Jane Austen

Many critics dismiss Jane Austen as a sentimental romance writer. When placed into context (early 1800's England), Jane Austen was an active feminist and social commentator.

To truly appreciate Ms. Austen, one needs some background on Victorian England social norms. Since I am a serious nerd, I can provide you with this. Only two things were important to people in early 1800's England: money and social status. Nothing else. Just money and social status.

People did not get married because they met and fell in love. They married people who could get them more money who had a favorable social status. Since women could not have careers, they were completely dependant on a man for their livelihood. (English novelist Charlotte Bronte wrote about lower class women and how they made a living. If you are interested, check out Villette, or her sister, Anne Bronte's novel Agnes Gray.) Marriages were often "arranged". I use quotations because they weren't arranged like how marriages are today. Rather, children were directed towards who they should marry and associate themselves with. A family of "good breeding" would introduce their children to another family of "good breeding", or more commonly, cousins would be encouraged to marry. As demonstrated in Ms. Austen's novels, a couple would meet, decide they like each other and be engaged within a week. Marriage was not romantic. It was a business deal.

If a woman chose not to get married, she had few options for survival. For one, family fortunes were never passed down to daughters. If there were no sons, the inheritance would go to the nearest male relative. An unmarried woman had to rely on brothers or uncles for a home and basic necessities. Jane Austen was pretty cool. She chose not to get married and then began a writing career for herself, with the support of her brother. Both Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility were popular while she was alive.

What's fascinating about Ms. Austen is her observation of social norms and how she vilified them in her novels. Many of her main players are caricatures of things she hated about society; fat gossipy women and flashy conceited young men to name a few. All of her heroines marry men they fall in love with. Specifically, her Emma would only consider marriage if she met someone she loved. This was certainly not the fashion back then. In real life, Emma should have been damn grateful to receive any marriage proposal and to say yes to the first wealthy man who hit on her. I like to think that Jane Austen invented the notion of playing hard to get.

A feminist novel can still revolve around marriage and romance. I think people today look past the societal importance of Jane Austen and only look at the romantic relationships of her main characters. These fans miss the whole point of Jane Austen.

Take another look at Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy Bennett refuses her obnoxious cousin's marriage proposal. However, her best friend accepts and is grateful she found a man with money and a home who can support her and her family. This is what any woman back then would do. But Ms. Austen tries to demonstrate with Lizzy that women are people and not possessions to be traded off amongst men. On a side note, Ms. Austen also doesn't stray too far away from societal norms. After all, Lizzy falls in love and marries a rich man with the biggest house in the neighborhood.

I'm glad many people like Jane Austen and still read her books. I wish more women would look into the historical significance of her novels and perhaps develop an appreciation for what she was trying to do. But then again, I'm a nerd and who really wants to spend their time studying Victorian England?