Sense and Sensibility is a novel by Jane Austen, Eleanor and Marian are two sisters. Since the inheritance of the two sisters' father passed away to their son John, who was born to his ex-wife, they and their mother are not only financially strapped but also have to get rid of a life of dependency. They finally settled down in a rural villa in Devonshire. The two sisters were thus separated from their loved ones. As the plot unfolds, both of these romantic relationships undergo twists and turns. When Eleanor heard Lucy Steele privately tell her that she had been engaged to Edward for four years, she suppressed her emotions and promised to keep her secret. Eleanor hid the pain of heartbreak in her heart, and when Marianne was finally rejected by Willoughby, her spirit was greatly stimulated. Later, even during her illness, she tried her best to comfort her sister and help her recover. Lucy was opposed by Edward's mother and wealthy widow, Mrs. Ferris, who insisted that her son marry Sir Morton's only daughter. Edward was unwilling, but his mother stripped him of his inheritance and passed on the property to his second son Robert. At this time, Eleanor was still open-minded and entrusted to inform Edward that he could obtain a pastor's position and have the conditions to marry Lucy. Unexpectedly, Lucy turned to pursue the lucky Robert and married him. In this way, Eleanor and Edward can finally get married. The story focuses on the contradiction and conflict between "reason" and "emotion". In the story, the dual nature of John Dashwood's hypocrisy also fully reveals the contradiction between "reason" and "emotion" in human nature at that time.
People's selfish desires and greed often easily defeat their own rationality. People are not completely devoid of emotions and rationality, but they are tempted by benefits, and their selfish side has completely replaced rationality and emotions. Mr. John Dashwood always takes care of his stepmother and three sisters with great propriety when he is entrusted by his father on his deathbed. He promises to do his best to make their mother and daughter live comfortably. Then, when he was free, Mr. John Dashwood had time to calculate how much he could do for them if he were careful. When he made a promise to his father, he was thinking in his heart that he would give his sister an additional subsidy of one thousand pounds per person. At that time, he did feel that this was within his power. In addition to his current income and his mother's other half of the inheritance, he is expected to add another four thousand pounds annually. At this thought, his heart couldn't help but feel excited. He thought he could be more generous. Yes, I can give them three thousand pounds, how generous it is! It can ensure that they live safely. Three thousand pounds! I can effortlessly save such a huge sum of money. "He thought about it all day, thinking for many days without any hesitation. His selfish desires and greed made him start to consider his own interests when he was entrusted, and his selfish desires completely defeated the emotions of his loved ones.
A wolf in sheep's clothing is more terrifying and hateful than a wolf without a mask. What is the difference between a hypocritical person who is good at pretending to be himself, pretending to be weak, and ruthlessly deceiving people's trust? Mr. John Dashwood, after meeting his sisters at a jewelry store, explained his "poverty" from all aspects, insisting that he was very poor and could avoid giving jewelry to his two half-sisters. On the other hand, Mr. John Dashwood urged his sister Eleanor to introduce the wealthy Mrs. Jennings and her wealthy daughter and son-in-law to him. He not only failed to fulfill his promise to take care of his deceased father's sisters but also hoped to gain his own benefits from his two sisters. He pretended to be poor, hoping to deceive the emotional sympathy of his two sisters. Not only could he reduce their living expenses, but he also used their sibling relationship to seek personal gain. The hypocrisy of pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger in this way truly reveals the ugliness of human nature, and the greedy desire once again makes him forget his Sense and Sensibility.
In a patriarchal society, men have an irreplaceable sense of social superiority, and they are good at wearing hypocritical masks to play the role of gentlemen. In that special era, the social phenomenon of male superiority and female inferiority cannot be broken, and men can perform themselves with ease. The hypocritical Mr. John Dashwood, in order to make up for his disobedience to his deceased father and his lack of kindness and care for his stepmother and three sisters, hopes that all of them can marry wealthy people smoothly. Therefore, he wanted to reconcile Eleanor and Colonel Brandon's marriage. But is he really considering his sisters? In fact, he was just wearing a mask of hypocrisy, in order to gain more benefits from his sisters' marriage. If all three sisters can marry wealthy people, he believes he will definitely gain more benefits. In the face of interest, Mr. John Dashwood completely betrayed his family and his own emotions, and his only reason was to believe that letting his sisters marry well was also a so-called "confession" entrusted to his deceased father.
In conclusion, the half-brother of the Dashwood sisters. John likes to think of himself as kind and generous, but his behavior proves him to be actually rather greedy. He doesn’t help his sisters, financially or otherwise, even after promising his dying father to help them. He is easily persuaded and even bossed around by his wife Fanny, and is greatly concerned with social status and prestige. Austin conducted a highly realistic exploration of women's issues at the time. She examined the female protagonists in her works in the patriarchal society of that time. In that society, human value is based on property ownership. Due to generations of property being acquired by male heirs, they are at a disadvantage from the beginning and can only be subordinate to men. In such a harsh, demanding, and often hostile world, how can the female protagonist achieve personal happiness through marriage? Austin's warning is to use reason to control emotions. In this situation, Austin uses hypocritical John to do everything possible to gain benefits from his half-sister, which is also a warning to women not to be deceived by emotions and to maintain a rational view of all issues.
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