Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

In this module, Professor John Mullan thinks about the role of money in the novel, focusing in particular on: (i) Marianne's claim that money hardly matters at all ("it can afford no real satisfaction, as far as mere self is concerned"); (ii) the sheer extent of Marianne's wealth, and the absurdity of her claim that she barely has enough to live on; (iii) the extent to which characters in the novel are hypocritical about money; (iv) the extent to which money is linked to power, and the extent to which this follows gender lines - focusing in particular on Edward Ferrars and Mrs Jennings; (v) the painstaking precision with which Austen describes the financial situation of the Dashwood family; and (vi) the extent to which characters judge each other based on how wealthy they are.
This lecture is part of a larger course on 'Sense and Sensibility'. The full course can be found here: massolit.io/courses/austen-se...
MASSOLIT works with university academics to produce short video lectures in the arts, humanities and social sciences. It is available to schools and colleges on an institutional license as well as via private subscription: www.massolit.io/?source=yt

[@val_nightlily]

Marianne is seventeen. She's a ditzy teenager who has never had to pay her own bills. Elinor has to explain to her why she can't accept Willoughby's gift of a horse. "Most unwilling was she to awaken from such a dream of felicity to comprehend all the unhappy truths which attended the affair..."

[@carlatate7678]

And Elinor is an extremely sensible nineteen.

[@benedictcowell6547]

I agree. I have a friend who said of his eldest daughter, [17] 'She is on the cusp of divinity opinionated , intolerant, high principled, ardent' This could be a description of a teenager. In any ways Marianne is an anachronism, a portrait of of a modern teenager on the cusp of young to University

[@chronicstitcher7933]

I could sit in a class room and listen to you talk about Jane Austen all day long.

[@coloraturaElise]

Yes, I'd love to take a course or two on Austen from Prof. Mullan!

[@ellie698]

I agree, I wish you'd been my English literature teacher. I had been a voracious reader all my childhood but the woman who taught me in high school put me off reading until my 40's 😕

[@pmarkhill519]

Me too🎉!

[@anitahaslam2302]

“If you only had the merest pittance-enough for a flat in Mayfair and a little weekend place in the country somewhere and a couple of good cars and a villa in the South of France and a bit of trout fishing on some decent river, I would risk all for love.”

[@jillkjv3816]

It's wonderful to see Marianne's character growth from the beginning to the end of the novel. When you first see her she is impetuous and passionate, but by the end she has grown and matured and even become wise. Part of that is due to a broken heart, but isn't that when we often learn life's most important lessons?

[@elspuddo]

Thank you for your time Professor Mullan, I completely enjoyed your lecture! Let us not be Impecunious, and want not for voltage!

[@emmaphilo4049]

I love Jane Austen so much. The way she talks about the realities of women at the time is unparalleled. Money is so important to afford the basics of life, still completely so relevant. It's great to see that question to be treated under the female gaze.

[@laletique]

That is great video - intelligent and truly interesting! Thank you!

[@micheleheddane3804]

I think that a help in understanding the novels it is enlightening to read a Jane Austen biography. Money was a big problem for the Austens

[@johnmulvey5121]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[@kevinrussell1144]

Great discussion. On the topic of filthy lucre, some idea of value can be achieved by translating an English sovereign (a pound coin equivalent) into today's gold price. 2,000 pounds, each worth a little shy of $500 in gold in today's money (a little less than 1/4 troy ounce), equates to nearly $1million. Not a bad competency, indeed.

[@maureenball6733]

I find Mrs John Dashwood more loathesome than Mrs Norris.

[@judinasiv]

Massolit as in Boulgakov? Hm

[@julieb7785]

Love this...reading s and s now and noticed the immediate dive into $$...years ago I read a ref. to this in book by NYT music critic who explained that historians and

[@julieb7785]

...economist rely on J.A.s detailed financial explanations...Schonberg is therefore able to describe the financial status of the Mozart family.

[@micheleheddane3804]

Marianne is lovely, such a teenager, all ideals and opinions and no understanding of reality