Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 1 summary

What happens

1. An elderly owner welcomes his nephew's family to Norland, but leaves the estate restricted for the benefit of the nephew's male descendants.
2. Mr. Henry Dashwood dies after holding the estate for one year, leaving ten thousand pounds for his widow and daughters.
3. John promises his dying father to support his stepmother and sisters, and privately plans to give his sisters three thousand pounds.
4. Mrs. John Dashwood arrives without notice after the funeral, offending her mother-in-law, who considers leaving immediately.
5. Elinor persuades her mother to stay and handles family duties while her mother and Marianne encourage each other's grief.
6. The narrator contrasts Elinor's restraint with Marianne's passionate feelings and Margaret's less thoughtful romantic outlook.

In this chapter

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