Sense and Sensibility quotes, explained for kids
Sense and Sensibility is full of lines that show how differently two sisters feel and think. Elinor, the calm one, keeps her feelings to herself, while Marianne, the dreamy one, says exactly what she feels. That makes the quotes perfect for talking with a 6–9 year old about feelings: when to share them, when to wait, and how to be kind to people who are different from us. Read a line aloud and ask, “Is that more like Elinor or more like Marianne?”
Every line is quoted word for word from the original 1811 novel by Jane Austen.
Quote 1: “Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment”
Narrator, early in the book, the narrator introduces Elinor Dashwood, who helps her mother make sensible choices What it means: Elinor is very sensible. She thinks carefully and stays calm, even though she is only nineteen.
Ask your child: What does it mean to keep a “cool head” when something goes wrong?
Quote 2: “Mama, the more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”
Marianne Dashwood, marianne tells her mother she is disappointed that Edward reads poetry aloud so flatly What it means: Marianne is sure no one will ever be good enough for her, because she wants someone perfect in every way. She is only sixteen, and she thinks in big, dramatic feelings.
Ask your child: Do you think anyone is perfect? Why might it be hard to wait for perfect?
Quote 3: “with them, to wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect.”
Narrator, elinor thinks about how quickly her mother and Marianne jump to conclusions about Edward What it means: As soon as Marianne and her mother want something, they start hoping for it, and then they believe it will surely happen.
Ask your child: Have you ever been sure something would happen just because you really wanted it to?
Quote 4: “Esteem him! Like him! Cold-hearted Elinor! Oh! worse than cold-hearted! Ashamed of being otherwise.”
Marianne Dashwood, elinor says she likes and respects Edward, and Marianne thinks those words are far too calm What it means: Marianne thinks Elinor sounds cold for not gushing about Edward. She does not understand that Elinor feels deeply but shows it quietly.
Ask your child: Can someone care a lot even if they don’t show it in a big way?
Quote 5: “whom every body speaks well of, and nobody cares about; whom all are delighted to see, and nobody remembers to talk to.”
Willoughby, willoughby makes fun of the quiet, kind Colonel Brandon What it means: Willoughby is saying Colonel Brandon is the kind of man people are polite about but never really pay attention to. It is a mean joke about someone who has done nothing wrong.
Ask your child: Why might quiet people sometimes get overlooked? How can we notice them?
Quote 6: “Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.”
Marianne Dashwood, marianne explains to Elinor why she feels she already knows Willoughby so well What it means: Marianne believes you can know some people in a week, while others stay strangers for years. Elinor is not so sure that is wise.
Ask your child: How long does it take to really know a friend?
Quote 7: “How have I delighted, as I walked, to see them driven in showers about me by the wind!”
Marianne Dashwood, marianne remembers walking through the autumn leaves at Norland, the home the family had to leave What it means: Marianne loved watching the leaves blow all around her in the wind. She misses her old home very much.
Ask your child: What is something in nature that makes you happy to watch?
Quote 8: “I wish as well as every body else to be perfectly happy; but, like every body else it must be in my own way.”
Edward Ferrars, edward chats with the sisters about what he wants from life, which is not fame or riches What it means: Edward says everyone wants to be happy, but each person is happy in their own way. He does not want the grand life his family plans for him.
Ask your child: What makes you happy that might not make someone else happy?
Quote 9: “Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience”
Mrs. Dashwood, mrs. Dashwood comforts Edward when he is sad about leaving the cottage What it means: She tells him to notice the good things he has and to be patient. In the next words, she says patience could also be called “hope.”
Ask your child: What is something you had to be patient for? Was it worth the wait?
Quote 10: “I will be calm; I will be mistress of myself.”
Elinor Dashwood, elinor sees a visitor riding up to the cottage and has to steady her feelings What it means: Elinor is telling herself to stay calm and in control, even though her heart is racing.
Ask your child: What do you tell yourself when you need to stay calm?
Questions about Sense and Sensibility quotes
- What is the most famous quote from Sense and Sensibility?
- Many readers point to Marianne’s “the more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love.” Elinor’s “I will be calm; I will be mistress of myself” is also widely quoted.
- Who said “Know your own happiness”?
- Mrs. Dashwood says it to Edward Ferrars when he is low in spirits about leaving the cottage and having no clear path in life.
- Is “Elinor, where is your heart?” in the book?
- No. That line is from the 1995 film written by Emma Thompson. In the book, Marianne calls Elinor “Cold-hearted Elinor!” instead.
- What does “sensibility” mean in the title?
- In Jane Austen’s time, “sensibility” meant having strong feelings that are easily stirred, like Marianne. “Sense” means calm good judgment, like Elinor.