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It has been said that Sense and Sensibility is a novel full of secrets. Identify a few of the secrets and what role they play in the story (in your own words only).  Here's a key detail to consider: *who* are they keeping this secret from, and why? do any other characters know the secret? Why?

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It has been said that Sense and Sensibility is a novel full of secrets. Identify a few of the secrets and what role they play in the story (in your own words only).  Here's a key detail to consider: *who* are they keeping this secret from, and why? do any other characters know the secret? Why?

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The first secret that comes to mind is Edward's secret engagement to Lucy. This secret is between Edward and Lucky only. Edward keeps this a secret because Elinor can't find out and Lucy keeps this a secret because she feels that Edward's wealthy family wouldn't approve of her since she is not as high up as them socially and economically. This secret plays a big role in the story because of the effect it had on Elinor and the strain it brings to the story as a whole.

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Elinor's interest in Edward Ferrars is kept mostly to herself. Although Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood have their suspicions, she keeps this secret from virtually everyone. This is another example of why Elinor depicts "sense" in the novel. She keeps her composure and thinks with logic rather than her heart, like her sister. She appreciates self-control and believes that it will bring her better outcomes than sharing her feelings and bursting out with emotion. Elinor chooses not to tell her family nor Edward because she wants to appear proper and patient. She also hopes that Edward will share her feelings one-day, and that it is better to wait until then.

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throughout the novel each character carries their own secrets and reservations. For example Elinor Dashwood is very reserved about her emotions. While it is evident she harbors feelings for Edward she refuses to confess her love to her mother and sisters, and even seems to struggle to grapple her emotions and to admit her attraction to herself. While Marianne is much more open about her emotions, even she has her own secrets. When Willoughby abruptly leaves she is evidently upset, but refuses to communicate what passed between the two of them before his leave. She is also secretive about what the pair were up to when they went to drive to his estate. Furthermore Edward carries a secret about the lock of hair he has on his ring. He tells the Dashwood girls it belongs to his sister although the girls suspect he stole it from elinor because it matches her shade. However Lucy Steele confides in Elinor that the hair is hers. The greatest secret revealed so far in the text is that Lucy Steele has been engaged to Edward for four years. This is intriguing because Edward has not said anything about this but has been flirting with Elinor. This turns into yet another secret because Elinor does not confide in anyone.

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One thing that stood out to me before Edward Ferrars’ secret was revealed was how Marianne’s judgement foreshadowed his inner conflict and the eventual revelation of his hidden engagement, simply because he was not as open with his feelings toward Elinor. Secrets drive much of the novel’s tension, especially for Edward and Elinor. His engagement to Lucy Steele is kept a secret from Elinor even as he develops a close bond with her; and Lucy is also in on this secret, but she does ultimately confide in Elinor and exposes Edward—which complicates her feelings for him. I found it intriguing how Elinor, too, keeps her knowledge of Edward’s engagement a secret from Marianne and the rest of her family. By bearing the weight of this knowledge alone, she is kind of shielding her loved ones from the distress it would bring even if it intensifies her suffering.

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Another important secret in Sense and Sensibility revolves around Marianne Dashwood’s health and her true feelings for John Willoughby. After Willoughby suddenly ends their romantic relationship, Marianne is heartbroken and becomes very ill. Her family is scared for her health and worries that she might not recover. Even though they are concerned about her, Marianne chooses not to fully share how deeply she is hurting. She feels a mix of betrayal and sadness but keeps most of these feelings to herself, expressing them only when she is alone. Marianne doesn’t tell her sister, Elinor, everything she is going through, even though Elinor is already dealing with her own sadness over Edward Ferrars. Elinor can tell that something is wrong with Marianne, but she doesn’t understand how serious the situation is or how much pain Marianne is really in. This secret reveals Marianne's intense emotions and her struggle to balance her passionate feelings with what society expects of her. By not sharing her feelings, Marianne shows how difficult it can be to be honest about emotional pain. This leads to a situation where her hidden sadness affects her health and her relationships with those around her. The theme of emotional resilience comes into play here, as Marianne's journey demonstrates how unexpressed feelings can have a significant impact on a person’s well-being and connections with others.

