'Sense and Sensibility' as a serial

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University Bhavnagar

Smt. S. B. Guardy Department of English

Written by: Poojaba Jadeja 

Roll No.: 22

Year: 2014, semester: 2

Paper: The Romantic Literature

Topic: "'Sense and Sensibility' as today's serial"

 

 

'Sense and Sensibility' as today’s serial

           'Sense and sensibility' power point presentation

 

Today, serials become most popular art of our society. Serials are stand for entertainment, refreshment and delight of common human beings.

Jane Austen was one of the supreme artists in fiction. “Sense and Sensibility” is a famous novel by her. Because of its characteristics, we can connect this novel with today’s serials. As serials are the most popular program for television, the novel “Sense and Sensibility” can be compared with serials.

“Sense and Sensibility” has many elements which are similar to serials. With that comparison we can easily comment on the culture of England of Victorian age and Jane Austen’s way of presentation of such an English culture and feminine world in her novel. Some characteristics which are similar to the serials are given below.

Feminine world:

Generally, serials are for women, most of the viewers are women. In the serial we can find easily that the story is about women and focus is on women. It always related with the life of women.

“Sense and Sensibility” is a novel about two women characters. It is said about Jane Austen that, ‘The stories at all events are told from a women’s point of view.’  In the novel, general feminine world is described. Most of the characters are women and the stories of female characters are glorified more than male characters.

Not only in characterisation but also in story element, plot, themes, events, we can find that the novel is full of female and related to feminine world. Major characters are female. The story is about the three Dashwood sisters and their mother. They are Miss Elinor Dashwood, Marianne Dashwood, and Margaret Dashwood. Their life, their suffering from economic problems, their love, and feelings are described well in the novel.   

In the novel theme is of ‘marriage’, which is very common, feminine subject. Women characters, like Mrs. Jennings are always matching pairs between any lady and man. The struggle of choosing or getting life partner is also written in the novel. The novel also ends with marriage of the two Dashwood sisters Elinor and Marianne.

As the title suggests “Sense and Sensibility”, the novel also describes the sensible feelings of females and their sufferings because of this sensibility, very soft feelings. With this novel author Jane Austen make satire on sensible nature of women through the character of Marianne. That’s way novel is on women’s world. And there is a monopoly of females and marginalization of male characters and other issues.

Theme:

Today, serials are made for getting popularity, so, the director chooses the theme of the serial which is more emotional and heart-touching. In the serials, real society is reflected which people can find in their surroundings. Like today’s serials, Jane Austen describes real world. In the novel, story is realistic, common and regular so that readers can also feel that emotions.

Theme of the novel is of love and marriage. Other subjects are economic stability, love, romance, break-ups; family relations are mentioned in the novel. As a serial, ‘Sense and sensibility’ has theme of love and romance. Because of the romantic scenes of major characters serial becomes popular. Because of that theme, the story becomes very common like daily serials.

As a common theme, the characters of the novel are neither of with very high morality nor very low estate, and they have no great adventures. Because of the realistic theme, a picnic, dance, party, amateur theatricals, or at the most an elopement are describes in the novel. These events we can also find in our nowadays serials.

In the theme of the novel, we find lack of passion. The novel does not present stormy passions and high tragedy of emotional life, but only primarily concerned with the comedy of domestic life. High issues are absent in the novel.

Even there is scarcely any feeling for external nature in this novel and there is little passion in the picture of life in the story. Any social problem is not raised in the novel. All stories in the novel turn on personal relationships between friends, between parents and children, between men and women in love.

The ordinary commonplace incidents and day to-day life-experiences become theme of this novel.

Jane Austen lived through the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars, but no shadow of this storm is allowed to confuse the firm bright clarity of her novels, no abstract ideas, no death scenes.

The novel is written in very light mood. Theme is well-selected that the novel can delight the viewers or readers. Serials are always presented with light issues, they are for entertaining the viewers, so, the director intentionally does not put any high or serious, thoughtful issues. And if he will put issues like that, simple – common people cannot enjoy it. Same way there is not any political issues or social problems are described and the novel also does not deal with philosophical ideas and it can also not try to give any high moral message. That’s way, without philosophical and moral ideas, political and social issues, the novel becomes very simple as serials, and common female viewers can easily enjoy this for purpose of entertainment.

