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Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Sense and Sensibility, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Love and Marriage
Character, Sense, and Sensibility
Women in Society
Society and Strategy
Wealth, Class, and Greed
Summary
Analysis
Mrs. Dashwood announced her planned move to everyone at Norland. Edward was dismayed to learn that they would be going so far from Norland. Mrs. Dashwood invited Edward to visit them at Barton, not wanting to break up any possible match between him and Elinor.
Mrs. Dashwood invites Edward specifically in the hopes that he may grow closer to Elinor and propose to her. She is trying to strategize to promote their marriage, while Fanny does her best to prevent it.
Themes
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Mrs. Dashwood sent her furniture to her new cottage and took the opportunity to sell her old carriage, which she didn’t use. She would have kept it because of its sentimental value, but Elinor’s good sense prevailed and they sold it. Servants and maids were sent ahead of time to prepare the cottage for the Dashwoods’ arrival.
Mrs. Dashwood is again inclined to make decisions based on sentiment and emotion, but Elinor’s reason triumphs. The Dashwoods are moving to a small cottage, but still live a very privileged life, with servants and maids.
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This would have been a good time for John to help his sisters as he had promised his father he would, but Fanny persuaded him that letting them stay at Norland for so long was help enough. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters were sad to leave Norland. Marianne, in particular, walked about the house and exclaimed aloud to it, “Dear, dear Norland!”
Fanny continues to manipulate and exercise control over her husband, driven by greed. She began by simply asking him to lessen his planned gift to his sisters, but in the end gets him not to give his sisters anything at all. Marianne dramatically bids farewell to Norland
Themes
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