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The biggest secret revealed so far in the novel is Edward's secret engagement to Lucy Steele. Edward's demeanor towards Elinor at the very beginning of the novel was very respectful and affectionate, but still quite reserved. Elinor kept her attraction to him a secret as well, because she wants to maintain some propriety and appear sensible and slow because she doesn't want to burden her family with her emotions. Throughout her silent romance, we see her wait for Edward to visit but he never does. When Lucy reveals to Elinor that she has been secretly engaged to him, she is heartbroken and shocked to her core. Edward's intentions behind this secret are very clear: his family wants him to marry someone with money and Lucy's family doesn't have it. It's unclear whether his affections towards Lucy are as genuine as for Elinor, because she shared that Lucy and Edward haven't seen each other very often since their engagement. The only people who are aware of the secret are Edward, Lucy, and now Elinor. It's strange to me that Lucy would confide this secret in Elinor, especially since they had just met, and this is very sensitive information. My theory is that Lucy knew about Edward and Elinor's blooming relationship and said this to Elinor in order to manipulate her and scare her away from Edward. There's still so much we don't know about this situation at this point in the reading, unfortunately, but I have a strong feeling this will be of utmost importance later in the plot.

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One of the secrets of Sense and Sensibility that stood out to me the most is the romance between Elinor and Edward. Throughout the novel we see Elinor try to hide her feelings for Mr.Ferrars from the rest of her sisters and mother. This secret drives the novel up to the plot twist where Elinor finds out that Edward has been engaged the whole time to Miss Lucy Steele. In my opinion the secret that Elinor keeps from her family is for her own protection. The secret engagement of Lucy and Edward would have caused a huge conflict if Elinor had made her feelings for him more public from the beginning. It is interesting to see how she may have been correct in keeping her romance with Edward quiet. Perhaps being quiet and sensible is the best way to be, unlike Marianne who is very outgoing and prideful with her romantic advances.

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In Sense and Sensibility, the secrets play a cardinal role in the forging and shaping of relationships between characters. Such secrets include Edward Ferrars's secret engagement with Lucy Steele, a secret he keeps from family, Elinor, and society. Edward keeps his secret because he does not want his family to be disappointed and lose his inheritance; it leads to misunderstandings and heartache for Elinor as she learns through Lucy. There is another secret, that of Willoughby's secret connection to Eliza, which he cleverly obfuscates for the sake of maintaining his reputation. Only Colonel Brandon knows of it, and it is this very fact that allows him to sandbag Marianne without contradicting her in point of fact for fear of implicating Willoughby. Thus, secrets help in elaboration on the themes of honor, trust, and societal pressure, as well as the costs and consequences of secrecy in their life.

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I think there are many secrets in sense and sensibility. Elinor for example keeps her relationship with Edward hidden. She refuses to tell her sister any details and won't express her true feelings. It is hard to tell if this is because she does not want anyone to know or if she doesn't know herself. Another secret is Brandon's life in London. He disappears randomly and people speculate if it s about money or a bastard child. Yet, he wants the Dashwood's to visit him so it must not be anything really bad.

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There is a lot of secrecy in this novel and I think we can see that very early on when Elinor refuses to speak about her feelings for Edward. She keeps her true feelings for him a big secret as if her family can't tell she's totally swooning for him. I think Elinor might try to keep this a secret because she doesn't want to admit to herself that she loves Edward, because she seems a little uncomfortable with her feelings. Another big secret between this couple is Edwards secret engagement to Lucy, which is of course a huge deal considering him and Elinor have grown to be so connected. I think it's obvious why Edward would keep this a secret, because he is afraid of losing Elinor. Lucy is the only other person to know about this secret because they are afraid Edwards family will not approve of her.

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In Sense and Sensibility there are multiple characters that keep secrets from one another. For example we see Elinor keep her relationship with Edward away from her sister. We also see Edward and Lucy Steele's engagement kept a secret from everyone. This engagement is kept secret because Edwards family disapproves of the engagement. Both of these relationships are kept a secret from one another. Lucy tells Elinor about her engagement to Edward and that crushes Elinor as she is also involved with Edward. I find it very interesting that Edward is engaged to Lucy and is also showing interest in Elinor.

