Jane Austen's Sense And Sensibility And The Oed Essays Example

Communication

I have chosen the phrase “admired as a lover and not as a connoisseur” in the novel Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. The phrase reinforces the first impressions of the sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Elinor is the symbol of reason, while Marianne can be described as an idealistic romantic. This interpretation of the quotation definitely holds true for the siblings. In the novel, Marianne said that the qualities of the lover and the connoisseur must be united in her her criticism of Edward’s taste, who is the Elinor’s beau. Edward appreciates Elinor’s drawings simply because they are the work of his loved one, and not because of their intrinsic worth.
The term connoisseurship is closely related to the word “cognition” since a connoisseur is one who appreciates the intrinsic beauty of a work of art. The term “lover” refers to a person with passionate emotion Hence, the admiration of Edward of Elinor’s work can be described as admiration of a lover for the work of his beau. Marianne argues that Edward’s is biased because of his “innate propriety and simplicity of taste” (Fisher 216).
Thus, a person must learn to become both a lover and a connoisseur. Marianne’s form of connoisseurship will appear less mature than Elinor’s. However, it does not mean that one is superior over the other. Marianne can be identified as a sympathetic character but, her perspective is less cautious and discerning that can cause trouble for her based on the scenes shown throughout the novel (Fisher 218). Based on Marianne’s character, it was revealed that she cannot meet her own requirements for “connoisseurship” because of her immaturity and considering the feelings of others, rather than her own.

Work Cited:

Fisher, Matt. “Love and 'Connoisseurship”. In Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.”
 Explicator 68.4 (2010): 216-218.