Why Mr. Collins Chooses Charlotte Lucas and Not Mary Bennet

Mr. Collins and Mary Bennet seem to be a match made in...heaven? Tinder? Some realm. They have similar interests (sermons) and social tendencies (awkward). I know I am not alone in wondering why they did not end up together.

Why did Mr. Collins not marry Mary Bennet? The main reason Mr. Collins did not marry Mary Bennet was based on his conceit. Mary Bennet would not be an impressive wife to others, whereas a sweet, beautiful Jane or lively, handsome Lizzy would.  

Why Mr. Collins Did Not Marry Mary Bennet

Mr. Collins, one of Jane Austen’s most classic side characters, is introduced to us as  

... not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society…[he was a] mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility. (Ch 15)

This insensible and pompous man enters the stage of Pride and Prejudice with the intent of finding a wife. We learn from his proposal to Miss Elizabeth Bennet that he wants to marry because it is his duty to set an example of it in his parish, it will add to his happiness, and that his patron wishes it for him (ch 19). I think we should give him credit for wishing to marry a Bennet, knowing that he will inherit their home. That is a gentlemanly gesture, for sure, but did not work out. Why? He could have matched with Mary, right?  

Though Mr. Collins is quite a fool in social situations, he can identify the people who can lift him up in the eyes of others merely by association. For example, he never stops name dropping Lady Catherine de Bourgh and, with great faux-pax, approaches Mr. Darcy to converse. With this tendency it makes sense that he would want an attractive, socially suave wife. Despite his own social awkwardness, he can see that Mary’s plainness, meager talents, and social ineptness will not provide him the type of esteem he longs for. 

Mr. Collins is all about appearing moral and right, even if his heart is not there. For the Bennet’s social class during the Regency era it was uncommon for younger sisters to be “out” before the elder sisters were married. This means they could not go to social gatherings including activities which could partner members of opposite genders. Mr. Collins chose Jane as his wife to be with the “strictest notions of what was due to seniority.” He switched to Elizabeth only after he learned that the eldest “was likely to be very soon engaged.” (Ch 15). Because of his priority to always be in the right, it is likely that he did not even think of Mary as a wife since she had two unmarried sisters. What would the story have been if Mary had been the oldest? ...probably less amusing. 

Another reason that Mr. Collins did not look to Mary is that he had just been rejected, essentially, by two of the Bennet’s sisters. Going for a third would be hard to muster elegance around. I can hardly blame him for his pride in this sense and sympathize with his choice to seek a wife elsewhere. Even for a ridiculous man, humiliation of that nature is hard to swallow. 

Did Mary Want To Marry Mr. Collins? 

Jane Austen did not spend much time as a narrator on the Bennet middle-sister and so we do not know if Mary wished Mr. Collins to ask for her hand. The 2005 Pride and Prejudice film indicates that Mary is jealous and saddened of his proposal to Elizabeth. Other adaptations and spin off novels do the same and some even match the oddballs together. Though this decision is logical, it is not canon. 

In the novel all we know is Mrs. Bennet thinks that Mary could be “prevailed on to accept him.” Continuing in this thought, the Bennet mother lets us know that Mary did rate “his abilities much higher than any of the others [sisters]; there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her (Ch 22).” I hardly think this shows us that Mary pined for the man. She might have since she did live in a home that talked non-stop of husband hunting. For one who was largely overlooked, would it not be grand to be the first married among her sisters and finally noticed? Austen did not give us insight into Mary’s thoughts here, though. 

Spin off stories in recent decades have been created that focus on Mary and even turn her into the star. We are able to connect more with her and find that she is not at all ridiculous. We find in some of these creations that Mary does not wish to secure Collins’s hand and in others that she does wish for it completely. I can enjoy these interpretations, though, I do remember that these are not the character that Jane put into her world. Mary was among the silly side-characters meant to color the story. All we know of Mary, besides what is in the novel, is that Austen mentioned among her family that Mary grew and married one of her uncle Philips’s clerks in Meryton. This is according to her nephew’s biography on her. 

Would Mary and Mr. Collins have made a good match? 

Since happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance, I suppose one between Mary and Mr. Collins would be a toss of the dice. Okay, not really. One thing is for certain, had they married they would be quite insufferable to spend an evening with. Apparently even Austen could not handle it--or she simply needed to keep Longbourn entailed away to highlight the heroine’s bold refusal of Mr. Darcy.

Most likely a union between Mary and Mr. Collins would end up fine for them and annoying for those in their circle. Both vied for recognition and respect, though how to rightfully gain that type of attention was elusive to them both. Mary wished to gain it through intelligence and wisdom that she did not hold and Mr. Collins wanted it through social sophistication, which he definitely was lacking. They both attempted to acquire favor through showing their superior moral understandings. Self-righteousness is a sure way to NOT win friends and influence people. Yes, this would be rough to handle as a person in their community. 

As for their happiness in the match, well, it would probably work fine. They were odd ducks, but had honest characters and held equal respect for matrimony. Though they could see the downfalls in each other --Collins not smart enough, Mary not socially graceful enough-- they could also console themselves that they were better than the other...with a bit of quiet condescension. Their interests of studies on morality could be shared, though Mary seemed more attracted to them than Collins was. She chose to read Fordyce’s sermons for their merit rather than to be seen reading them, as is evident in Mr. Collins (recall he easily put it down and was persuaded to backgammon). Financially they would have little worries with Mr. Collins’s situation in life and Mary’s repulsion to extravagance. Their desire to live a socially correct and upstanding life would likely make the match more equal and pleasing than many of the time.

Why did Mr. Collins Choose Charlotte?

Mr. Collins thinks of himself more than he thinks for himself. As seen from his bouncing from woman to woman, he is not searching for a partner where they “seem to have been designed for each other (ch 38).”  No, he’s thinking of appearance and possibly of satisfaction in other realms (yes, sexually--he’s human). 

Lady Catherine tells him to get married and asks for a gentlewoman for herself and an active, useful woman for him. He came to Longbourn to fulfill that command in order to remain esteemed by this “noble” patroness. The wily abilities of Charlotte brought the connection about much more than any thought spurred from his own reflections did.

Charlotte’s timing was perfect. She came in right when he was most humiliated and resentful of the Bennet household. Charlotte knew how to speak to his ego and work on his weak mind. She schemed to turn his attention to her, and succeeded faster than she anticipated. No doubt Mr. Collins was swayed by the fact that her father was a knight. Sir William Lucas’s knighthood was not inherited and Austen paints it as a silly rank, but for Collins any rank puts a little more air into his puffed ego.

Without his realization, Charlotte positioned him much better than he would have from his own devices. Jane and Elizabeth were his first choices, but hardly “useful” as Lady Catherine recommended. Charlotte had spent time in the kitchen, unlike any of the Bennet daughters, had a small fortune, a more respectable and common education, a knighted father, and knew how to work with (sometimes even manipulate) people to keep peace and balance. All of these attributes are a much better match in practicality and happiness for Mr. Collins than Lizzy or Jane would have given...Or Mary, for that matter. Lucky Mr. Collins. 

Resources: 

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/08/theres-something-about-mary-bennet/496322/

https://pemberley.com/etext/PandP/index.html

Jane Austen Books in Order: Written, Revised, and Published

Jane Austen wrote, revised, and published 6 novels. Though there is a general pattern in each chronology, there are a few misfits in the order. A while ago I learned what order Jane’s books were published in. When I saw that Northanger Abbey was published after Jane passed away, I had a memory pop up that Northanger Abbey was actually her first novel done. What? The fact I was looking at and the bubbling thought of my mind did not match. So I did some full fact finding and organized the table below. It turns out my brain and the fact in front of me were both correct. 

Writing and Publishing History of Jane’s Novels:

As you can see, Northanger Abbey is the novel that jumps positioning for each timeline. I find it interesting that Northanger Abbey also holds the rank of being Jane’s most unique novel when compared to her others. It is her only parody, the only novel with a silly heroine (one that is mocked by the author throughout), and the only work where Jane addresses the reader directly. I guess it fits that the novel wouldn’t find its place chronologically. The reasoning for this is below under the heading “Northanger Abbey” in this post.

Two things that stand out to me in the lists above is first how young Jane was when she created her first masterpieces. Sense and Sensibility at 19 and Pride and Prejudice at 20-21...let us all take a moment and gawk. Second is that her first publication was at age 35, over 15 years of waiting. 

