The Contradiction between Economic Pragmatism and Romantic Sensibility in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Emma

This article examines the contrast between economic pragmatism and romantic sensibility in Jane Austen’s novels, particularly Sense and Sensibility and Emma. Austen provides a nuanced portrayal of how socio-economic pressures shape marital choices, women’s autonomy, and romantic aspirations. Austen performs a thoughtful rendering of her character’s conflicts and choices in her novels. The novel Sense and Sensibility depicts a contradiction between Elinor Dashwood and Marianne Dashwood. The characters Elinor and Marianne embody economic pragmatism and romantic sensibility, respectively. Elinor’s steadfast integrity and prudence in financial matters stand in contrast to Marianne’s idealistic quest for emotional authenticity. This contradiction highlights the economic limitations imposed on women’s autonomy and socio-economic constraints that shape their choices and identities. The minor characters such as John Willoughby and Lucy Steele demonstrate the conflict between financial necessity and romantic idealism. In like manner, in Emma, the central character, Emma Dashwood, depicts the balancing act in negotiating societal expectations and romantic sensibility. In the early stages Emma embodies a practical approach, arranging matches based on social considerations. However, after her personal development and self-awareness, she begins to understand the importance of genuine emotional bonds. The minor characters in Emma, such as Jane Fairfax and Harriet Smith, depict the broader conflict between two seemingly opposite forces that converge within the story. Austen’s depiction of these characters provides a critique of the period’s socio-economic standards, exhibiting the inherent struggle between financial considerations and personal happiness. Through close reading of the primary texts and the use of secondary sources, this paper calls attention to Austen’s insightful observation of women’s emotional and economic struggles in navigating their marriage. Additionally, this study inspects how these novels address women’s position in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, examining the dichotomy between securing one’s fortune and personal happiness.