Sensibility
An 18th-century literary and cultural mode emphasising emotional responsiveness, sentimentality, sympathy for others' suffering, and the moral value of feeling. Literature of sensibility celebrates refined emotional capacity as evidence of virtue and humanity.
Real World
Austen's Marianne Dashwood in 'Sense and Sensibility' embodies the cult of sensibility — she weeps publicly, refuses to moderate her grief, and treats emotional excess as proof of depth, until Austen shows this as dangerous self-indulgence.
Exam Focus
When writing on sensibility, address how the author positions the reader — do they celebrate or satirise emotional excess? This is where AO5 marks live.
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