What is Sense and Sensibility about?

It is about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who lose their family home and must start again in a small cottage. They learn about love, heartbreak, honesty and balancing careful thinking with strong feelings.

How does Sense and Sensibility end?

Edward Ferrars is freed from his secret engagement when Lucy Steele marries his brother Robert instead, and he proposes to Elinor. Marianne, after her heartbreak and illness, comes to love Colonel Brandon and marries him. Both sisters end up happily settled near each other.

What is the moral of Sense and Sensibility?

The best way to live uses both thought and feeling. Elinor’s carefulness and Marianne’s passion each have good and bad sides, and both sisters learn from the other. The book also says that steady kindness matters more than charm.

Who is the main character in Sense and Sensibility?

The story is told mostly through Elinor Dashwood, so she is usually seen as the main character. Her younger sister Marianne is almost as important, and the book follows both of them.

What age is Sense and Sensibility appropriate for?

The original, written in 1811, is best for readers around 13 and up, or for a family reading aloud. A retelling for ages 6 to 9 keeps the story and softens the grown-up parts.

How many chapters are in Sense and Sensibility?

The original has 50 chapters, divided into three volumes.

Sense and Sensibility summary for kids

Sense and Sensibility follows two sisters, sensible Elinor and passionate Marianne Dashwood, who lose their home and much of their money when their father dies. Moving to a small cottage in the English countryside, they meet kind neighbours, charming young men and some real heartbreak. Jane Austen’s first published novel is a gentle, funny story about how to be happy: whether by guarding your feelings carefully or by letting them show. Children still love the loyal sisters, the sparkling gossip and the satisfying way things turn out.

Written by: Jane Austen, 1811
Setting: Southern England (Sussex, Devon and London), in the 1790s
The original novel: 50 chapters in three volumes
Our retelling: Ages 6–9, an illustration on every page

The story, from beginning to end

Spoiler alert: this summary tells the whole story, including the ending.

A family loses its home

When Mr. Dashwood dies, his house, Norland Park, goes to his son John from his first marriage. This is because of an entail, a rule that an estate must pass to a male relative. His widow and three daughters, Elinor, Marianne and little Margaret, are left with very little money. Elinor is nineteen, calm and sensible. Marianne is sixteen, warm-hearted, musical and ruled by her feelings.

John Dashwood promises his dying father to look after his stepmother and sisters, but his selfish wife Fanny talks him out of giving them any real help. Fanny’s brother Edward Ferrars, a shy and gentle young man, comes to stay, and he and Elinor quietly grow fond of each other. Fanny and her mother, the proud Mrs. Ferrars, make it plain that Edward is expected to marry someone rich. Mrs. Dashwood, hurt by the rudeness, accepts the offer of a small cottage from a cousin, Sir John Middleton, and the family moves away to Devon.

Barton Cottage and Colonel Brandon

Barton Cottage is cramped but cheerful. Sir John Middleton is a friendly man who loves parties and company, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Jennings, is a cheerful, chatty widow who adores matchmaking. They also meet Colonel Brandon, a quiet, serious man of thirty-five. He quickly admires Marianne, but she thinks he is far too old and dull to be romantic.

One rainy day Marianne twists her ankle running down a hill, and a dashing stranger carries her home in his arms. He is John Willoughby, young, handsome and full of lively talk. He and Marianne share the same taste in poetry, music and everything else, and they are soon almost inseparable. Everyone expects them to marry. Elinor worries a little that the two of them are so open and so improper, but Marianne thinks hiding her feelings would be false.

Willoughby disappears

Just as the neighbours are planning a picnic, Willoughby suddenly leaves for London, saying he must go and will not return soon. Marianne is heartbroken and cries for days. Edward visits the cottage, but he seems unhappy and strangely distant, and Elinor does not understand why. Later, Elinor and Marianne are invited to London by Mrs. Jennings, and Marianne agrees to go only because she hopes to see Willoughby there.

Meanwhile, two new visitors arrive at Barton Park: Anne and Lucy Steele, young cousins of Mrs. Jennings. Anne is silly and talkative, while Lucy is sharp and clever, and she is soon eager to make friends with Elinor. Elinor does not quite trust her.

London and two broken hearts

In London, Marianne writes to Willoughby again and again, but he does not answer. When they finally meet at a party, he is cold and polite, as if she were a stranger. Marianne is shocked. Soon after, she receives a short, unkind letter returning her own letters and a lock of her hair. Willoughby is about to marry a very rich young lady, Miss Grey. Colonel Brandon, who has been a kind friend all along, reveals that Willoughby has behaved badly before. He had caused the ruin of a young girl, Eliza, who was Brandon’s own ward, and then abandoned her.

Elinor is carrying a hidden sorrow of her own. A silly, sharp-eyed young woman named Lucy Steele has told her a secret: she has been secretly engaged to Edward for four years. Elinor, always honourable, keeps this promise of secrecy and says nothing, even to Marianne, while she quietly suffers.

The secret comes out

When the secret becomes known, Mrs. Ferrars is furious. She tells Edward he must break the engagement and marry a rich woman instead. Edward refuses to abandon Lucy, because he gave his word, and Mrs. Ferrars cuts him off and gives his inheritance to his younger brother Robert. Elinor shows great kindness even now. Colonel Brandon, who respects Edward’s honesty, offers him a church position and a small house at Delaford, so that Edward will at least have a living and could marry.