We can see in these timelines that Jane did not just wait, she continued writing. I admire her belief in herself and her choice to continue creating even though she had not tasted success. Apparently being a woman of genius and grit lands you a place in history. Good work, Miss Austen.

Jane’s Books in Order

Here are the novels’ individual timelines, organized by when they were written: 

Sense and Sensibility (1795/ age 19): Sense and Sensibility was first titled “Elinor and Marianne” and was written as letters, an epistolary novel. The title changed two years later in a revision. 

Fifteen years later in 1810 Sense and Sensibility was set to be published by Thomas Egerton of the Military Library. It is thought that the manuscript came to the hands of Egerton through the army connections of Jane’s brother, Henry Austen. 

The acceptance for publication came with a price, not payment. Jane had to foot the bill for the printing and advertising, she then had to give Egerton a commission for distribution and selling. After this, she could keep the profits. Since Jane had no money of her own, Henry paid the initial bill. 

On October 31, 1811, when Austen was 35 years old, The Morning Chronicle advertised “A New Novel by a Lady.” Austen was now a published author. Sense and Sensibility was printed in a three volume set and had a second edition run in 1813. Austen ended up making £140, which was a satisfying profit for a woman living off her family’s generosity. 

Pride and Prejudice (1796-97/ age 20-21): Pride and Prejudice was initially titled “First Impressions” and changed during a sweeping revision in 1811. 

Austen’s father was a support to Miss Jane both financially and emotionally. He saw such promise in his girl and tried to promote her work. Mr. Austen attempted to get “First Impressions” published by Cadell and Davies in November of 1797. Though he offered to cover the expense, Jane’s “darling child” was refused. 

In 1812 shortly after publishing Sense and Sensibility through Thomas Egerton, but before seeing its profits, Jane agreed to sell Pride and Prejudice to him for £110. This was the only Austen novel that was not self-published. Of the sale Austen wrote, 

“P. & P. is sold. — Egerton gives £110 for it. — I would rather have had £150, but we could not both be pleased, & I am not at all surprised that he should not chuse to hazard, so much. — Its’ being sold will I hope be a great saving of Trouble to Henry, & and therefore must be welcome to me.”

On January 28, 1813, when Jane had just turned 37, Pride and Prejudice was published by Thomas Egerton of the Military Library in a three-volume set. In a letter to Cassandra dated January 29th, Jane writes that “I have got my own darling child from London,” which came one day before it was opened to the public. 

Pride and Prejudice had a second edition printed during Jane’s lifetime in 1813, the same year Sense and Sensibility had a second edition made. Pride and Prejudice was her best selling work during her life and profited Egerton over £400.

Northanger Abbey (1798-99/ age 22-23) Northanger Abbey as originally titled “Susan.” The title was then exchanged for “Catherine” and eventually received the final name of Northanger Abbey when it was published. 

This gothic satire was the first of Austen’s novels to be ready and sold for publication. William Seymour, Henry Austen’s lawyer, was able to procure a publisher Benjamin Crosby and Co. in 1803 and sold the manuscript for £10. 

The work was never published, though. Jane attempted to get it back in 1809 with a pithy letter to the publisher signed with a pseudonym that created the initials M.A.D. She was unsuccessful. In the spring of 1816, Henry re-paid Benjamin Crosby his £10 for “Susan” and its rights. 

When the manuscript was Austen’s again, she renamed her heroine “Catherine” and most likely made a few revisions, to the work. “Catherine” was then placed to the side in order for Persuasion to come to light. 

Jane died before either work reached a publisher. Cassandra and Henry worked with John Murray to publish their sister’s last 2 novels. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion reached the shelves on December 20, 1817. 

Mansfield Park (1811-1813/ age 35-37): Mansfield Park was Austen’s third published work, though it was the first novel started and finished as an adult. Despite being a successful author, Jane was nervous for how Mansfield Park would be received. She wrote her brother, Francis, “I have something in hand--which I hope on the credit of Pride and Prejudice will sell well”

Jane was now familiar with the path to publication and took the same route she did for Sense and Sensibility. In 1813 Mansfield Park was accepted for publication by Thomas Egerton. Henry Austen covered the initial printing and advertising costs. It was agreed that Egerton would then take a commission for distribution and sale and Jane would receive the remaining profits. 

At 38 years old, Jane’s third published novel, Mansfield Park, was available for purchase on May 9, 1814 (first advertisement is found in The Star). It was a three-volume set, with 1250 copies in its first edition. Jane was still not revealed as the author to her novels, though. Mansfield Park’s title page reads: “By the Author of ‘Sense & Sensibility,’ and ‘Pride & Prejudice.’”

Mansfield Park sold well, much to Jane’s hopes. A second edition was published in 1816, but sadly that run did not do as well. Mansfield Park’s second edition ate into Jane’s Emma profits. 

Emma (1814-15/ age 38-39): Emma was finished in March of 1815. Austen decided to let go of Thomas Egerton as her publisher and work with the more prominent publisher John Muarry instead. He offered to pay £450 for the publishing of Emma along with the rights to Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park. Jane had learned her lesson in selling copyrights with Pride and Prejudice. She declined his proposal and self-published her fourth novel on a commission basis with Mr. Murray in October of 1815.

Within the same month of settling with a publisher, Jane was invited to His royal Highness the Prince Regent’s library at Carlton. He had learned who the “Lady” was that authored his favorite novels and wished to meet her. The librarian James Stanier Clarke, who was a near replica of Mr. Collins, mentioned that Austen is “at liberty to dedicate any future work to H.R.H. the P.R.” Jane took the hint and dedicated Emma to the Prince Regent.  

On December 23, 1815 the three-volume set of Emma is published with a print run of 2000, the largest print yet. Austen was 40 years old by a few days. Emma sold pretty well, but Mansfield Park’s second run did not. This misfortune cut Austen’s profits from £222 to £38 in October of 2016.

Persuasion (1815-1816/ age 39-40)

Persuasion was finished during the summer of Miss Austen’s 40th year. As she matured, a matured heroine came through her pen. Sadly, by this time the pen was being held by a rather sick author. 

Upon Persuasion’s completion, Austen did not immediately take the steps required for publishing. The reason for such a decision is not confirmed anywhere. It is likely, though, that her illness prevented the labor necessary for such a task. Biographers mostly agree that the onset of the quick deterioration caused by her fatal disease was at the beginning of 1816, in the middle of Jane’s creation of Persuasion. 

In March of 1817 Jane does mention to her niece Fanny Knight of her intent to publish Persuasion in “about a twelvemonth hence.” But Jane did not live another twelvemonth. She died on July 18th of 1817. Her work lived on, though, and was published in the twelvemonth as anticipated. 

Cassandra and Henry Austen worked with John Murray to publish their sister’s final finished works. On December 20th, 1817, days after what would have been Jane’s 42nd birthday, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published. The two novels were in a four volume set together with a print run of 1,750. The books sold well. 

It is only after her death that Jane’s identity was revealed. Henry insisted that in the publication of these final works a “biographical notice of the author” be included. She was no longer known as “A Lady” or “The Author of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice,” but rather by her name, Jane Austen. 

Unfinished Works

Jane Austen wrote more than her six famous novels. Her early writings known as her Juvenilia include plays, short stories, and novellas that were written between the ages 11-17. Jane also started the Watsons (1803-1805) while living in Bath and began Sanditon (1817) during her illness. 

All of these works along with her letters, plays, poems, etc have now been published, though Jane did not intend for them to be. I hope she doesn’t mind. At least her sister and confidant, Cassandra, burned and redacted all that she thought Jane would not want shared. Thank you Cassy for keeping her privacy, but letting us savor some of it!

Reference

https://www.themorgan.org/collection/jane-austen/lady-susan

How Much Money Jane Austen Made: The Simple and Long Answer

Though Jane Austen experienced the liberating fruits of earning money from her novels, it was only the beginning of their monetary worth and hardly was as much as she deserved. Whenever I feel the strain of finances while balancing a creative life I like to remember Jane’s experience. 

