Abstract: Jane Austen (1775-1817), one of England’s most famous novelists in the late 18th century and the early 19th century, realistically depicts the life and thoughts of British middle-class people at that time. Women's issues being her main concern, she depicts women’s hesitation and sufferings. Sense and Sensibility is Austen’s first-published novel with marriage as its theme. After experiencing profound lessons, Marianne finally realizes that she should have learned from her sister Eleanor's prudent and serious attitudes towards love and marriage. Emma is the last-published novel in Austen’s lifetime. The novel is about how the heroine takes pains to make self-discovery and to get rid of her fantasies. Both of the novels are about the growth of young women, who have suffered a lot from their own faults and finally overcome their own defects to achieve maturity. This paper aims to analyze the growth of the two heroines through the comparison of the two novels. The first part is an introduction to the two heroines. The second part discusses the similarities in their growth. The third part discusses the differences in their growth. The fourth part analyses the causes of their differences. The last part discusses the influence of Jane Austen’s viewpoint on the portrayal of these two heroines.

Keywords: Marianne; Emma; comparison; growth

CONTENTS

摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction . 1

1.1 Marianne’s Growth

1.2 Emma’s Growth

2. Similarities in Both Heroines’ Growth2

  2.1 Marianne’s Growth from Innocence to Maturity

2.2 Emma’s Growth from Innocence to Maturity

3. Differences in Their Growth.3

3.1 Different Ways of Pursuing True Love

3.2 Different Attitudes towards Love and Marriage

4. Causes of Their Differences4

  4.1 Internal Causes

    4.1.1 Marianne’s Abuse of Her Feelings

    4.1.2 Emma’s Imperfect Morality

  4.2 External Causes

    4.2.1 Eleanor’s Guidance

    4.2.2 Mr Knightley’s Guidance 

5. Conclusion6.

Bibliography

Acknowledgments