A Study of Novel

Name : Chudasama Diptiba Pravinsinh 

Year : T.Y.B.A. sem- 5 

Subject : English 

Paper Name : A Study of the Novel 

Class Assignment : Presentation on Pride and Prejudice 

Home Assignment : The Conflict Between Sense and Sensibility in women's Lives 

Essay : " The Old Man and the sea : struggle and the perspective of defeat "

Submitted to : Shivani Astik

Submission Date : 27/8/2025 

Class Assignment 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Home Assignment 

The Conflict Between Sense and Sensibility in women's Lives 

• Introduction 

Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility(1811) is more than a romantic tale—it is a social commentary on the lives of women in the early 19th century. 

The novel explores how women struggled to balance "society’s rigid expectations"with their "personal desires".Through the contrasting characters of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, Austen highlights the tension between "sense (reason, restraint, and duty)" and "sensibility (emotion, passion, and individuality)".

• About Jane Austen 

Jane Austen ( 1775 - 1817 ) was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels,which implicitly interpret, critique and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century.

• Notable Works 

1. Sense and Sensibility ( 1811 )

2. Pride and Prejudice ( 1813 ) 

3. Mansfield Park ( 1814 )

4. Emma ( 1816 ) 

5. Northanger Abbey ( 1817 ) 

6. Persuasion ( 1817 )

• About The Novel 

Sense and Sensibility is the first novel by the English author Jane Austen.

Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811.

Working title : Elinor and Marianne 

• Summary of Sense and Sensibility 

'Sense and Sensibility'  tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, after the death of their father. Due to inheritance laws, they lose their family estate and must depend on relatives. 

Elinor, guided by reason and self-control, secretly suffers when the man she loves, Edward Ferrars, is engaged to another. Marianne, guided by passion and romantic ideals, falls for the charming Willoughby, who later abandons her for wealth.

 Through hardships, heartbreak, and social pressures, both sisters grow: Elinor learns to express her feelings, and Marianne learns to value caution. 

The novel ends with Elinor marrying Edward and Marianne marrying Colonel Brandon, showing a balance of sense and sensibility.

• The Conflict Between Sense and Sensibility in women's Lives 

🌸" Elinor Dashwood – The Strength of Sense" 

Elinor represents practicality, patience, and responsibility. When she discovers Edward Ferrars’ secret engagement to Lucy Steele, she suffers silently.

 Instead of expressing her heartbreak, she protects her family’s peace and dignity. Austen shows how women like Elinor were forced to sacrifice their personal happiness to fulfill family and social duties.

💠 Elinor's Dialogue 

1.On hiding her heartbreak 

After learning about Edward’s secret engagement, she says to herself:

Elinor:

“I will be calm. I will be mistress of myself.”

🔹 This is one of Elinor’s most famous lines. It perfectly reflects her discipline and strength—she chooses composure over emotional outburst.

🩷"Marianne Dashwood – The Power and Danger of Sensibility"

Marianne represents openness, passion, and honesty in love. She falls deeply for Willoughby, believing in romantic ideals over societal caution.

 However, when Willoughby abandons her for wealth, Marianne experiences heartbreak and social criticism for being too expressive. By the end, she learns to combine passion with practicality, marrying Colonel Brandon, which represents a balance of love and security.

💠 Marianne's Dialogue 

1. On love and passion 

When discussing love, Marianne insists that true love must be all-consuming:

Marianne:

“I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own. He must enter into all my feelings; the same books, the same music must charm us both.”

🔹 Shows her emotional idealism—she expects perfect harmony in love.

• Societal Pressures on Women

🔹 Inheritance laws left women financially dependent on men.

🔹Marriage was considered a necessity rather than a free choice.

🔹Women were judged harshly if they showed too much independence or emotion.

🔹Characters like Lucy Steele demonstrate how women sometimes used manipulation  to secure survival.

• Austen’s Message

Austen suggests that neither extreme sense nor extreme sensibility is enough. Instead:

🔹Elinor learns to value emotional openness.

🔹 Marianne learns to practice caution and restraint.

The novel argues that a balanced approach between reason and passion is essential for women to survive and find happiness in society.

