Shawn Lisa Maurer, “At Seventeen: Adolescence in Sense and Sensibility”

Conventional readings of Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility tend to consider her from the point of view of temperament, as an embodiment of the Romantic “sensibility” referenced in the novel’s title. This article suggests that such readings lack an important dimension: understanding of Marianne as an adolescent who experiences the usual trials of that crucial and often painful stage of development and moves gradually toward adulthood. Shawn Lisa Maurer argues that interpreting Marianne’s development from this perspective offers fresh insight into her character and into readers’ reactions to her character. She frames her argument within a history of evolving perspectives around the concept of adolescence.

Shawn Lisa Maurer, “At Seventeen: Adolescence in Sense and Sensibility”