The sisters set out for home, stopping on the way at Cleveland, the country house of Mrs. Jennings’s daughter, Charlotte Palmer.

Marianne’s illness

At Cleveland, Marianne walks in the wet grass for hours, thinking about Willoughby, and catches a terrible fever. She becomes so ill that her life is in danger. Colonel Brandon rides off to fetch her mother. During the worst night, Willoughby himself arrives, deeply troubled, to explain to Elinor. He says he truly did love Marianne, but he needed money and did not dare risk being poor. He admits he behaved cruelly and feels sorry for it. Elinor does not forgive everything, but she feels some pity for him.

Marianne slowly recovers, and her mother arrives. Marianne is changed. She understands now that her own wild feelings and lack of caution helped cause her trouble, and she sees how steadily Elinor has borne her own pain.

Surprises and happy endings

Back at the cottage, news arrives that Lucy has married a Mr. Ferrars. Elinor thinks it must be Edward and is heartbroken. But the husband is Robert, who charmed Lucy into marrying him instead, so Edward is suddenly free. Edward comes to Barton Cottage, explains he has always loved only Elinor, and proposes. Elinor, so brave and calm for so long, bursts into tears of happiness. Mrs. Ferrars finally forgives him and gives him some money to live on, and Edward and Elinor marry and settle at Delaford.

In time, Marianne comes to value Colonel Brandon’s patient, faithful kindness. She marries him at nineteen and becomes a devoted wife, a very different girl from the one who once wished to love only in the most dramatic way. The two sisters live close together, and the families are happy.

Themes and big ideas

Sense versus sensibility: The title sets two ways of living side by side. Elinor uses sense: she thinks carefully and keeps her feelings private. Marianne follows sensibility: she lets her feelings show openly and trusts them completely. When Willoughby breaks her heart, Marianne learns that feelings alone are not enough. Elinor, too, learns she does not have to hide everything. The book suggests that the best way is a mix of both.
Money and family: Because the Dashwood women cannot inherit the house, they must live on very little. In Austen’s time, money often decided who people could marry. Mrs. Ferrars wants a rich wife for Edward, and Willoughby marries for money. The story shows how this pressure can hurt people, and how kindness is worth more than wealth.
Keeping promises and being honest: Elinor keeps Lucy’s secret even though it breaks her heart, and Edward refuses to break his engagement even though it costs him his inheritance. Both choose honour over comfort. Children can talk about when keeping a promise is hard, and why people respect those who do it anyway.
Real love versus show: Willoughby is charming and exciting but not trustworthy. Colonel Brandon seems dull at first but proves loyal in every difficulty. The story shows that what someone does matters more than how impressive they seem, and that real love can grow slowly.
Sisters who support each other: Elinor and Marianne are very different, but they care for each other throughout. Elinor stays with Marianne through her illness and comforts her through her disappointment, and Marianne learns to admire her sister’s strength. Their bond is the heart of the book.

Is Sense and Sensibility right for my child?

Sense and Sensibility is a gentle, mostly quiet story. There is no violence on the page, but families face real hardship: a father dies at the start, the sisters lose their home, and Marianne is heartbroken and then dangerously ill with a fever. A younger girl who is betrayed and left to suffer is mentioned briefly, and there is some talk of a past scandal. The romance is polite and old-fashioned, mostly conversations and hopes, with nothing inappropriate. The original has long sentences, careful social rules and a lot of talk about money, so it is best for confident readers around 13 and up, or as a family read-aloud.

Our retelling for ages 6 to 9 keeps the heart of the story: the two sisters, the move to the cottage, Willoughby’s charm and his broken promise, Elinor’s hidden secret, Marianne’s illness and the happy endings. We soften the sadder and more grown-up parts, simplify the money worries and focus on the friendship between the sisters. It works well for children around 6 to 9, read alone or together.

Questions to talk about

Elinor and Marianne are very different. Which sister are you more like, and why?
Why did Elinor keep Lucy’s secret, even when it made her sad?
How do you think Marianne felt when Willoughby suddenly left?
Colonel Brandon was kind to the Dashwoods all through the story. How did he show it?
Why did Edward refuse to break his promise to Lucy, even though it cost him so much?
Is it better to share your feelings openly, or to keep them private? When might each be right?
What did Marianne learn after she got sick?
Which character would you most like to have as a neighbour, and why?

Questions about Sense and Sensibility

What is Sense and Sensibility about?: It is about two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who lose their family home and must start again in a small cottage. They learn about love, heartbreak, honesty and balancing careful thinking with strong feelings.
How does Sense and Sensibility end?: Edward Ferrars is freed from his secret engagement when Lucy Steele marries his brother Robert instead, and he proposes to Elinor. Marianne, after her heartbreak and illness, comes to love Colonel Brandon and marries him. Both sisters end up happily settled near each other.
What is the moral of Sense and Sensibility?: The best way to live uses both thought and feeling. Elinor’s carefulness and Marianne’s passion each have good and bad sides, and both sisters learn from the other. The book also says that steady kindness matters more than charm.
Who is the main character in Sense and Sensibility?: The story is told mostly through Elinor Dashwood, so she is usually seen as the main character. Her younger sister Marianne is almost as important, and the book follows both of them.
What age is Sense and Sensibility appropriate for?: The original, written in 1811, is best for readers around 13 and up, or for a family reading aloud. A retelling for ages 6 to 9 keeps the story and softens the grown-up parts.
How many chapters are in Sense and Sensibility?: The original has 50 chapters, divided into three volumes.