middleton, Mrs Jennings, and Colonel Brandon. Soon, Marriane, meets a handsome gentleman, John Willoughby, and they fall in deep love. However, Willoughby soon leaves, to Marianne's despair, for business. One day, Edwards gives Elinor a visit, but he is seen to look unhappy. Later, it is revealed that he has a secret, loveless engagement to Lucy Steele. Willoughby is then seen in a new relationship with Miss Grey, a lady with a large fortune; it is also revealed that he had seduced and abandoned Eliza Williams. Soon, after finding out about his engagement with Lucy, Mrs Ferrars makes Edward break the engagement immediately. In the end, Elinor marries Edward, and Marriane, who realizes she never would've lived well with Willoughby, marries Colonel Brandon.
Outer beauty, kindness, and social status can affect the way people think about one, especially in romantic relationships and love. The exterior behaviors both men and women possess can influence the romantic feelings and opinions of their partners. One of Lucy Steele’s well-known factors contributing to her overall success includes her capability to manipulate men with her attractive appearance and fake kindness. At first, she allures and attracts Edward Ferrars, whom she knows possesses a large fortune, to get engaged with each other. Even outside in social or public events, she maintains her smile and good manners; however, Edward soon realizes Lucy’s true personality after interacting with and learning more about her. Later, after Edward is disinherited, Lucy continues to stay with him for a while purely so that people might think she isn’t money-oriented. After a while though, she leaves him to stay with his younger brother Roger, who now earned his mother’s fortune, and allured him just like what she’s done to Edward. Lucy also manages to manipulate the Ferrars family by making close friends with Mrs. Ferrars so that Roger, even though he realizes Lucy’s true intentions, has no way of turning back. People’s exterior personalities and behaviors can manipulate and charm others romantically.
Large social events are one of the main keys in ascending people’s social status, in both modern and earlier eras. One can climb in social class just by flattering wealthy people and earning their favor at social events and parties. In the novel, Lucy Steele is also shown to be an expert in flattering others and takes advantage of that to gain social reputation and status. The Steele sisters gain Fanny Dashwood’s liking by complimenting her and helping her advance socially. At Fanny’s dinner party, they also flatter the normally cold Lady Middleton and her kids, earning her favor; when they accidentally scratch a child with a hairpin, they apologize multiple times. Moreover, Lucy takes the opportunity to make friends with Fanny and Mrs. Ferrars so that she can gain a higher reputation and social status by talking with wealthy people. Lucy also makes other people like Elinor feel uncomfortable about themselves by talking about how she was secretly engaged to Edward and that he was living with them for the two weeks he visited. She also keeps emphasizing how well Edward treated her and their ‘loving’ relationship, although it was all fake. She purposefully only tells Elinor this secret after knowing that Elinor liked Edward, just so that she would feel bad and Lucy herself could seem superior. Lucy Steele takes advantage of her capability to flatter and earn the favor of wealthy, respected people in order to climb the social ladder.
Many money-oriented people in society use social skills and schemes to gain money no matter the circumstances. Most use marriage, which is the easiest and simplest way, to improve social wealth and financial conditions. Lucy Steele shows how money is extremely important to her when talking in the forms of marriage and relationships. Although she lacks education and knowledge, she is clever enough to get herself within the circle of rich and wealthy people, managing to develop their relations. She never truly loved anyone deeply in the novel, and only came for Edward and later, Roger Ferrars, for their money, although she is able to escape after nearly getting exposed. She mainly came for the Ferrars family because they were wealthy and respected, and could guarantee her a comfortable and rich future when she grows older. Lucy’s desire for money and a comfortable future is similar to Charlotte Lucas's in Pride and Prejudice. Charlotte is also intelligent and although she despises him, gets engaged to Mr. Collins because he has a good inheritance, property, and fortune. She engages in a loveless marriage but doesn’t care much if she can gain social wealth, status, and a comfortable, good future after old age. Both women sacrifice true love in return for a guaranteed good and stable future life. Many money-seeking people manipulate marriage in order to gain social wealth and have a comfortable life in the near future.
Sense and Sensibility explores the lives of the Dashwood sisters, mainly Elinor and Marianne, as they navigate through the hardships of love, heartbreak, and social expectations. Within the novel, Lucy Steele manages to earn her success by manipulating love, ascending in social reputation, and gaining wealth. She allures both Edward and Robert Ferrars to fall in love by faking her good manners and kindness; after getting engaged to Robert, she makes friends with Mrs. Ferrars so that he would have no way of going back. Moreover, Lucy and her sister, Anne Steele, both take advantage of their capability of flattering others so that they can develop relations with rich and respected people. Lucy Steele, much like Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice, marries purely so that she can become wealthy and earn a guaranteed comfortable future.
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