In novels written during the 1800s, it was common, and popular for, authors to write about current circumstances and the condition of society. They wrote about the desires of individuals during the time period, and their own interpretations of the final outcomes of those desires. Some of the writings were even autobiographical, so the authors used their own experiences to make the outcomes more real. As is evident in both Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, societal norms were heavily emphasized in the characters’ lives; the characters lived by these norms and imagined a society in which everyone they interacted with did the same. In both works, through constant fighting for social acceptance, wealth, love, and trying to boost their economic status, the characters created their own ideal version of society. Due to exaggerated emotions and fighting for optimal lifestyles, the characters were led to their ultimate demise and forced to reimagine their futures.
Being accepted by those in a higher-class status was one goal of the Dashwood family in Sense and Sensibility, especially as seen with Marianne Dashwood. The second oldest of her siblings, Marianne took pride in her ability to attract men from all social classes, though she only wished to be with men who shared the same interests. For example, Colonel Brandon thought Marianne was beautiful, though she did not reciprocate the feelings because his taste did not align with hers; she stated “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.” (Sense and Sensibility 11). Additionally, when the proposal of the two being together was heard by Marianne, she found it “absurd as Colonel Brandon was on the wrong side of thirty-five, and even though not without charm, was not Marianne’s type in the least” (Sense and Sensibility 24). However, she did fall in love with Willoughby because he was from a classy family, handsome, and more like the man she envisioned she would fall in love with. He was also closer to her age than Colonel Brandon, which was a factor Elinor Dashwood recognized as important, as the narrator stated, “She saw it with concern; for what could a silent man of five-and-thirty hope, when opposed by a very lively one of five-and-twenty? and as she could not even wish him successful, she heartily wished him indifferent” (Sense and Sensibility 35).
The Dashwood sisters also believed an education was synonymous with wealth. Their shared thought was that money and education were associated with taste, which was a factor in how they perceived an individual. Even though the Dashwood’s were considered middle class, they were not wealthy, though they had “taste,” so they were seen as higher-class. Having taste was determined by the ability to read, as well as the type of books and music the individual enjoyed. The narrator in Sense and Sensibility described the tastes of Marianne and Willoughby’s as being “strikingly alike” and that “the same books, the same passages were idolized by each” (Sense and Sensibility 33). In contrast, Elinor Dashwood and Edward did not have the same taste, which Marianne saw as problematic, saying, “to satisfy me, those characters must be united” (Sense and Sensibility 11). Indicating that some characters wanted to live in a setting only with people of taste, Matt Fisher wrote that this quote “reinforces our initial impressions of the Dashwood sisters—Elinor as the epitome of reason, Marianne as an idealistic romantic” (Fisher, Matt).
Another important thing to the Dashwood’s was the family name, which was associated with education and wealth. Their cousins, the Lockwood’s, were a highly respectable, wealthy family; the Dashwood’s became more esteemed because of their family connections. Most people who lived near the Dashwood’s knew them, or knew of them, strictly because of their name. This created a higher respect for the Dashwood family. For example, due to their similar status, Marianne became convinced that she was meant to be Willoughby instead of someone of lesser esteem, indicating that similarities in class, wealth, and respectability, were an important factor in relationships during the late 1800’s.
Alluding to the title Sense and Sensibility, Marianne’s character most often showed sensibility and exaggerated emotions. Jane Austen has been addressed by critics, such as Glen McClish, for writing so that the novel “features the tendency in individuals of taste to favor either sense or sensibility” (McClish, Glen). When Willoughby and Marianne’s whirlwind romance ended, she sulked in bed, eventually got up, but refused to be pitied and “forbidding all attempt at consolation from either. Her sensibility was potent enough!” (Sense and Sensibility 59). Marianne also changed her usual activities, refraining from books and music. The narrator described her grieving by saying,
She spent whole hours at the pianoforte alternately singing and crying; her voice often totally suspended by her tears. In books too, as well as in music, she courted the misery which a contrast between the past and present was certain of giving. She read nothing but what they had been used to read together (Sense and Sensibility 59).
This shows how sensitive Marianne was and how it was difficult to forget about a poor situation. It also indicates that allowing emotions to control daily activities can change the course of an individual’s life. One critic wrote how Austen was influenced by the Enlightenment and emotions, as it “presents a classic juxtaposition between reason and emotion as typified by two sisters. Some of the stereotypes of women as excitable, hysterical and over-emotional will be explored…” (Townsend, Rosemary).
