Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1811) is a novel about society and morals, following two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, in their attempts at love and marriage. . Edith Wharton's House of Mirth (1905) focuses on New York high society and the struggle of a well-born socialite, Lily Bart. Both novels explore essential themes of women, society and marriage. Although written almost a century apart, the social systems explored in these novels are extremely similar, with both female protagonists' end goal ultimately being marriage. The authors, in this sense, offer a critical look at societies that impose limits on women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In both novels, wealth, rather than love, proves to be the most important factor in marriage. The importance of wealth as a factor in marriage Austen's sense and sensitivity are described at the end of the novel. Austen states that in Edward and Elinor's situation, "Only one question then remained undecided between them, only one difficulty had to be overcome... Edward had two thousand pounds, and Elinor one... and they were neither l 'neither truly in love with love.' I think three hundred and fifty pounds a year would apply to the comfort of life. Here Austen suggests that even though love is an obvious factor, wealth will always be considered more important due to the reality of the societies in which these characters live. Indeed, the stability that wealth brings to relationships is presented as ultimately the most important factor and, given the context in which the novel is written (early 19th century), seems practical. During this time, women were under pressure to achieve financial stability, as laws prevented them from owning property. In fact, British society at that time was subject to many restrictions (perhaps one of the most obvious being the right to vote) that made women dependent on men. Census data from the 19th century also shows that there were far more women than men, meaning that finding a wealthy partner was becoming a difficult feat. Wharton's House of Mirth presents a similar attitude through the protagonist, Lily Bart. Lily is a symbolic representation of the typical woman of that era which, although set a century later than Sense and Sensibility, is extremely similar. This is illustrated when Lily is at Bellomont, and the beginning of chapter three opens with Lily's thoughts on the need for her to achieve wealth through marriage. As she walks through the luxurious halls of Bellomont, Wharton describes: “There were times when such scenes delighted Lily, when they satisfied her sense of beauty and her desire for the outward end of life; there were others who further accentuated the meagerness of his own opportunities. The language used here by Wharton juxtaposes the extravagance of "the outward end of life" with her lexical choice of the noun "thinness", bringing connotations of inadequacy, thus describing the importance Lily places on wealth, as the Lack of wealth is immediately associated with Wharton going on to express that Lily feels compelled to seduce Percy Gryce, a wealthy and eligible (although uninteresting) bachelor, to marry him: "She had been bored all afternoon with Percy Gryce - the mere thought seemed to awaken an echo of his droning voice - but she couldn't ignore him the next day, she had to continue her success,must submit to more boredom, must be ready for new complacency and adaptation skills, and all this on the simple chance that he finally decides to do her the honor of boring her for the rest of his life. Here, Wharton's repetition of "boredom" reiterates how Gryce is fundamentally uninteresting to Lily, reflecting the difficulties women had in marrying for wealth rather than love in this era. Additionally, Wharton selects the qualities of a woman with "new conformities and adaptability", which presents the expectations of women in this era to impress men. This idealistic image of a poised, polite, and impressive woman is similar to the way Elinor knows she should behave in Sense and Sensibility. For example, when Elinor discovers that Lucy is involved with Edward with whom she is in love, she holds back her emotions; “She was almost overwhelmed – her heart sank and she could barely stand; but the effort was indispensable, and she fought so resolutely against the oppression of her feelings", Wharton's choice of lexicon here shows the extent to which Elinor absolutely struggled against her own emotions, particularly through the adverbs "almost" and "barely" and presenting the idea that this behavior was "indispensably necessary", in which his use of the adjective shows the pressure society places on women to suppress their feelings. Michal Beth Dinkler suggests that "Austen favors Elinor's self-control", which is an interesting point of view; Is it defensible that Austen supported the repression of such intense female emotions that Marianne obviously does not? It is more likely that Austen used Elinor as a means to convey her criticisms of society which encouraged the repression of emotions for the benefit of men. For this reason, Marianne represents the opposite of what society might have