Sense and Sensibility Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory

Sometimes, there's more to Lit than meets the eye.

Symbols aren't really Austen's thing. Sure, occasionally things ring somewhat symbolic bells for us – for example, how Marianne's passionate music or Elinor's careful, precise drawings express their personalities – but they're not exactly symbols. Really, Austen is concerned with character; she doesn't spent much time describing things and their meanings, but rather she chooses to focus on the purely human aspects of the story. So, be sure to check out "Characters" for all of our thoughts on Sense and Sensibility's cast.