Characters:

 

  

Characters are very important feature in narrating story. In the serials, the director has to expand the story, so he creates different stories of different characters. We can find numbers of characters and stories of those characters in the serials.

In the novel ‘Sense and Sensibility’, numbers of character are portrayed. Story is of Dashwood family, but their relatives are also characterised in the novel. Serials are ‘for women’ and ‘on women’; at the same manner we also feel that ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is a serial because of its female characters and feminine world.

It is said that, “two men are never left together in Jane Austen’s novels, there are always ladies present. The stories at all events are told from a woman’s point of view.”

We always find different characters with different nature in the serials. Some characters have negative attitude and some characters are good. In this novel also, there is a different nature of women characters are presented.

As title suggest, ‘Sense and Sensibility’ the story is of two sister of different nature. Elinor-the eldest sister is very practical and realistic. Another sister Marianne is very emotional and sentimental woman.

There are also characters of negative attitudes in the novel like Mrs. Fenny, who is very selfish and powerful women. She did not want to give enough money to Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters. Mrs. Jennings is like marriage burro that always goes on matching pairs and makes absurd jocks. And Lucy, who is very selfish and jealous woman in the novel. With presenting variety of characters, the writer shows different nature of women and human nature in society.

In the serial all characters are interrelated and the story is about one family and their relatives. (Generally story is of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.) Because of that connectivity, viewers can see the serial as one story with different stories. Harmony is created because of that inter-relation of characters.

In ‘Sense and Sensibility’, the characters are interrelated. Like Edward, who is brother of Mrs. Fenny, married with Elinor, who is sister-in law of Mrs. Fenny John Dashwood! That’s way many interrelations are created in the novel.

The characters of Jane Austen are minutely portrayed and accurately described. All the characters are live. All the characters are not types but individuals. Male characters have certain softness for temper, but female characters are almost perfect. Jane Austen infuses in characters life and vitality, so that they ever remain fresh alive and active in her world. Time does not wither them. They are universal, she does not repeat them. Her heroines are touched with the comic point of view. They are with essential human nature.    

Plot:

Serials are always very long narration. The director is going on expanding the story. Same way, ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is also long novel written in three volumes. Because of the long narratives and expansion, serials have not any single story or major plot. But the structure of the serial is made by many stories and many events.

In the novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility’ like popular serials, there is not a single story or plot but many subplots are there. There is not unity of time, place and action in the novel. It is a long narration so; unity of time is not followed. Because of so much sub plots unity of action is broken. Different stories of different characters are described, so, viewers do not feel any one plot of major story.

Unity of place is totally absent in the novel. In the novel, three sisters and their mother Mrs. Dashwood lived at Norland Park at the beginning. After some time, they went to live Mr. Middleton at Barton. They also visited London. Thus, their journeys of different places are there in the novel.

In this novel, regular events are taking place. The novel is about the domestic elements of women society. It would be recognised as ‘domestic’ or ‘the tea-table’ novel, because of the plot of so much domestic life. The story of two sisters and their nature and feelings are described. Marianne’s love with Willoughby and break-up with him, then marriage with Colonel Brandon is one of the major stories of the novel. Same manner, Elinor’s and Edward’s love story, their departure, Edward’s engagement with Lucy and Elinor’s suffering from that secret and at last Elinor’s marriage with Edward is another part of story.

Though there are not unities. Still, plot is constructed with great skill. Plot is simple but pervasive, and all the incidents that are introduced have their particular meaning. Stories are meticulously integrated, not a character, not an episode but makes it necessary contribution to the development the plot.

Conclusion:

The purpose of the serials are to delight and entertain viewers, not arouse tension but make audience tension-free and give enjoyment. ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is also like today’s serial, delight reader in light mood, entertain reader with simple domestic story. And make tension-free with happy endings and pleasurable love stories.

With these characteristics and elements, one can prove that ‘Sense and Sensibility’ is like today’s serial.

Sir Walter Scott writes about Jane Austen that,

“That young lady had a talent for describing the involvements, feelings and characters of ordinary life...”

Perhaps, because of the novel ‘Sense and Sensibility’ Jane Austen is called as ‘pure novelist’ and remembered even today.