How much was she paid for her novels? Jane Austen received about £600 ($53,000 US dollars in 2020*)  for the four novels published during her lifetime. These earnings came between the years 1811 and 1817. There is discrepancy in what the exact revenue was for Mansfield Park, the second edition of Sense and Sensibility, and the final copies of Emma. All the numbers for her earnings, whether it be with solid evidence or a best guess, have been vetted by historians and financial experts. 

* Depending on who is doing the complicated and assumption-filled calculations, £600 in 1817 can be seen as $45,000 to $60,000 in today’s American currency. I took a middle number. 

Jane Austen’s Earnings: 

*Refer to the in-depth descriptions of each novel’s earnings below.

Lengthier Answer

The numbers above have some unsurity, which you can continue reading the article to find exactly where those lie for each book. The numbers I have chosen to record reflect a mixture of all the known and well-guessed sums of Jane Austen’s earnings from a variety of researchers’ views.Though there are differences in opinions to how much was ultimately earned, all sources point to about 600£. 

From the accounts at her death, letters, receipts, and publishing costs of the time, researchers have put together numbers. Claire Tomalin (biographer), Robert W. Chapman (biographer, scholar), and Jan Fergus (scholar) have all calculated sums that differ, but are within a range of £40 from one another sitting around the £600 sum. The largest hiccup they all face is how much Mansfield Park earned. Using different assumptions around that novel’s profits is what gives the greatest variation of her total earnings.

In 2019 John Avery Jones, an expert of finance, launched off the above researchers’ findings and also included the use of the tax laws at Jane’s time and the archives of the Bank of England to come to a solid number of her profits. He concluded that before taxes Jane earned £631 and after taxes she carried home £575. 

Jones did have to make two assumptions when sorting out her earnings with taxes in mind. The first assumption was of when Jane claimed the profession of author. Did she do it when she sold Susan for £10 (Northanger Abbey) in 1803 or when she published Sense and Sensibility in 1812, which was actually brought to the market? He chose the former as it seemed the most reasonable. The second assumption was whether Jane’s self-publishing was considered a trade of publishing or a profession of the authoress or a mix of both. Jones felt the category of profession was more likely. These two assumptions change how taxes would be configured.

A lot of Jones’ work looked at Navy Fives. This was a form of government investments during the Napoleonic wars. Jane was a wise woman and put the bulk of her money into investments to enjoy the interest gains that came from those, which is how her heroes and heroines received their incomes. When the Navy Fives were purchased, how much they were purchased for, how much of the money was from her profits, the exchange rates at the time, and the amount of taxes taken before the purchases are all fuzzy, but Jones takes it all into consideration when making his calculations. 

Sense and Sensibility

Published: By Thomas Egerton on Commission

Copyright: Jane Austen’s

Earnings: £140*

In 1810 Sense and Sensibility was set to be published by Thomas Egerton of the Military Library. The publication would be done on commission and the copyright would be Jane’s. Henry Austen, Jane’s older brother, footed the initial bill for printing and advertising. After that, Jane had to give a portion of the sales to Egerton for its distribution and selling. The rest brought in was hers. The first printing occurred on October 31, 1811. We learn of how much Sense and Sensibility earned Jane from a letter to her brother Frank in July of 1813, “You will be glad to hear that every Copy of S.&S. is sold & that it has brought me £140...” 

A second edition was printed in October 1813 from her publisher’s recommendation which she continued to gain profits from through 1817. These earnings were not tracked well and could have been lumped together with other profits that were then put into Navy Fives. 

Pride and Prejudice

Published: By Thomas Egerton

Copyright: Thomas Egerton

Earnings: £110

In 1812 shortly after publishing Sense and Sensibility but before seeing its profits, Jane agreed to sell Pride and Prejudice to Thomas Egerton for £110. This was the only Austen novel that was not self-published. This saved her and Henry printing, advertising, and distribution costs, though it also meant that only Egerton would see the profits. Of the sale Austen wrote, 

“P. & P. is sold. — Egerton gives £110 for it. — I would rather have had £150, but we could not both be pleased,  & I am not at all surprised that he should not chuse to hazard, so much. — Its’ being sold will I hope be a great saving of Trouble to Henry, & and therefore must be welcome to me.”

On January 28, 1813, when Jane had just turned 37, Pride and Prejudice had its first edition published with a second edition coming out later that year. Pride and Prejudice was Jane Austen’s best selling work during her life and profited Egerton over £400.

Mansfield Park

Published: By Thomas Egerton (1st edition) and then John Murray (2nd edition)

Copyright: Jane Austen

Earnings: £310 

Mansfield Park was finished in 1813 and published on commission in May of 1814 by Thomas Egerton. Henry Austen covered the initial printing and advertising costs again. As with Sense and Sensibility it was agreed that Egerton would then take a commission for distribution and sale and Jane would receive the remaining profits. 

Mansfield Park sold well, much to Jane’s hopes. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, but sadly that run did not do as well. Mansfield Park’s second edition ate into Jane’s Emma profits. 

There is no receipt or letter indicating Jane’s exact profits on her first edition of Mansfield Park. When negotiating with John Murray for the publication of Emma, Henry Austen stated that Jane’s last two books made more than £450. Since there is a letter stating her earnings of Sense and Sensibility to be £140, then that makes Mansfield Park to be £310. This hardly feels exact, though, since the comment was made in a negotiation setting and from a brother who was always kind and optimistic, but known to be a social pleaser rather than a person of unwavering character. 

In the 1930s Chapman looked at the print numbers of Mansfield Park and came to the total of £320. In more recent years, Fergus put together new totals using cost and profit numbers from contemporary publishers of Egerton since his records are lost. Fergus estimates that Austen could have gained £337 from Mansfield Park and could be as high as £347. In 2019 Jones used tax knowledge of Jane’s time along with Navy Fives accounts and Bank of England records to determine the book’s profits. According to Jones, using one set of assumptions Jane profited £310 just as Henry Austen claimed, by another set of assumptions she gained £337 as Fergus calculated, and by a third set of assumptions she earned £297. 

Woof. Lots of numbers. I put £310 in the table above because it is both a mode and a median as well as close to the mean of the number set. 

Emma

Published: By John Murray

Copyright: Jane Austen

Earnings: £38 

Emma was finished in March of 1815 and published on commission in December of that year, though it has the date of 1816 on its title page because it was so close to the new year. Austen decided to let go of Thomas Egerton as her publisher and work with the more prominent publisher John Murray instead. He offered to pay £450 for the publishing of Emma along with the rights to Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield Park. Jane had learned her lesson in selling copyrights with Pride and Prejudice and chose to take on the extra weight of self-publishing again.

In February of 1817 Jane received only £38.18 from the sales of Emma even though the novel was well received. The overall profits of Emma were actually £221.64 after selling 3/4th of the 2000 print run, but the second edition of Mansfield Park did not do well. This is what cut her Emma earnings down significantly. This fourth novel continued to sell after February of 1817, but the records of those earnings are hard to place as there are no receipts, letters, or ledgers mentioning them. 

Northanger Abbey and Persuasion

Published: By John Murray

Copyright: Cassandra Austen

Earnings: £10 (Jane was not alive to see the rest) 

Susan, later known as Northanger Abbey was finished in 1799 and sold to the publisher Benjamin Crosby and Co. in 1803 for £10. This £10 was Jane’s, though it is stared* in the above table because the work was never published and had to be bought back. In 1809 Jane tried to get it back, but was not successful. In the spring of 1816 Henry (not Jane) re-paid Benjamin Crosby his £10 for Susan and its rights. It is believed that Jane Austen made only a few revisions of the manuscript. 

Persuasion was finished during the summer of Miss Austen’s 40th year, the same year that Northanger Abbey was being reworked (1816). Upon both novels’ completion, Austen did not immediately take the steps required for publishing. The reason for this is likely because her illness prevented the labor necessary for such a task. Biographers mostly agree that the onset of the quick deterioration caused by her fatal disease was at the beginning of 1816, in the middle of Jane’s creation of Persuasion. 

In March of 1817 Jane does mention to her niece Fanny Knight of her intent to publish Persuasion in “about a twelvemonth hence” and that “Miss Catherine is put upon the shelve at present.” But Jane did not live another twelvemonth. She died on July 18th of 1817. Her work lived on, though, and was published in the twelvemonth as anticipated. 

Cassandra and Henry Austen worked with John Murray to publish their sister’s final finished works. On December 20th, 1817, days after what would have been Jane’s 42nd birthday, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published on commission. The two novels were in a four volume set together with a print run of 1,750. The books sold well. 

