Romantic Literature

Role of Margaret Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility

Introduction:

As we know, characters plays very significant role in any plot. Even minor characters can be recognized as back-bone of plot. It gives symbolic interpretations, suggestive meanings and new ways to think. Almost every writer uses this to bring transparent layer and allow readers to re-enter in the text. In addition, satire too remains interesting weapon to writers and many times for this satire, writer uses characters also. Equally Jane Austen uses the character of Margaret. Though role of Margaret is minor and in humoristic, what if Austen has not included this character in in Sense and Sensibility?  Perhaps Austen has contained Margaret’s character within to go beyond the frame of the novel. If we begin with the premise that the rules committee plays an autonomous part in the legislative process, our understanding of the role of restrictive.

This assignment aims to treasure Margaret’s importance in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.

Jane Austen’s novels represent a ‘feminization of English Novel’. She exposes characters from ordinary life and depicts usual theme love and marriage. Her novels are unquestionably fresh, no atrocity, and no vulgarity, nothing which is capable of polluting a maid’s innocent sentiment.

Sir Walter Scott says,

“Austen Confines herself chiefly to the middling classes of society, her most distinguished characters do not rise greatly above well-bred gentlemen & ladies; and those which are sketched with most originally & prison, belong to a class rather below that standard.”

Now, let’s began our discussion for the character of Margaret Dashwood.

Character of Margaret

Margaret’s character is flat, don’t grow, do not surprise and fully developed when we first meet them. She is considerably discovered through comparison and contrast with others. Just like a miniature painter, Austen shapes Margaret through piling an infinite succession of minute details about them. From side to side her individualism has also touched of general about society.

Rudimentary outline of Margaret Dashwood

Margaret Dashwood is the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dashwood. Austen describes this character to be a kind and romantic girl that is only thirteen years old. Margaret is easy-going as Marianne and good-tempered as Elinor; yet she is not predicted to be as intelligent as her sisters in the future.

Everyone thinks Marianne Dashwood is sensibility (think passion) and Elinor Dashwood is sense. Maybe the problem with this clever take on the text is that Margaret Dashwood exists. Who is she? One bright student wondered if the younger Jane Austen had not just introduced a character that she later forgot!

Uncertain knowledge and ethics of everyday life

Margaret’s manifestation allows Elinor and Marianne to go off to London together, without being undutiful to their mother. Without Margaret, one of them really have a duty to have stayed at home. Notice the little tug of war about this very point in the book, and Mrs Dashwood’s assertion that she’ll be fine, because she has Margaret.

It might seem strange to us now, but in those days, leaving someone without company was a serious matter; not done casually, at least by some good characters. Given their characterisations, Marianne’s heart wouldn’t have allowed her to do it, nor would Elinor’s sense of what is owing to a mother.

It seems to us such a little point, but looking from a larger discourse and we can see it everywhere. Leaving a loved one at home in the country without company— heck, even ill, upstairs in their rooms, without company was not done, or not without very good cause and much lamenting by the one leaving.

Margaret also serves as a kind of plot purpose in the novel,  that she lets slip who Elinor’s “suitor” is to Mrs. Jennings and Sir. John, which presumably lays some of the foundation for Lucy’s jealousy of Elinor.

Margaret, as a young and silly girl can make the kinds of necessary faux pas that drive the plot of the novel.

Importance of Margaret’s character

Though she is neither a child nor an adult, which is perhaps an awkward position for her.

Margaret appears to be minor in this large and well-developed story, being a certain supportive element for the lifelines of her sisters. All her life depends on the events related to the members of her family and she cannot wait to live it by herself so feel all the patience of the independent existence.

At the end of Sense and Sensibility Margaret is been described by Austen in her teenage age, flirting with boys and experiencing first romantic moments.

Lisa Galek says in the review of Margaret Dashwood’s Diary: Sense and Sensibility Mysteries, Book One, by Anna Elliott that,

 

As we mentioned earlier also, “Margaret Dashwood is only rarely mentioned in Sense and Sensibility. She starts the story as a girl of thirteen who loses her father and her home and then sits back to watch her two older sisters fall in love and get married. But, what kind of adventures did Margaret have after Jane Austen’s classic was done? In Margaret Dashwood’s Diary, Anna Elliott explores the life and loves of the youngest Dashwood sister.

Margaret is not only worried that her sister might be tempted by her first love, but her life is further complicated by the appearance of Jamie Cooper, a young man who also happens to be a gypsy that Margaret knows from her childhood at Norland Park. Jamie might have information about the local smuggling ring, but as Margaret gets closer to him she realizes that she might be falling in love with the one man she could never have.

The Margaret Dashwood presented here is a very charming character. She’s based mostly on the 1995 movie version of Sense and Sensibility. This Margaret is spunky and bright, but also understands her place in the world. Her voice as the narrator was light and yet very compelling. She begins by breaking off an engagement and it’s delightful to watch her develop as a young woman who not only falls in love but digs deep into some pretty dangerous mysteries.”

Austen has used satire in the book to capture the reader’s attention and provide a different form of humor. Her satiric voice and her understanding of human nature are evident, particularly when she comments on the society.  Austen uses the story, Sense and Sensibility, to highlight the importance of the same virtues. She also uses satire to spice up the story even though she adopts a sad note by including death, hurt, and heartbreak in the story. As the story concludes, it is evident that, sense and sensibility outweigh the lack of the same.

Major theme of sense and sensibility comes out as the difference of character between the two sisters, Elinor and Marianne but Margaret’s  personality and interactions with their neighbors draw attention to the reader, as they differ immensely right from the onset of the story .In some instances, the author exposes them to similar situations intentionally; to show the reader how each of them would react and whether they would be sensible or let their emotions determine their decision making ability.

The most outstanding quality derived from the novel, Sense and Sensibility, is Austen’s deep penetrating character analysis of Maragaret Dashwood. Jane Austen, articulates all aspects of human characters in each chapter of the book – strengths, weaknesses, desires, and limitations.

Conclusion

As a result, the height of Austen’s characters is rather narrow but depth is much deeper.

So, what do you think, what is the use of the character of Margaret in Sense and Sensibility? Perhaps she is also one to arouse intrigue, favor and enjoyment to the story. Because she is the one who tells Elinor about Marriane’s lock of the hair and eeven add fire to Mrs. Jenning’s raillery for Elinor about Edward Ferrars but other than that she ‘s pretty much missing from the story. Is this all there is to her character? Possibly there is something much deeper significance in this character.

Austen depicts a person’s ability to change in character by the end of the novel. Austen also portrays the importance of attachment, but not between a man and woman but also among society. Austen depicts by the end of the novel that societal classes are the absence of happiness. In short we can say that, Margaret shares her sister Marianne's romantic tendencies, yet is not featured heavily in the book!

References

Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen. Mathuen, 1905.

Dion, Douglas, and John D. Huber. “Sense and Sensibility: The Role of Rules.” American Journal of Political Science, vol. 41, no. 3, 1997, pp. 945–957. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2111681. Accessed 7 Mar. 2020.

Galek, Lisa. https://austenprose.com/2014/04/24/margaret-dashwoods-diary-sense-and-sensibility-mysteries-book-one-by-anna-elliott-a-review/.

WEISS, DEBORAH. “Sense and Sensibility: Uncertain Knowledge and the Ethics of Everyday Life.” Studies in Romanticism, vol. 52, no. 2, 2013, pp. 253–273. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24247250. Accessed 7 Mar. 2020.