expected of young girls, as she has an excess of emotion, a view supported by Dinkler; “Marianne, the true romantic, revels in her own flowering, languishing over layer upon layer of love language and succumbing to a morose, mournful melancholy.” Throughout this section, it is clear that Wharton presents Lily as knowing she must marry to ensure her financial stability, but ultimately resents it, a position many women would find themselves in during this period due to their inescapable dependence on men. , it can be argued that Lily's wish to marry rich people is not just a societal goal, but a personal one. Wharton presents this through the use of third-person narration, which allows the reader insight into Lily's true thoughts and feelings, something Wharton might not allow Lily to admit in a third-person narration. first person; 'No; she was not made for a mean and petty environment, for the sordid compromises of poverty. His entire being expanded in an atmosphere of luxury; which suggests that Lily could not live without the opulent lifestyle that a wealthy husband would provide her. This is reiterated by Wharton's choice of the adjectives "nasty", "shabby", "sordid", all of which present lack of wealth as disgusting and unjust. Indeed, Lily in the novel reveals herself to be entirely aware of her need for wealth; “The certainty that she could marry Percy Gryce whenever she wanted had taken a heavy burden off her shoulders… She would be able to organize her life as she pleased,” but it is clear through the language “organize her life as she wishes.” heard” that Lily also yearns for the freedoms that wealth could offer her. On the other hand, in Sense and Sensibility, Elinor ispresented as only seeking enough wealth to have a stable and practical lifestyle. This is shown in a conversation between Marianne and Elinor where Elinor explains that Marianne grew up ignoring the need for wealth in her life. “What does wealth or greatness have to do with happiness? “There's not much to greatness,” Elinor said, “but there's a lot to wealth…” This rhetorical question followed by the statement shows Elinor's more mature view on marriage and wealth at this time : it is clear that she recognizes the practical necessity of wealth to support their lifestyle. Additionally, Wharton presents wealth as a more important factor in marriage rather than love, as Lily ultimately rejects Lawrence Selden, with whom, early in the novel, she is revealed to be in love. Although Selden is rich, he is not the richest man Lily is involved with and so she cannot find a suitable partner for him. Despite her previous upset at finding Percy Gryce so uninteresting, she recognizes how Selden makes her see the world differently but still does not allow her affections to be acted upon; “his presence shed new light on his surroundings. » “That was the secret of his way of readjusting his vision. Lily... found herself peering into her little world through her retina: it was as if the pink lamps had been turned off and the dusty daylight had been let in. Wharton's focus on Selden representing the light and fulfillment in Lily's life shows her true feelings for him. Unlike Austen's Sense and Sensibility, rather than Lily's true love, Selden, leaving her as Willoughby leaves Marianne, Lily simply chooses not to be with Selden. This highlights a difference in attitude between the two women; Lily believes she deserves someone rich to support her lifestyle, but being well-off enough herself, she is not under pressure to settle for Selden. Another example in which Austen highlights the importance of wealth in marriage is that of Willoughby, who gets married. Miss Gray just for her wealth, even though she really loves Marianne. Mrs. Jennings reveals Willoughby's sudden engagement to Miss Grey; “So, the lady—Miss Grey, I think you called her—is very rich?” “Fifty thousand pounds, my dear. ...Fifty thousand pounds!' In which Austen's repetition of the exclamatory phrase "fifty thousand pounds!" emphasizes the fact that the relationship is above all an asset. It can be argued, however, that Willoughby is unhappy because of his decision to marry to get rich. This is suggested at the end of the novel through his intense idealization of Marianne as a perfect woman, as he allegedly "made her his secret standard of perfection in women"; his unhappiness is further shown by the fact that “Willoughby could not hear of his marriage with a pang of regret; ". Here, Austen's use of a third-person omniscient narrator provides clear and detailed insight into Willoughby's thoughts and feelings, describing that although Willoughby had not "fled from society...nor died from 'a broken heart', he often thought of Marianne and had indeed caused his own unhappiness by leaving her. By making Willoughby ultimately unhappy at the end of the novel, Austen can be said to criticize the 19th century society in which she is writing: since Willoughby chose to follow society's rules regarding marrying for wealth, he found in unhappiness, as both Marianne and Elinor reject society's traditional expectations of marriage and end up happier for it. However, in Sense and Sensibility, we can affirmthat Austen introduces the