• Conclusion

'Sense and Sensibility' portrays the struggles of women as they faced "societal restrictions versus personal desires". Through Elinor and Marianne, Austen shows how women were not weak but resilient, adapting to challenges with both strength and emotion. The novel ultimately conveys that a "harmonious balance of sense and sensibility"is the key to a fulfilling life.

• References

▪️Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. 1811.

▪️Johnson, Claudia. 'Jane Austen: Women, Politics, and the Novel'. University of Chicago Press, 1988.

▪️ Butler, Marilyn. Jane Austen and the War of Ideas*. Clarendon Press, 1975.

▪️Jane Austen Image 

https://share.google/images/b6zFHkKcktGAJJu8w.

Essay 

"The Old Man and the sea : Struggle and the perspective of defeat" 

• About Ernest Hemingway 

Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) was an American novelist, short story writer, and journalist, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.

 Known for his simple, direct writing style and themes of courage, struggle, and endurance, Hemingway became a major literary figure.

•  Notable Works 

  1.The Sun Also Rises (1926)

  2.A Farewell to Arms(1929)

  3. For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)

  4. The Old Man and the Sea (1952)

• Prizes 

🔹 The Old Man and the sea, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953.

 🔹In 1954,He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. 

Hemingway’s adventurous life, love of travel, and wartime experiences shaped his fiction, making his works both realistic and deeply human.

• Introduction 

Ernest Hemingway’s 'The Old Man and the Sea' is more than the story of a fisherman battling a giant marlin. It is a timeless reflection on human struggle, resilience, and the meaning of defeat.

 Through Santiago, the old fisherman, Hemingway suggests that struggle is an unending part of life. What defines a person is not whether they win or lose but how they face the struggle—with courage, dignity, and endurance.

• Life as Continuous Struggle

From the very beginning of the novella, Santiago’s life is marked by hardship. He has gone eighty-four days without catching a fish, and others in the village see him as unlucky. Yet Santiago does not give up. Instead, he prepares himself with determination and goes far out into the sea. 

This persistence reflects Hemingway’s central idea: life is made of struggles, and one must keep fighting even when failure seems endless. Santiago’s journey symbolizes the universal human experience of persistence in the face of adversity.

• The Battle with the Marlin

The struggle with the marlin becomes the ultimate test of Santiago’s spirit. For days, he fights the giant fish, enduring pain, hunger, and exhaustion.

 But what makes this battle meaningful is not just the possibility of victory but the way Santiago faces it—with respect for his opponent and faith in himself. He sees the marlin not as an enemy but as a noble rival. This perspective shows that struggle itself carries dignity, even when the outcome is uncertain.

• Defeat and Perspective

When sharks devour the marlin, Santiago seemingly loses everything. He returns to shore with only the skeleton, exhausted and empty-handed. Yet this moment is not one of despair. 

Instead, it demonstrates that defeat is a matter of perspective. Santiago may have lost the fish, but he has not lost his pride, his courage, or his will.

 His famous words, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated,” capture Hemingway’s belief that the human spirit can endure suffering and loss without surrender. The villagers admire his endurance, and Manolin pledges to fish with him again. 

Hemingway suggests that defeat is never final if one endures with honor—it becomes another form of triumph.

• Message of the Novella

The central message of The Old Man and the Sea is that life is a constant struggle, but what matters most is the dignity with which one faces it.

 Success is temporary, and defeat is inevitable at times, but the human spirit achieves greatness through persistence and resilience. Santiago’s story reminds us that even in apparent loss, there is spiritual victory.

 Hemingway conveys that true strength lies not in conquering life but in enduring it with courage and grace. His famous idea, “Courage is grace under pressure,” is reflected in Santiago’s attitude throughout the novella.

• Conclusion

'The Old Man and the Sea' teaches us that life is a continuous struggle, but the true measure of a person lies in how they face it. Santiago shows that defeat is not the end; it is part of life’s cycle of effort, endurance, and dignity. Hemingway’s novella reminds us that while success may fade, the spirit to fight on gives meaning to human existence. In the end, struggle itself becomes the true victory.

• References

▪️Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1952.

▪️Baker, Carlos. Hemingway: The Writer as Artist*. Princeton University Press, 1972.

▪️Bloom, Harold, ed. Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Chelsea House, 2008.

▪️ Quote of Ernest Hemingway 

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d6/a0/27/d6a027aec1b3f6da524245f052991bb5.jpg?hl=en-GB