How's this sound??..

Austen teaches the reader in Sense and Sensibility, "to see what is really there and not what one wishes to see".(Blackwell 115)

Many characters underline the contribution to the theme of expectation versus reality. These characters often "misuse evidence in unexpected ways,"(Blackwell 121) through situations or characters.

Edward Ferrars plays a small role to this theme. Lucy Steele expects to marry him, but little does she know, he is in love with Elinor. Edward was only engaged with Lucy because of money and his mother, but he loved Elinor. Edwards' mother had a "resolution that both her sons should marry" (Austen 23). It seems that she would want her sons to marry for love but that isnt the case, she wants them to marry for money.

Another character that plays a small role in the theme is Lucy Steele.Of course, she expected to marry Edward but after she found out his situation with Elinor they called the wedding off, and she actually married Edwards' brother Robert. Also, a situation with Lucy was when she seemed very happy to learn about the Colonels offer of the parsonage. But in reality, she couldn鈥檛 "restrain her selfish interests even towards someone who just helped her out."(Bookrags 26)

Mrs. Jennings is a character that showed to be very gossipy, nosey, and always "said witty things on the subject of lovers".(Austen 34) Although, Mrs. Jennings is what she appears, her intentions are good. She "missed no opportunity of projecting weddings among the young people".(Austen 36) The expectation was not that she tried to put people together but it seemed as though she knew when two would be together. For example, it was only alittle while after Marianne and Colonel Brandon met and Mrs. Jennings told Elinor that they would be married by the Spring and they were.