The qualities Jane Austen valued in the women of "Sense and Sensibility"

Good looks are never as important as personal qualities of spirit and cultural understanding in the heroines of Jane Austen's novels. "Sense and Sensibility" briefly touches on the appearances of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, but this is not until chapter ten, rather than the initial descriptions of them in chapter one, showing Austen's thoughts of outer beauty as insignificant. Elinor possesses "a strength of understanding and coolness of judgement" also having "an excellent heart - …

…holds an openness and transparency in her emotions and opinions of others. She doesn't suffer fools gladly, even becoming rude to those who she doesn't care for. Contrasted to the discretion and unfailing propriety of Elinor, this behaviour is portrayed by Austen as inappropriate, even dangerous for a genteel young woman of her time. This is clearly evident through Austen's heavy condemnation of Marianne and Willoughby's horse trip alone, heard through the voice of Elinor.