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In Sense and Sensibility, a few secrets come to mind, but one that stood out the most to me was Edward Ferrars' engagement with Lucy Steele. This secret was kept from Elinor Dashwood, who he became close with, and we started to see a romantic side form. He felt bound to the promise of marriage despite his strong feelings towards Elinor. This was also kept from the Ferrars Family. Edward kept his engagement to Lucy a secret because he feared that his family would disapprove and would take him out of the inheritance. The only person who knew about the engagement was Lucy and she later exposed the truth to Elinor with confidence, and from there on the secret was spread to Edward's family which led him to be taken out of the inheritance. Overall, this secret was the most interesting and makes me question Lucy's intentions of telling Elinor considering they just met.

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One of the biggest secrets in my opinion is the fact that Willoughby isn't exactly who everyone thinks he is. Even I was fooled as a reader into thinking Willoughby was Marianne's soulmate and his behavior was highly indicative of that. He made even the other Dashwood women believe in him unclouded by romantic feelings. It's so abrupt and shocking the way this comes about leaving the readers just as shocked and blindsided as Marianne. The reveal of his true intentions is devastating. I think Colonel Brandon could see right through Willoughby's act because he knew just what kind of man he was due to his seemingly shady past.

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A secret that is present in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen is Edward's secret engagement to Lucy which is later shared to Elinor from Lucy herself. Lucy tells Elinor this secret in hopes that she will back off and stop showing interest in Edward. Another secret is Elinor and Edwards love for each other. Due to the circumstances of the secret engagement it is forbidden for them to be together because they have an image to uphold in society. This secret weighs down on Elinor and strains her in the story.

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Sense and Sensibility follows the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, as they navigate love and adversity when their father dies, leaving them practically penniless. Elinor, prudent and conservative, falls for Edward Ferrars, who is constrained by family obligations, whilst the passionate Marianne gets swept away by the beautiful but untrustworthy Willoughby. Colonel Brandon, albeit quieter, provides consistent, honorable affection. Austen's contrasting romances with the sisters address themes of love, duty, and the balance between reason and passion.

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In Sense and Sensibility, each character carries a secret that deeply affects their relationships and the unfolding of the story:

Edward Ferrars: Edward is secretly engaged to Lucy Steele, a woman he no longer loves, due to a youthful, impulsive decision. His family pressures him to marry for wealth and status, but he keeps this engagement hidden, especially from Elinor, whom he truly loves. This secret creates tension and heartbreak for Elinor when she eventually learns the truth.

John Willoughby: Willoughby has a hidden relationship with another woman, Eliza, whom he seduced, abandoned, and left pregnant. This past behavior becomes a dark stain on his character and a reason why he ultimately leaves Marianne to marry a wealthy woman instead. His charming persona masks his lack of integrity and commitment.

Colonel Brandon: Brandon keeps the story of his past love, also named Eliza, a secret. He was once deeply in love with her, but she was forced into an unhappy marriage and suffered greatly, eventually passing away. This tragic history drives him to protect Marianne from Willoughby, whom he knows to be dangerous. His secret reveals his depth of feeling and honor.

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The main secret that comes to mind for me is Lucy and Edward's secret engagement. This secret is kept from Elinor, who Edward really loves. Edward keeps this secret because he feels it is his duty to stay loyal to his engagement with Lucy. Other people do not know about this secret, only Lucy Edward and Elinor. A secret that is connected to that as well is Elinor's love for Edward. She does not tell Edward or her family because she thinks it's smarter for her to be more patient with Edward and not share how she feels right away without knowing how he feels. Another very important secret is Colonel Brandon's past relationship with Eliza Williams, Colonel Brandon keeps this secret from most including Elinor for a long time. He eventually ends up telling Elinor about Eliza and his heartbreak dealing with her which ends up Elinor understanding Colonel Brandon even more than before and them having a stronger bond