After

A brief on what occurred to Austen’s novels after she passed away shows the continued slow inflow of water that eventually became an ocean of recognition of her works from the world. In her will Jane left her beloved sister and confidant all her novels’ copyrights except for Pride and Prejudice, which was owned by Egerton. In 1817 Cassandra Austen with the help of Henry sold Northanger Abbey and Persuasion publishing rights to John Murray for £500. Cassandra held onto the copyrights because she and Henry were able to sell the publishing rights to all 5 of the novels 15 years later to the publisher Richard Bently for £210. They wanted to sell for £250 but were talked down by the fact that Bently would need to pay Egerton’s progenitors for the rights to Pride and Prejudice. 

Letting My Pen Dwell

As can be seen from above there are many holes to Jane's full and exact earnings, but it is reasonable to believe that it was about £600. After studying up on this portion of Jane’s experience I am more amazed at her decision to press forward and keep producing her art form. She had little encouragement from monetary success. It was enough to keep the creativity and the desire to share it alive. Jane, thank you for living as you lived. Without meaning to, you became a model to look to for women like me. 

References

https://bankunderground.co.uk/2019/08/02/jane-austens-income-insights-from-the-bank-of-england-archives/

http://www.jasna.org/publications/persuasions-online/vol36no1/toran/#:~:text=After%20Jane%20Austen's%20death%2C%20through,the%20copyright%20for%20that%20amount.

https://www.thebillfold.com/2014/04/how-much-was-jane-austen-paid-for-some-of-historys-best-books/

https://www.ft.com/content/9bad716e-b545-11e9-8cb2-799a3a8cf37b

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/08/the-economics-of-jane-austen/375486/

https://www.janeausten.co.uk/jane-austens-fame-and-fortune-now-and-then/

Men Dislike Jane Austen: NOT True...And True

I have chosen to dedicate much of my life to exploring Jane Austen and I have loved it. Despite this, many men who connect with me and love me have never read Austen or watched a film adaptation of her: father, brothers, boyfriend, friends. Why do they dislike her so? 

Why do men dislike Jane Austen? After discussing the topic with many men, a conclusion is that men tend to be disinterested in her works more than having a dislike for them. This is largely because of her genre rather than for her. Those who have attempted reading her and discovered a distaste (man or woman), have nothing against her specifically, usually. These individuals tend to not care to relax in, escape to, be entertained by, or learn of her world or her feminine energy filled stories. 

The majority of men have actually never been given a full exposure to Miss Austen whether through books or film. If we put men into standing groups, very few would be on the side that have tried reading our acclaimed author. This article will dive into the why behind that truth as well as explore the reasons why those who do attempt to read her (man or woman) then divide into the camps of appreciation for Miss Austen and a preference to stay away. 

Disinterested -- Austen Never Attempted 

Most men will fall into the camp of disinterest in Jane and therefore not attempt to read her or watch her film adaptations. It is not a specific slide on Miss Austen, her characters, plots, or literary genius. Their lack of an attempt is more because of the genre she sits in and that she feels unrelatable to them. 

Jane Austen’s six novels fall into the genres of “chick-lit/flick” and “romance.”  A scholar or a diehard Austen fan could argue that Jane does not belong in such categories. That argument, if well-made or even correct, will still not change the fact that currently in our society most people stereotype her as girly.

Take a look at a classic romantic-comedy You’ve Got Mail that gives us a visualization of that stereotype. Kathleen Kelly, the female protagonist, confesses that she has “read Pride and Prejudice about 200 times” as she is saying this, Joe Fox, the male protagonist is trying to push through reading it at her suggestion...with excessive eye-rolling, breaks and a beer to do so. I’ll note here that the reversal of stereotypes is also highlighted with Kathleen missing all the references to the very stereotypically male films of The Godfather. 

Yes, this film can be seen as cheaply playing on stereotypes, but the funny thing about a stereotype is that it often holds true...which is what created the generalization in the first place. Whether we are conscious of our actions or not, they tend to be guided by the assumptions we hold. 

If the genre of a book is “chick-lit” then the assumption is that it is for women. Even if the genre can be erased, the six novels are still written by a woman and are about women, leading a potential reader to identify the books to be for women. A book “designed for women” is usually not what a man is drawn to when looking for a book to relax with, relate to, and get lost in. The choice to read or not read Austen is hardly even contemplated in this situation for she doesn’t even make it on the list of possibilities. 

We can all sympathize with that unconscious choice when we look at our own navigation of what book to read. Personally, I am a jumpy, sensitive little human and for that reason horror novels just never enter even the realm of my possible books to read.

Another set of reasons that pushed Austen off a reading list I found common among men was that they weren’t interested in the upper class, the top one-percent of society. They also didn’t care about that era, culture, or area of the world. Again, an Austen devotee could heatedly debate that those are not the main focus of Austen, it is merely the backdrop to paint the larger messages. But remember, these are simple assumptions made without much research, the first glances that help an individual choose what book to read or film to watch. 

By and large most men land in this category, the disinterested. They have no loathing for Jane, no disdain for her characters, no dismissal of her writing style -- they simply aren’t attracted to her works and have given it little more thought than that. 

Bridge To Attempting Austen

Though the greater herd of men stay in the “never attempted” category, many bridge over and give Austen a full-hearted attempt. Many men march into the thicket of abundant words, foreign world, and feminine storytelling by the same method that brought in Joe Fox from You’ve Got Mail: wanting to make a connection with a woman. 

Whether through this method or another, to understand where an individual’s opinion of Austen lands (such as dislike) after attempting to read her, it is helpful to understand why one reads, man or woman. 

A poll conducted by the Pew research institute gathered the reasons why people read. Their findings showed that the majority of readers do so mostly for learning, then for escape, entertainment, and fourthly relaxation. There were a few other reasons, though, the numbers were small. 

This information brings greater understanding not only to whether someone likes or dislikes Austen after giving her an attempt, but also the section above about the bridge that  entices a person to pick up Austen in the first place. WIll Austen give me an Escape? Entertainment? Relaxation? Will I learn? Based on what was discussed above, many men come, almost unconsciously, to the decision of “no.”

A point of interest that falls in line with this article, though, is not the focal point, is that another study done by The American Press and Ipsos showed that Americans in general are reading less than they used to. This plays a role in our current topic simply to point out that the divide between those who never attempt Austen and those who do is wide. 

Another reason why there are so few men attempting Jane is shown from another study, this one was done in Britain, Canada, and the US. The study showed that the fiction market, which is where Jane Austen’s works fall, is consumed 80% by women. Only 20% of the fiction reading is done by men. So, again, the bridge between the first group to the second group is a long one for the average man.

Dislike vs. Like -- Austen Attempted

Once the bridge from disinterest to a first attempt has been crossed, it is common for a man to dislike Austen. This opinion, though, is not known only to the male gender, many women share that preference and sometimes even more strongly than a man does. After asking many men and women about why Austen is unpalatable to them, I find the commonalities to center around the major reasons people read -- entertainment, relaxation, escape, and learning -- and how they relate specifically to Austen. 

The reason people end up liking or disliking Jane Austen first depends on the type of story an individual finds relaxing and entertaining. Do they enjoy maneuvering in a masculine energy and perspective or a more feminine one?  The second factor for liking Jane or not is a preference for the type of world she invites you to escape to. Lastly, Miss Austen’s subject matter sometimes is and sometimes is not the topic an individual has a partiality to learn about. 

Reading for Entertainment and Relaxation: Feminine vs Masculine Stories

A main reason why people read books is for entertainment and relaxation. Not everyone relaxes or is entertained by the same things, though. By speaking to and reading of many who like Jane and many who don’t, I started to see a pattern of people liking a story type and disliking another rather than specifically disliking Jane. This is reminiscent of above when Jane’s genre was the thing that deterred men from trying Jane in the first place. The two story types the patterns can be broken into are basically feminine-energy stories and masculine-energy ones. 

A story with a masculine flavor focuses on the human experience through external drama. There is action, physical challenges, and dangers. Events of triumph or failure are the story’s highlights and the plot tends to affect the larger society rather than the sole individual, therefore having great purpose behind it -- massive battles, social causes, rebellions, government espionage, epic journeys to save the world. Anything occurring internally shows up externally as problems solved or failed to be solved. A masculine-energy story also often hinges on a definitive line between good and evil. 

