Sense or Sensibility? : a comparative study of Austen's novel and two adaptations

This thesis examines the difference between Jane Austen s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility (1811), and two filmic adaptations by Ang Lee (1995) and Rodney Bennet (1985). The main emphasis is on narrative techniques and how these are employed differently in the two media. Naturally, an adaptation from one medium to another causes alterations in the original storyline. A visual medium can never duplicate a written text completely. An author s choice of narrative techniques is influenced by the context s/he is writing in, and by the message(s) s/he is trying to communicate to his or her readers. Through a narrative interpretation of Austen s novel, I have tried to define the thematic implications that her choice of narrative techniques constitutes. My analysis focuses mainly on the narrator and the characters, which I consider the most important narrative tools an author has. The comparison between the novel and the films considers the directors choices; how these influence the storyline and why they are necessary. I argue that a filmic adaptation is also influenced by the time in which it is made, and the message(s) the director wishes to communicate to the viewers