concept that love is often more important than wealth when it comes to marriage. Austen presents this through the character of Mrs. Dashwood, who, from the beginning of the novel, expresses her contentment with Edward Ferrars solely on the basis of her affection for Elinor. This is described in Austen's description that “Some mothers might have encouraged intimacy for reasons of self-interest, for Edward Ferrars was the eldest son of a very wealthy deceased man; » “It was enough for him that he seemed amiable, that he loved his daughter and that Elinor reciprocated his partiality.” Austen's technique of listing Edward's positive qualities here shows that Mrs. Dashwood truly appreciates the favorable aspects of Edward's character, showing that despite social expectations, she believes in marrying for love rather than wealth alone. His desire for Elinor to be with him is further reestablished as Austen explains that Edward is not particularly socially striking: "He was not handsome and his manners required intimacy to make them agreeable." He was too shy to take justice into his own hands; but when his natural shyness was overcome, his behavior showed every indication of an open and affectionate heart. The adjectives "open" and "affectionate" suggest that Mrs. Dashwood can look beyond the typically superficial qualities of an idealistic partner for Elinor (namely beauty and manners); instead, choosing to truly understand Edward as a person. This further shows that although wealth is an important factor in marriage in the society in which Austen writes, love is presented as the fundamentally important factor. This shows that Mrs. Dashwood is presented as an open-minded and kind character, further presented when Austen states that "the calmness of Edward's manner... militated against all his established ideas of what a young man's address should be man ". Which shows that society's expectations, even of men (perhaps above all to be rich, handsome and well-mannered) can be overshadowed by love in Austen's novel. In both novels, women live in a society dominated by men. In addition to the pressure on a woman to marry someone rich in order to maintain her lifestyle, various other social pressures determined by the patriarchal societies of both contexts affect women's lives. Lily expresses in the first chapter of The House of Mirth the advantages that men have over women. When she goes to Selden's apartment for tea, she expresses astonishment at men's freedom to own property; “How delightful to have a place like this all to yourself!” What a miserable thing to be a woman! In which Wharton's use of repeated exclamations shows Lily's desperation for her own freedoms. Selden expresses that women can own an apartment too, but Lily explains that no respectable woman would: “Oh, governesses – or widows. But not girls – not poor, miserable, marriageable girls! in which Austen's use of the triplet of adjectives shows her genuine irritation with society's portrayal of what women can and cannot do, and creates the idea that their behavior must present them, above all, as being able to be married. This shows that society's expectations of women constantly result in their ultimate lack of freedom. When the two then discuss the only woman they know who lives in an apartment, Gerty Farish, Lily says that she is not a marriageable woman, as evidenced by her living status. Lily's concern about a woman's status as "marriageable" or notalso reveals the pressure she feels herself. By making this section of the novel primarily a dialogue between Selden and Lily, Wharton allows the reader to gain insight into the interactions between men and women and their opinions of others in society at that time, by focusing primarily on the restrictions women faced. When Wharton uses narration in this section, it is often to reinforce the underlying message of Selden and Lily's conversation, for example that Lily "was obviously the victim of the civilization that produced her", which which shows Wharton analyzing Lily's judgmental attitude as being due to her being conditioned by the patriarchal society of the time, rather than any personal failing of hers. The male-dominated society in The House of Mirth is demonstrated more through Lily's own conscience. She explains to Selden in the first chapter how men objectify women and how their worth is shown by their appearance. When Lily suggests to Selden that he might marry for wealth ("But does it bother you enough to marry to get by?") and Selden makes it clear that he would never do that (“God forbid!”), she clearly tells him about the social expectations of women compared to men. “Ah, there’s the difference: a girl has to do it, a man can do it if he wants.” in which Wharton's lexical choices of the modal verb "may" versus the imperative "shall" reiterate the lack of choices and freedoms a woman has in this society. Wharton then asks Lily to explain: “Your coat is a little worn, but who cares? That doesn't stop people from inviting you to dinner. If I were pathetic, no one would accept me: a woman is asked to go out as much for her clothes as for herself. The clothes are the background, the framework, if you like: they don't