The Life of Leisure

Beginning “Sense and Sensibility,” I was surprised by how much easier it was to read a novel with an omniscient narrator versus the epistolary novels we have previously read. The narrator’s presence makes the story (in my mind) more enjoyable and makes me, as a reader, less suspicious and confused by the plot. As we discussed, the epistolary novel, as a form, necessitates that the characters (as letter writers) be separate from one another.  The epistolary form seemed less interesting to me because the characters were rarely all together and it was often extremely apparent that people were missing from the party. The way “Sense and Sensibility” is written, however, necessitates that the characters always be together. My main observation from volume I of this novel is that no one during this time was ever really doing anything. Instead of being employed (in the modern sense of the word) the characters live off of their inheritances and land and simply travel around visiting one another. Characters are constantly popping in for visits (such as Edward, Colonel Brandon, and Willoughby) or are being “discovered” nearby and invited to stay, such as the Miss Steeles. While this life of leisure is certainly convenient for the sake of the plot, as a reader the constant movement of characters and the frequency with which they disappear and reappear is slightly tiresome and difficult to mentally manage.