Like the Dashwood’s, the Tulliver family in The Mill on the Floss desired to fit in with and be accepted by the residents in St. Ogg’s. “The inhabitants of St. Ogg's, including the Dodson clan, have two primary concerns: social acceptance and the pursuit of wealth” is a quote by Bernard Paris that describes the degree to which this occurs (Paris, Bernard J). Mr. and Mrs. Tulliver fit in quite well, as Mr. Tulliver owned his own mill and worked during the day, while his wife took on the domestic role and had little education. Their children, Tom and Maggie, did not fit in as much as their parents did. Tom, who fit in more than Maggie, was an outdoorsman and knew how to work, but he received higher education; his aunts and uncles, whose opinion mattered highly to Mrs. Tulliver, did not believe he should go to school. He was against the idea at first because he did not deem it necessary in order to work, though he did what was instructed of him. Maggie on the other hand, did not fit in with anyone, but she desired to. Maggie had dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark complexion. This was a stark contrast to others in Maggie’s family, with their light-colored hair and skin, though her mother mainly compared her to cousin Lucy. Mrs. Tulliver was obsessed with the appearance of Maggie because beauty was an indicator of status and what type of man a woman would marry, though Maggie did not understand her mother’s logic. As previously mentioned, Mrs. Tulliver always considered what her siblings and brothers-in-law would think about her decisions, especially regarding Maggie and Tom Tulliver, because she desired to fit in.
In addition to fitting in with society and appearance, the wife of Mr. Tulliver both ignored and discounted the offensive dry humor the man seemed to have. Whenever Mrs. Tulliver would say something that her husband disagreed with or did not care to talk about, the narrator described him as having “a marital habit of not listening very closely” (The Mill on the Floss 11). Furthermore, Mr. Tulliver often bragged about how he married a woman who was not intelligent, and how he did not want to marry for brains. He went so far to tell his wife how ignorant he thought she was, saying, “…Tom hasn’t got the right sort o’ brains for a smart fellow…he takes after your family, Bessy” (The Mill on the Floss 12). The narrator revealed that Mrs. Tulliver “accept[ed] the last proposition entirely on its own merits,” which indicated that she was not bothered by the unkind words of her husband (The Mill on the Floss 12). In doing so, the reader can gather that even if Mrs. Tulliver was disturbed by Mr. Tulliver’s sayings, she most likely would not have shown her frustration through actions or words, in order to keep up appearances.
The pursuit of wealth and improving status were influenced by education in The Mill on the Floss, similar to Sense and Sensibility. Commonly, only those with money could afford education. Because the Tulliver family owned the mill and had access to money, Mr. Tulliver wanted Tom to “know figures, and write like print…and see into things quick…” (The Mill on the Floss 22). A family friend, Mr. Riley, could not present his son with the same opportunity, though he said, “I should have tried to do so by a son of mine…I haven’t your ready money to play with” (The Mill on the Floss 20). Tom receiving a private education would give him a better chance of getting a stable career, as well as boost his social standing.
Mrs. Tulliver’s family, the Dodson’s were a highly esteemed family in St. Ogg’s, so the respect remained with Mrs. Tulliver even after she was married. The narrator in The Mill on the Floss described Mrs. Tulliver in such a manner: “…she had been a Miss Dodson, and the Dodson’s were a very respectable family indeed…” (The Mill on the Floss 43). This “fame” contributed to Mrs. Tulliver’s focus on appearance. One scholar seemed to think that though the narrator in the novel stated “there were some Dodsons less like the family than others – that was admitted – but in so far as they were 'kin', they were of necessity better than those who were 'no kin',” the idea of the Dodson’s being better than others was an “unswerving faith in their superiority as a family” (The Mill on the Floss 43; Ashton, Rosemary).
Similar to Marianne Dashwood’s character in Sense and Sensibility, Maggie and Tom Tulliver also regularly exhibited sensibility. For example, Maggie was especially emotional in regards to her brother Tom. When asked if she could go with her father to visit Tom at his school, Mr. Tulliver said no. Maggie responded in an impulsive way: she “dipped her head in a basin of water” (The Mill on the Floss 27). Another instance in which one of the Tulliver siblings were overly emotional was when Tom gave Maggie fish-line. After he gave her the gift, he discovered that his rabbits left in Maggie’s care were dead and he immediately said, “…I’m sorry I bought you the fish-line. I don’t love you” (The Mill on the Floss 36). Though Tom was initially proud of giving Maggie a gift, his response completely changed when he received bad news. Both Maggie and Tom were subject to their emotions controlling their lives-from their actions, to responses, and even their relationship with others.
Throughout both novels, there is a contrast between characters who show extreme emotion in most situations and those who invert their true feelings in order to keep up appearances. Regardless of the contrasting traits, all characters focused on most social norms, and desired to be accepted. They also redistributed the ideas about high economic status, either indirectly-Tom went to school per his father’s wishes-or directly-such as Marianne wishing to marry Willoughby because they shared the same taste and desire to be wealthy. Though the characters wished for an almost perfect life, most of them did not get a happy ending. Tom and Maggie both died at the end of The Mill on the Floss; Mr. Tulliver went bankrupt; Marianne lost Willoughby and married Colonel Brandon; and Elinor Dashwood’s heart was broken by Edward, though they reconciled later in Sense and Sensibility. This indicates that Jane Austen and George Eliot believed that it was somewhat dangerous to desire what the characters in their novels did, because ultimately, an individual may be less happy in the end.