Sense and sensibility

Jane Austen originally entitled Sense and Sensibility ‘Elinor and Marianne,’ but in deliberating on a new title for publication, she could well have considered ‘Prudence and Imprudence’, for these words echo through the novel as consistently as ‘sense’ and ‘sensibility. The novel’s heroine, Elinor Dashwood, displays the kind of good sense which is regularly attributed to ‘prudence. She observes closely, cautiously weighing up situations, and ultimately follows the most politic course without compromising her principles or hurting others. By contrast, her sister, Marianne, behaves with ‘imprudence.