Often, two people who have had similar life experiences and share an unmistakable parallel in lifestyle can be seen as duplicates of one individual. In Sense and Sensibility, the two main characters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, can be seen as two extensions of the same character. The sisters are relatively close in age, grew up with the same social expectations in the same period and in the same family unit, and evidently experienced similar family and childhood traumas and problems. Although it can be argued that they are the same character, these young women are very different from each other, regarding their roles and practice of responsibility, their display of emotions and openness to love. Jane Austen cleverly titled this novel Sense and Sensibility to highlight the girls' different personalities and how they contrast with each other. As Harold Bloom explores in his criticism of Jane Austen's works, "Sense and Sensibility is really about the relations between sense and sensibility, or as we might say, between head and heart, thought and feeling, judgment and emotion" (Bloom, 23). Elinor, being the older and more rational of the two, is depicted as Sense, as she is the more rational of the two, and Marianne is labeled as Sensitivity, being the more dramatic and romantic one. Despite obvious similarities in lifestyle and upbringing, young women have developed very different ideas about self-regulation, poise, and trustworthiness. In terms of responsibility, Elinor is much more dedicated in her commitments and actions towards the people she loves than her sister. , and shows this constantly throughout the novel. Elinor especially has a great responsibility within her family, as she continually demonstrates... middle of paper... that she loves. At the beginning of the novel, the girls seem trapped in their own perceptions, but toward the end they learn that a balance between rationalism and romanticism is essential to living a stabilized life of exhilaration and boundaries. The "twists of fate and different life perspectives within the same family prove to be a satisfying juxtaposition of values" (California Book Watch). This shows that sometimes differences can lead to a realization, where one sees what is missing in their life that will provide a life of balance and classicism, just as the Dashwood sisters learn to do. Works Cited Austen, Jane. Reason and sensitivity. New York: Knopf Publishing Group, 2006. Print.Bloom, Harold. Jane Austen. New York: Infobase Pub., 2003. Print."Sense and Sensibility." California Bookwatch. May 2006. Gale Power Research. Network. January 9. 2012.