A story embracing a more feminine vibrance focuses on the human experience through internal drama. Thoughts and feelings are highlighted throughout the story with the true plot movement being an individual’s internal struggles, flaws, growth, and personal revelation. In a feminine-energy filled story, anything occurring externally is explored internally with detail.  Rather than an obvious good vs evil fight, this type of narrative bounces around the nuances of being human and shows how much gray there truly is in each decision made as a person.

After describing what a masculine story is versus what a feminine story looks like, we can see that stories with those opposing flavors are not gender specific. Many women enjoy a book with a masculine quality in its composition and many men enjoy one with a feminine nature in its pages. 

Despite the truth in this, we can also acknowledge that, generally speaking, men carry more masculine energy. This often leads to the fact that men feel more comfortable in experiencing things through that lens and therefore prefer it. The same is true in the reverse for women and feminine energy. Since Austen’s writing and stories have strong feminine energy and men in general lean to the masculine style, fewer men find her works delightful. 

When I put myself in the shoes of an individual who is amused more readily by a masculine mode, I can see the problem with Austen. I would want bold action, a fight between good and evil, problems solved, etc ...and from that perspective basically nothing happens in her novels. How absolutely unsatisfying, boring, and disappointing! I wouldn’t use my precious reading time for entertainment and relaxation on something that leaves me feeling that way either. 

Reading to Escape: Regency England vs. …. Something Else

Many people choose to read simply to escape from current reality. Jane Austen’s world is that for me. For those who resonate with masculine energy filled narratives, Jane would not be much of an enjoyable escape for them. Her genre, style of writing and world are simply not what some people want to escape to. 

Miss Austen’s genre is romance and chick-lit. Yes, they are classics and more than just romance can be gleaned from them, but that is their genre. Many who have a preference for a story with a masculine vivacity tend to gravitate to sci-fi and fantasy or genres that hold more action such as thrillers. Understandable. 

Let us not forget Jane’s writing style. She is very very wordy and can be descriptive of things that a reader can find pointless. I, and probably those reading this article, enjoy what she chooses to describe. I love how she uses humor to paint a picture of a mundane behavior I have seen in my own life countless times. But, I can sympathize with those that do not feel like they are escaping by diving into a wordy dialogue that rambles on for four pages. 

Jane Austen’s world was not one she created, but one she witnessed: the upper class of Regency England. Although this was a reality at one time, it is just as foreign to our society as Tolkein’s or George Lucas’s worlds are. In the set up for those novels/films the author/filmmaker knew that they had to explain their story’s world to their audience because they knew their world was a creation that differed from reality. Jane, on the other hand, was a contemporary author and so did not explain how the world she wrote of operated. That would have been silly since her audience lived among the world her books were written in. 

Society has shifted, though, Jane’s world has disappeared and has been replaced with modernity. Her books have gone beyond her lands and her culture.  What had no need for explanation then now does. To fully appreciate and grasp her protagonists’ internal predicaments and the plot’s ramifications for her characters, one must absorb some history alongside the reading. This takes time and is not easy. Only one who wants to escape to her world will give the effort...which would rarely be one who prefers something in the sci-fi, fantasy, or thriller realm. 

To understand how others can feel about Austen, I recall my experiences with Tolkein. I tried reading him a few times in my teenage years. Inevitably at some point the book would be set down somewhere near the beginning of the tale and just not picked up again. I felt dumb for not being able to get through a classic. In my early 20s I attempted another fantasy novel and realized that I simply do not like that genre and prefer things like...well, like Austen. I was able to give the time required to get into the world when it was in movie form. I was able to enjoy the epic journeys and large action for that length, too. But to slog through it in book form just wasn’t attractive enough for me. I get it, Austen anti-fans!

Reading to Learn: Subject Matter

Many readers’ top reason for the pastime is to learn. We all have preferences for what is interesting to us and worth learning more of. To me Jane’s subject matter is delightful to learn of and gain a greater understanding of, but to many it is positively the opposite of captivating. 

Jane Austen writes about the minutiae of life. Words and pages are spent on the average goings and comings in life: friendship, family, romance, social choices, conformity or not, navigating personalities, finances, etc. All the action, range of characters and stage are small. Everything is terribly ordinary. Yes, the world is different than ours, but the interactions and experiences are very little feeling, just as our daily interactions and experiences are. Though we can all relate to normality, many people do not find the ordinary exciting to learn about and so do not prefer Austen.

All of Jane’s stories are ultimately of a woman’s life and how she uses her limited choices to find joy in a restricted society. They are not of a woman who beats all odds and breaks through her restrictions, no, just one who lives inside the mold made for her and makes peace with what is. If a reader has a hard time relating to a restrictive framework and/or has no desire to learn how to balance oneself inside something like that, well, then Jane’s subject matter probably is of little interest. 

Letting My Pen Dwell

So, Jane Austen is not necessarily disliked by men, rather her works are of disinterest to men. If a bridge is formed and an individual is exposed to Jane, it is here that a dislike can be formed, but that is found in both men and women readers. 

I think it is more accurate to say that a reader who is more comfortable staying in their masculine energy than sitting in their feminine energy are those that tend to dislike Jane. This by no means is limited to only men! Holding true to stereotypes, though, this tends to be more common in men. 

From my own experience, I’d say that there is a large difference between disinterest and dislike. I am not interested in reading Tolkein, but I am far away from loathing his works! I can appreciate them, but just don’t care to read him due to my preferences.

I have always had great compassion for those who are not attracted to Austen and have no desire to push them into the “light” that I know to be true--Austen is a gem. Writing this article has given me even greater compassion and appreciation to those who know themselves and follow their hearts. If one’s ambition to read is to know the classics and discover what is great about each of them, by all means, open Austen and search. But, if you want entertainment, relaxation, escape, and learning, then follow your heart. Love the fact that you have a preference for genres and authors that can give you more of a guarantee of attaining that experience. I love the diversity in our humanity :) 

References

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/04/05/why-people-like-to-read/

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14175229

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16xmuM2-JWg (you’ve got mail)

No, Jane Austen was not a Victorian Author, Here’s Why

No, Jane Austen was not a Victorian Author, Here’s Why

Last week I read an article on a well reputed website that stated Miss Austen was a Victorian author. It is always a shame to see incorrect information being spoken as simple fact. But, there it was. 

Was Jane Austen a Victorian Author? Jane Austen was not a Victorian author, which can be seen with an easy glance at dates. Jane was born in 1775 and died in 1817. Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne occurred in 1837 and her reign lasted until 1901. Some historians expand the Victorian era from 1820-1914, but even by that stretch, Jane still had completed her novels years prior to this time. 

After brooding for a bit as to why Jane is considered by many to be of the Victorian time period, so much so that it is being published, reasons were identified. The reasons boil down to ignorance, but the path to the inaccurate conclusion is actually quite rational and understandable. Some of the rational reasons are that the Victorian era in Britain is the best known and the Regency period is basically a blink. Another is that Jane’s morality matches the morality that was such a stereotype of the Victorian era. Probably the most common reason, though, would be because Americans just do not know British history well. 

Americans’ Ignorance

I am starting with the lack of understanding Americans have of Britain’s history, which is understandable! History just keeps on growing since time keeps on passing and England is all the way across the pond. There simply are not enough school hours to cover all of history, particularly when it does not focus on our land or our culture (yes, our nation was under British rule, but we look at it through an american perspective in general history classes). 

I know in my history classes there was no focus on understanding the progression of time through the lens of Britain’s time periods. I did not know that our American Revolution era occurred during the Georgian reign or that the Napoleonic wars overlapped into the Regency era of Britain. Even in college, I took random history classes and none of them required a great understanding of the chronology of England's history. 

Since American’s generally lack the basics of Britain’s timeline, as with most holes our minds have, we start to make inferences without checking each step of our reasoning. This is how we end up with Jane being Victorian. Let’s take a look at the flawed, yet rational reasoning. 

The Victorian Era is Well Known

One reason individuals may assume that Jane was Victorian is because the Victorian era is probably the most known era by non-British folk. A simple look at dates will show that it was an incredibly long era, 1820-1914 by historians or 1837-1901 by the Queen’s reign. This alone can give grounds for the era being the most familiar to an average person. Jane wrote in the Regency era which was from 1815-1820. Imagine the amount that happened in the brief stretch in comparison to what occurred in the Victorian length of time. We end up hearing “Victorian” so much more simply because more happened in that time. 