succeed, but they are part of it. This long speech containing many complex sentences describes Lily's thought process, giving a feminine perspective on her position in society. She describes the objectification of women that is evident in this society. It seems that almost every man Lily comes into contact with views her primarily as an object, including Selden. In fact, the first line of the novel, “Selden stopped in surprise. In the afternoon rush at Grand Central Station, his eyes had been refreshed by the sight of Miss Lily Bart" describes this, primarily through the lexical choice of "refreshed" which gives connotations that Lily is a material object rather than a person. Wharton, by placing this at the forefront of the novel, sets the tone of the patriarchy that rules society everywhere. Lily, rather than being a victim of her own society, is presented as self-aware, realizing early in the novel that she "is no more important among [her social circle] than an expensive toy in the hands of a spoiled child.” ' in fact, at Bellomont, she says she is aware of having to earn her stay there; “Because last year, she noticed that her hostesses expected her to take a seat at the card table. It was one of the taxes she had to pay for their extended hospitality. This clearly shows that in all social situations, women in this society were primarily seen as objects for others to observe and appreciate. It can be said that despite the fact that women are restricted by a patriarchy that reduces them to objects, Lily allows it to a certain extent. Literary critic Cynthia Wolff says: "The House of Mirth is about the disintegration of Lily Bart, the psychological disfigurementof any woman who chooses to accept society's definition of her as a beautiful object and nothing more," she continues, emphasizing: "Lily adopted her society's images of women in a narrow and literal way. She has long practiced the art of making an exquisite decorative item herself. This idea can be clearly demonstrated in the novel, for example in Lily's performance at Welly Brys's tableaux vivants, where Lily dressed and exhibited herself as a living imitation of art. Lily enjoyed "the exhilaration of showing her own beauty in a new aspect: of showing that her beauty was not a mere fixed quality, but an element shaping all emotions into new forms of grace", thus showing that Wharton presents Lily Bart as enjoying being "such a wonderful sight" (as Selden describes her), and objectified by others. In this way, it can certainly be argued that Wharton presents female characters from this era to reinforce their own objectification and to some extent support the clearly patriarchal and restrictive society into which they were born. Another view, however, presented by Debbie Lelekis, is that this performance creates a "reversal of gender roles" since "through her display of beauty, Lily manipulates the audience and temporarily seizes power." This perception is interesting when considering Wharton as a feminist writer, allowing the audience to question whether Lily is a product of her society, or subtly questioning the ruling patriarchy through her behavior. It is clear that a male-dominated society also prevails within Sense and Sensibility. , and this is established from the beginning of the novel. It is important to recognize, however, that while women's property was simply frowned upon in the context of The House of Mirth, it was legally impossible in Sense and Sensibility, prior to the Married Women's Property Act of 1882. This is one of the subtle differences. in context in terms of the place of women in society in the 19th century compared to the 20th century. Indeed, Austen's novel is set in a society where there are limited roles and opportunities for women, including the fact that female characters cannot inherit property or have careers. Their future lifestyles depend almost entirely on the men they marry, which explains why there are so many social expectations of women that make them attractive to potential husbands. This is reiterated early on in the novel when, due to the death of the family patriarch, the women were forced to sign over their lands and possessions to John Dashwood. Thus, the female characters had to leave their house abruptly: “Hardly had her father's funeral ended, when Mrs. John Dashwood, without sending any notice… arrived. Additionally, notably, the next house they moved into was to be offered to them by a male relative: “the offer of a small house… belonging to a relative… a gentleman of consequence and property in Devonshire”. further reiterating the dependence of women in this male-dominated society. In summary, it is clear that despite the subtle differences that can be observed in the works of Austen and Wharton due to the century between each of them, the position of women in society has changed little. Marianne, Elinor and Lily reflect all the struggles and expectations of women, as well as their ultimate expectation: to get married. Austen's novel ultimately shows society's victory in Marianne's case: by the end of the novel, she is no longer the hopeless romantic type and has settled for stability and wealth. This idea is presented by critic Diane.