Sense and Sensibility Summary: Plot, Characters and Ending
Sense and Sensibility follows two sisters who lose their home after their father's death: sensible, reserved Elinor Dashwood and passionate, romantic Marianne. Both fall in love and both are hurt, one in silence and one in open despair, before each finds lasting love.
It was Jane Austen's first published novel.
| Character | Who they are |
|---|---|
| Elinor Dashwood | Calm, sensible eldest sister |
| Marianne Dashwood | Emotional, romantic middle sister |
| Mrs. Dashwood | Their warm, impulsive mother |
| Edward Ferrars | Shy man Elinor loves |
| John Willoughby | Dashing young man Marianne loves |
| Colonel Brandon | Quiet older man who loves Marianne |
| Lucy Steele | Sly young woman with a secret |
| John and Fanny Dashwood | Half-brother and his selfish wife |
Why do the Dashwoods lose their home?
When Mr. Dashwood dies, his estate passes to his son John, who promised to help his stepmother and half-sisters, but his greedy wife Fanny talks him out of almost everything. Elinor grows close to Fanny's brother Edward Ferrars. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters move to a cottage at Barton in Devonshire.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens with Willoughby?
At Barton they meet Sir John Middleton, his mother-in-law Mrs. Jennings and the reserved Colonel Brandon, who quietly admires Marianne. When Marianne twists her ankle in the rain, handsome Willoughby carries her home. They fall in love openly, but Willoughby leaves suddenly without proposing.
↑ Back to the topWhat is Lucy Steele's secret?
Lucy Steele confides to Elinor that she has been secretly engaged to Edward for four years. Elinor hides her heartbreak. In London, Willoughby coldly snubs Marianne and soon marries a rich heiress. Marianne is devastated. Colonel Brandon reveals that Willoughby seduced and abandoned his young ward, leaving her with a child.
↑ Back to the topWhat happens to Marianne?
Edward's mother disinherits him when the engagement to Lucy becomes known and he refuses to break it. Colonel Brandon offers him a modest position and income. On the way home, Marianne falls dangerously ill. Willoughby arrives to explain to Elinor that he truly loved Marianne but married for money. Marianne recovers and resolves to live more wisely.
↑ Back to the topHow does Sense and Sensibility end?
News comes that Lucy has married Edward's brother Robert, who has inherited instead. Edward, now free, comes to Barton and proposes to Elinor, who finally lets her feelings out. They marry. In time, Marianne comes to love Colonel Brandon and marries him, and the two sisters live close to each other.
↑ Back to the topMore about Sense and Sensibility
This summary reveals the whole plot, including the ending.