Not only was it a lengthy time, but it was also the time when England was the most powerful entity in the world. During Victoria’s reign the sun never set on the British empire. England’s wealth, growth, social change, industrialization was all in its heyday during this era and the nation led the world with it. Since the Victorian era was when England had the greatest impact on the world, it is no wonder that that is the time of yore most modern minds remember. 

Something to remember as well is that Jane Austen was exceptionally close to the time of the Victorian Era, this again gives understanding to the mistake...but maybe not forgiveness to go figure it out before printing :)

Victorian Stereotypes Can Be Seen in Austen’s Works

Many stereotypes of the Victorian Era center on excessive, restrictive, even prudish morality as well as men and women’s well-defined, unequal roles. Readers or film viewers of Jane Austen’s works can see the same flavors woven through her works. Using these understandings, those who make an inference of when Austen wrote could easily decide she was in the Victorian time. 

--Morality

Morality was a cornerstone of the Victorian society. There was absolutely no tolerance for laws being violated or sexual promiscuity. Truthfulness was highly valued, though, not so much a display of your personal honesty. No, keep that hidden and only show what was aligned with society’s declared truths or rightness. A strong work ethic and duty were also highly respected during Victorian times along with personal responsibility and economizing. 

Although morality plays an important role in all societies, it gained unparalleled traction in Victorian England due to a few speculated reasons. The degradation of religion opened the stage for the arts to explore the root of goodness in literature and poetry, leading to a base of morality. This shift in religion was due to scientific discoveries, division of churches (i.e. the Oxford Movement), education bringing rationalism thinking, and industrialization bringing materialism. 

Another reason why morality took center stage during the Victorian times is because the era was ripe with social reforms. This forced many people to think and find an opinion for or against radical movements that circled around the rights of individuals and moralities. Some of the shifts during this time was that slavery was abolished, public health acts were set, elementary education by the state was initiated, women’s rights advanced, and laborers’ rights gained traction. Whether or not you wanted to evaluate if your life existed on a set of sound morals, the clamor of these changes asked for it. One could not escape the call to enter in deep thought on what was inherently right and wrong.   

A third overarching reason for the spotlight of morality in the Victorian time was due to a shift in behavior of the royal class and parliament. Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, was the son of a marriage full of rife and infidelity. He was scarred by his parent’s divorce. As husband to the Queen, it was Albert’s influence that led to the lack of tolerance towards infidelity in the Queen’s court. He knew how such actions could destroy a family. It had been a long while since the nation had a head of state abide by sexual fidelity and held that standard for those surrounding her. 

Jane Austen, a woman with an introspective tendency and a thorough understanding of human nature, highlighted morals in her literature, as many authors do. Her heroines were honest, sexually chaste, full of duty, and held personal responsibility. It is no wonder that an era notably marked for characteristics found in Jane’s protagonists would be tagged as the time that the authoress wrote in. 

--Men and Women’s Roles

Throughout history, if not in its entirety, the roles of men and women have differed from one another, but never with quite the division that was a hallmark of the Victorian period. Its normalized cleaving of gender roles was called separate spheres. This doctrine was based on the claim that men biologically were superior in physical strength and intellect to women, but that women were morally superior to men. The separate sphere s included that a man’s realm was public and a woman’s was private. Men were independent and women dependent. Men were paid for their labors and participated in politics while women stayed home to run households and raise families. Men had a sexual appetite and women were not troubled by such passions. 

Historians link the separate spheres’ growth to the industrial revolution spider-webbing across England. As more men commuted to work and women stayed home, less time was spent together and less labour was shared. A wife or daughter that helped plant the kitchen garden alongside a husband or father, no longer did. No gardens were a part of industrial towns. Women of a family who owned a store no longer came down from their living quarters above the shop to help customers or keep accounts straight. Labor for food and shelter were being removed from where that food was eaten or that shelter was stationed. 

For a time period that holds the cap in history for being the most divided in its gender roles, it is no wonder that Jane gets lumped into that era with her stories that highlight the restrictive world women must navigate through. It is true that roles became more severed in Victorian times, if for anything due to the crinoline cages and hoops skirts women started adorning--a person couldn’t even bend down to pick up something they dropped in that get up, gotta have a man for that-- but the spheres of men and women were still divided in Jane’s time. And she wrote about it. 

Jane lived the reality of women being viewed as property and unable to provide for themselves. She painted this truth without fanfare in her works, but with focus. Many historians feel that Jane was part of the beginning feminism, which fruits can start to be seen towards the end of the Victorian period and beyond. 

Often when change is brewing, the opposing side becomes more entrenched in its ways. Is it possible, historians, that Jane’s first penning of a woman’s experience helped give rise to a movement? Did her witty words give just enough awareness of women’s injustice to swing a pendulum...or two during the Victorian era? One that pushed individuals to fight for women’s rights and one that dug individuals to hold more firmly to the way things were: unequal.

From a woman of modern time-- thanks, Jane. 

Letting my Pen Dwell

Was Jane Austen a Victorian writer? No, but it is understandable why many people think she is. Although there are traits of Austen that undoubtedly mark her not being Victorian, there are many aspects that align with the era succeeding her own. Timewise, she also is incredibly close to the beginning of Victoria’s long reign. 

After all I have written, maybe the real reason so many place Austen in the mid 19th century is because of the Victorian costuming from 1940’s Pride and Prejudice. Doesn’t everyone pick out a time period from the fashion adorning the actors? I know I do and that film had me confused for a time...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/people/williamwilberforce_1.shtml

https://www.pbs.org/empires/victoria/history/moral.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/albert_prince.shtml

https://www.royal.uk/prince-albert

https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/gender-roles-in-the-19th-century

https://www.academypublication.com/ojs/index.php/tpls/article/viewFile/tpls050918151821/389

The Famed Jane Austen: Why She is so Popular and Loved

Well, as a blogger devoted to Jane Austen, it is no secret that I really admire the woman and her works. I am often asked why I like her so much. I have a myriad of reasons as do any of her fans. There is a lot to love about Jane. I compiled, organized, and condensed why Jane is so beloved into one article. Here it is. 

Why do people love Jane Austen so much? Why is she so famous? Jane Austen and her six novels have captured generations of people by providing us a world to escape to, entertaining us well, relating to us, and lastly doing it all with literary genius. 

One reason to help us see why Jane is so well liked across culture, time, gender (yes, mostly women like her, but many men as well), and age, is to look at why people choose to read or watch films. A study by the Pew Research Center in 2012 showed that the majority of people choose to read in order to learn, enter a different world, be entertained, and relax. Watching a film is similar, so doubt. And Jane expertly fulfills all of these needs in her novels. 

I feel I should mention that when I write of people adoring Jane, I am referring to those personalities who value internal drama. Austen is quite the expert at putting thoughts, feelings, internal struggles all on a page. If one is attracted to external drama with action, physical challenges and epic journeys, well, they will not like Austen. 

Jane Allows Us To Escape To Her World

In many ways, Jane Austen’s world is as different to us as Harry Potter’s is. She writes in a different time period, place, and social class. This changes the level of technology, manners, and customs from what we are used to...and they are attractive to wander through. 

Everything is beautiful and relaxing in Jane’s world. The clothes, homes, and nature create lovely scenes in our minds...or on the screen. The elegant balls, leisure activities, and lengthy travels all seem to give an ease to life--and a middle-class school teacher gets a little jealous (me).  

One thing that feels really great about Jane’s world is that she gives the deserving characters happy endings, allows goodness to win, and lets the right prevail. Ah, isn’t that how a world should work?! Since mine doesn’t always work that way, at least not on my time table, I think I’ll go read some Austen :)

Her plot lines also let me live in the fantasy that I can be rescued from obscurity or a painful situation, sort of Cinderella like (Elinor, Marianne, Elizabeth, Fanny, and Anne). Isn’t that what we wish for sometimes? Just save me, someone! Austen couples this with letting me feel I can stand against social norms and because of my strength of character I have the ability to change others for their betterment, kind of like Beauty and the Beast (Elizabeth, Fanny, Anne, Elinor). I can also escape into the beautiful world where I could be loved unconditionally despite my flaws, my past, or connections (all the heroines). It feels great to believe I am worth loving (I do believe this, but, you know, I forget it too). 

