Outside Reading Post 1

Many times conflicts within relationships are caused due to a clashing of personalities. Form the very beginning of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, we see conflict erupt from eccentric characters. Most of this conflict is caused because of the clashing of personalities of the characters. Mr. Henry Dashwood was a peculiar man who dies at the beginning of the book, acting as a catalyst for the conflict in the house. He left most of his estate to his son of a previous marriage and almost none for his wife and daughters. This illustrates a lack of thoughtfulness on the part of Mr. Dashwood. Mrs. Dashwood and characters are left dependent on the generosity of the son Mr. John Dashwood which is extremely unfortunate because he is very selfish and his wife is even more so. They decide to give next to nothing their stepmother and stepsisters next to nothing and make the environment at Norland very hostile. This leaves Mr. Dashwood and her daughters Eleanor, Marianne and Margaret very upset. The complete, exaggerated selfishness of John Dashwood and his wife is apparent at the begging of the book. We also see the stubbornness and independence of Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters when they decide they must move out of that house. Eleanor then has a new love interest that adds another eccentric personality to the mix. I predict more conflict will come from the relentless, unstoppable clash of personalities.