結婚という契約 : Sense and Sensibilityにおける主義・宗教・経済

Jane Austen describes various phases of marriage, especially in the area of principles, religion and finances in Sense and Sensibility.From the very beginning of the novel, Austen acquaints us with the financial problems concerning death and marriage of the country gentry in the early 19th century.The protagonists of the novel are two beautiful sisters, Elinor and Marianne, representing sense and sensibility respectively, which implies that the English culture was in a transition period moving from classicism to romanticism.Elinor was in love with Edward, but he had been secretly engaged with Lucy long before he met Elinor. He, too, became aware of his love for Elinor, but he didn\u27t allow himself to break his promise of marriage in keeping with his religious faith, for he wanted to become a rector.Elinor admired him all the more for his faithful conduct.Marianne fell in love with Willoughby, who soon became short of money and married another rich woman.Unfortunately,both Elinor and Marianne had been left with little dowry after their father passed away.Marianne became critically ill as a result of her excessive romantic grief and careless behavior, which she later referred to as self-destruction, in other words, suicide. After recovering, she realized that marriage was not only a matter of individual love and feelings but also a social concern and problem of faith. Thus marriage is a contract between God and Man. On that point, Austen was a genuine Christian writer