Austen is Entertaining

Anyone who reads Austen knows that she is dang funny. My aunt’s first introduction to Jane was to help support her ELL husband in a college class he was taking. The assigned book was Pride and Prejudice. She started the novel ready for a boring classic but in the first paragraph realized the truth...you know, that is actually not universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen is hilarious! 

Austen produced one-liners that can be sharp and clever, but also crafted paragraphs that lead us through subtle mocking. Both are delicious. The former brings a shock element that bursts us open to laughter. Take for example, “Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing, after all (P&P Ch 27).” “She did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition (S&S Ch 36).” “From politics, it was an easy step to silence (NA Ch 14).” When the sarcasm is registered in each of these lines, the smile readily forms. 

As a narrator Jane creates many a paragraph that teems with sarcasm and ridicule. Sometimes when reading a description of a character, their behavior, or thoughts I am in the middle of it before realizing that Jane is being merciless in her teasing. Jane makes fun of Emma’s double standards, Lady Catherine’s uselessness to the people she lorded over, and Sir Elliot’s narcissism. Heroine, hero, comic character, and villain were all subjected to Austen’s mocking alike.

Not only are Jane’s words witty both in the dialogue and narration, but her characters are absolutely amusing. I truly do laugh out loud when Miss Bates, Mr. Collins, or Mrs. Jennings enters my page or the screen. Okay and Sir John Middleton, Mary Musgrove, Harriet Smith, and on and on the list goes. 

Yes, Austen’s ability to bring a smile to my face is one reason that keeps me re-reading her. No doubt Austen’s humor is what makes her so well liked among us humans who dearly love to laugh. 

Austen is Relatable 

Jane Austen chose to write about daily life and how it is experienced internally. She was a keen observer of human nature and managed to masterfully capture both the beauties and the foibles of that nature in her stories. Humans really don’t change that much. As a society our technology, customs, and details all change, but the emotions and social dilemmas that fill us do not. Jane’s banal themes of love, home, money, class, family, morality, and personal growth are facets of life that we must balance now just as those living 200 years ago needed to. 

When Elizabeth realizes her blinding vanity, I see it in myself. I know how it feels to wince with embarrassment or feel overwhelmed with shame. I feel compassion and comradery with Austen’s heroine. When Miss Bates drones on and I am privy to Emma’s inner sarcastic comments, I feel connected. I can agree with Emma and suddenly I’m together with a friend...in that snarky uppity way...that isn’t too flattering for me, now is it? But it is true! 

Research has shown that humans are wired for connection. If this is true, and my personal experience says it is, then Austen’s ability to relate to us is one of the biggest reasons she is so widely loved. When we relate, we feel connected, so when we read her our needs are being filled.

Jane Austen Wrote Very Well

Austen’s escape world, entertainment, and relatability may not have lasted through the ages had her writing not been what it is. And what is that writing? Oh, you know, genius. 

Austen produced social dramas that are well laid. Her plots are well paced and very realistic. Though her stories are fictional, she was precise in the reality held within such as having believable weather for a season and true time for travel. The conflicts in Jane’s novels are real and build to a climax, which keeps a reader engaged. Lastly, Austen’s resolutions are satisfying both for the reality of the story laid out, but also for a reader’s emotional closure.

The characterization in Jane’s works is exceptional. The people she creates are complex and real. Some of the side characters can border on being a caricature at times, but not extremely, there is still a rounded realness to their beings. The individuals whom the story centers around all have depth with change and growth throughout the novel. 

Austen’s skill with the quill is undeniable (any Hamilton fans out there?). Her words are sometimes succinctly put, nailing a feeling, thought, or jab right on the head, “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance (P&P Ch ?).” Other times her sentences stretch, wind and turn into a whole paragraph. This version of stream of consciousness is mostly easy to follow, though. It is highly enjoyed as her beautiful language flows with words like sensible, plague, tolerable, diverted, mistress, ceremonious grace...these do not arise in common writing.

Shortly after Pride and Prejudice was published, Miss Austen wrote to Cassandra that “I do not write for such dull elves as have not a great deal of ingenuity themselves.” She was specifically referring to a few errors like a “‘said he’ or a ‘said she’ [that] would sometimes make the dialogue more immediately clear.” 

I feel that she trusted her readers more than that. She did a lot of showing and not telling in her works. This can be difficult for authors who want to share thoughts, since there is a chance of misinterpretation. As a reader, though, I love having to think for myself, come to my own opinions, and read between the lines. I become more invested, more intrigued, and more in love with the work. A book that asks me to think, I believe, is one element that makes its author a great writer.  

I get so much from her novels already, but am learning about some of the more controversial ideas that Jane was hinting at. These are lost on our modern generation of readers. For example, we are not living in the Napoleonic wars and therefore don’t have the same reaction to a militia being quartered in Meryton. Nor are we dealing with the Enclosure Movement and therefore do not pick up on the message conveyed in the “attack” of Harriet by the gypsies. In exploring this new layer of Austen, I am even more in awe of her mastery in writing. 

Jane Austen is an Inspiring Woman

I think all that is written above shows that Jane Austen’s six novels can stand on their own, which is why they have become part of the literary canon across academia. I think part of the adoration for her among current readers is because of who she was as a person as well as her books. 

Miss Austen lived at a time when women were very limited in what they could do, yet she became a published author. She was largely self-taught and self-published. Those with determination and dreams find great inspiration in her personal story and courage. 

Her path was not easy. Austen had to make a choice, with large consequences, to live her creative life. She had to choose writing over the companionship and economic comfort of marriage. She experienced the consequences of not having a stable home or funds, causing her to pen the words “single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor” to her niece Fanny.  She had to rise against the culture and belief of women being less capable and intelligent than men. Her family did support and believed in her, but goodness, that climb required a lot of fortitude in one’s self, too. As with anyone who has gone for a dream, she was well acquainted with painful critics and the burden of hurdles to be jumped, in her case it was finding a publisher and negotiating costs. 

Our current society seems to be attracted to the people behind the art as much as we are about the art. I come to this conclusion from looking at the numbers of biographies and memoirs being published and documentaries being produced. Though Jane had a fairly unextraordinary life on paper, in context she was a real pioneer. My awe of her makes me love her work even more. 

Letting my Pen Dwell

I do think Jane Austen is one of the world’s greatest authors. Her life is one to admire, her novels give us a desired escape and humor for our hum-drum days, she lets us learn about ourselves by being relatable, and then she was just a magnificent wordsmith.  It is little wonder that she attracts so many readers and is well beloved. What a remarkable gift for humanity she is. 

Jane Austen's Education: Her Schooling and Studies

The last few months schools were all closed down due to the Coronavirus. I am a teacher and so life shifted pretty significantly...as it did for many, just in different forms. Current norms of our education system are being forced to bend and thus questions are bubbling. As I wonder what large scale education will morph into, I also wonder what type of education Jane Austen received. There was no public system during her life and yet she was not only competent but even excelled at skills that certainly required an education. 

What was Jane Austen’s education? Jane Austen received a formal education when she was 7 at Mrs. Crawly’s boarding school and then again when aged 9-10 at the Abbey School (boarding) in Reading. The rest of  Jane’s education came in the form of books, family and friends’ conversations, nature, music, and making observations with curiosity. Most of her education, though, came from her practicing her own writing. 

Jane had no consistent primary school (elementary school), no secondary school (junior or high school), and definitely never attended university (college). Women weren’t allowed to receive a degree until 1920, though many went to lectures starting in the 1870’s. This was only at Oxford, though, other universities held out for a few more decades. Jane died in 1817, rendering a formal high-level of education out of her reach. 

Though her education can be broken down into the categories of formal and non-formal, most of Jane’s learning came from her “non-formal” opportunities. This article will touch on her time at boarding schools and then plunge into the effects  her life had on giving her a rounded, deep, and dare I say quite complete, education. 

Formal Education

In 1783 Jane Austen, aged 7, and her elder sister were sent to Mrs. Crawley’s boarding school in Oxford. The school soon moved to Southampton, which was a port town. Shortly after the move an outbreak of typhoid hit, not wholly unexpected in a port town. The sisters both fell ill.  The school did not inform the Austens. It was only through a slipped letter from a cousin that the parents learned of their daughters’ situation and returned them to home. Jane nearly didn’t make it. 

In 1785 Jane and Cassandra head again off to a boarding school, this time to Abbey School in Reading. There the schoolmistress Sarah Hackitt assumed the fake name Madame La Tournelle and wore clothing to impress in order to win more attention and esteem from prospective parents. With the head of the school so caught in appearance, it is understandable that little actual education occurred. It is presumed that upon learning that Mr. and Mrs. Austen fetched their daughters the following year when Jane was 10. 

Little is known of what education was really given to Jane in these boarding schools. She never referred to it. It can be assumed that spelling, needlework, dance lessons and French would be required, as they were considered basics for all girls at the time. It is possible that a little Italian, piano, and theatre were introduced to Jane during these years. Remember, though, that Jane really only had 2 years of boarding school education.

Though we do not know what she learned exactly or what her personal experience was there, we do know from her letters that Jane had a small opinion of boarding schools and pitied any child that had to go. 

Informal Education

Nature and Music

Jane Austen did not only write of musically inclined heroines, but was one herself. She had lessons on the piano-forte from George Chard, an organist at Winchester Cathedral, until she was in her early twenties. She regularly practiced and provided music for her family’s fun. Often if a home she was staying in did not have a piano, Jane would rent one so she may lose herself in the creative and intellectual outlet the instrument provided. 

A debate of whether learning music increases cognitive ability has probably been around since before Jane’s time, but certainly is contemplated today. The scientific world has designed studies to help uncover an answer to the question. What was found is that when one learns a musical instrument their ability for mathematics, multi-step reasoning, verbal memory, spatial-temporal skills, reading, and visual-motor tasks all increase. Although Jane’s music training does not fall under the traditional education when we think of schooling, it certainly was a form of her education and added to her abilities as an author. 

Jane Austen was well acquainted with nature and found respite in it just as her heroines did. In her youth she lived in the country with many brothers and boys that were boarding with the Austens. Outside games dominated much of their leisure time and it is suggested that Catherine Morland’s and her tomboy ways were a description of Jane’s own youth. As Jennie grew into Miss Jane, she continued her outdoor time by walking. Since there was rarely a carriage, walking was her mode of transportation. 

Just as current science searched and found evidence that music increases intelligence, it has done the same for nature and IQ. Studies have observed that time in nature improves academic performance in all subjects as well as enhances creativity, problem solving abilities, and critical thinking. Being in nature also increases the ability to focus and the desire to learn. Although time in nature is not considered an “education” in an orthodox sense, it does play a large role in the ability to learn and perform. It can be reasoned that Jane’s time among the wonders of the natural world contributed to her overall education.

Family and Friends 

Jane Austen had a richness of people in her formative years who gave her both an informal and possibly even a formal one. Jane’s father took on the business of running a boy’s school to supplement his income. The number of boarders was small and  lived among the family, which means Jane essentially lived in a school--one with a globe, microscope, books, and certainly an atmosphere of learning. It is easy to assume that maybe Jane followed some of the lessons her father prepared for his students. There is even a little evidence in a French dictionary that Jane had required academic lessons to complete when she scrawled “I wish I had done” on one of it’s pages.

Two of Jane’s brothers, James and Henry actively involved themselves in helping their youngest sister form her taste of literature from their father’s library. They also were the leaders in the Austen family plays, which included Jane. 

Through memories of family and friends, poems, and surviving letters, we know that Jane’s mother was a woman gifted with words and wit, which no doubt Jane both inherited and was nurtured into. Mrs. Austen also played a large role in the schooling portion of her husband’s ventures. We can conclude that she placed value on education (and no doubt finances) and that it crossed over to her expectations for her children, including Jane. 

Madam Lefroy, the wife of a near-by reverend, had a vibrant, lively, clever mind, a kind heart, a breadth of conversation for poetry and literature as well as a knack for writing it herself. She became a favorite mentor and friend to Jane soon after moving to the neighborhood (Jane was 7). 

Jane’s cousin, friend, and eventually sister-in-law, Eliza de Feuillide, contributed to Jane's education with her cleverness, different perspectives, and example. The cousin was close to the Steventon bunch (Jane’s childhood home) and spent a considerable amount of time among them. Eliza’s life was quite full compared to an average country girl’s experience and glued Jane’s young 10-year-old heart to her. She was born in India, lived a childhood of affluence in London, then in Paris, had a complicated story with a rich godfather, landing her with a lot of money, which soon attracted a wealthy husband...that was later guillotined in the French revolution. Yes, a life of excitement and wonder for Jane to observe and learn from. Eliza had a flare for music, French fashion and theater, which inspired Jane.

Access to Literature

Much of Jane Austen’s learning is attributed to the amount of literature she absorbed. Just as all Jane’s heroines read, so did she. In her youth Jane had full access to her father’s library that was extensive for the time. One shelf covered over 64 square feet and held both classic and new books. We know Jane’s father encouraged her reading, even the stories that held risque topics--evidence of an open, trusting mind. 

Jane’s books and letters show us that she consumed poetry, plays, classic works, and contemporary compositions. Byron, Scott, Shakespeare, Radcliff, Richardsons, Cowper, Burney, Hume, and much more were all well known to Jane, though not to us...if you are like me. Many of the above names were popular authors of Jane’s day and have not risen through time to be deemed classic.  

Jane and her family enjoyed putting on theatricals and did it unsparingly. Ones we know were performed by the crew are mostly comedies. Assumably Jane picked up a flare for storyline and humor through these early delights. 

Astute Observation and Experimentation

Jane Austen’s most informal, but most valuable education was her own observations and experimentations that she gathered her own conclusions from. 

Deeply understanding human behavior as Austen does, came partially from her intake of literature, but largely from her ability to watch others and apply critical thinking to what she witnessed. By observing how people reacted in situations, what they said, and often knowing their background, she slowly pieced together the complexities of a person’s motivators and therefore pin down the why of all they do. The identifying of the “why” in a person’s behavior likely became an easier process, though, the understanding and compassion for it often did not...as we can see from her sharp opinions in her novels and letters.  

Jane took her observations and put them to paper experimenting with the art of writing. From a young age Jane composed plays and stories that were highly encouraged by her family. Her safety net of connections read her works or listened as she read (I would have loved to have sat between those walls and heard her). They gave immediate feedback in the form of reaction as well as more thought out comments. She took their feedback and applied them when moving on to her next writing endeavor. With time, Jane shined in her skills.

As a middle school teacher as well as a student myself, I see the leap of comprehension and mastery in education comes from the actual doing. Talk-talk-talk, listen-listen-listen, read-read-read, or watch-watch-watch can only take me so far in the level of understanding in a topic. It is not until I or a student picks up the camera and tries taking pictures, conducts a science experiment and records data, or starts to write that real learning begins. This seems to be the case with Miss Austen. 

Austen’s Thoughts on Education

Jane Austen gives us insight into her thoughts on education from her novels. In Emma we see Mrs. Goddard’s happy boarding school for girls...and a student with a sweet disposition but also an absolutely clueless and terribly slow mind. In chapter 20 of Emma, we hear of the refined, accomplished, respected --and in Emma’s case, envied and judged-- Jane Fairfax’s education. She had an “excellent education” while living at the Campell’s home with “right-minded and well-informed people.” Austen apparently thinks an effective education is more likely to happen at home than at a school. 

In Sense and Sensibility, Edward Farrars comments that he “went to Cambridge and have been idle ever since.” In Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth Bennet claims that she was self taught at home and defends it’s value and fullness to Lady Catherine. Again, Austen points to an education at home that is even self-directed as being of greater benefit than one at a formal institution. 

From all of Austen’s novels we learn that she values education in general. The six works show that Jane appreciates visible accomplishments such as needlework, music, or painting, which must come through some form of directed education. Each heroine has a different collection of abilities in those areas, but all of them read, and only the heroines Austen pokes fun at are the ones that aren’t as well read--Emma Woodhouse and Catherine Morland. With little question we can say that Jane believed reading held the most important role in teaching a mind. 

Letting My Pen Dwell

I have little idea how public school is going to shift due to this coronavirus experience, but what I see so far is that it will involve more technology. Woof. I like the vision of Jane being at home, devouring books, exploring in nature, engaging in rich conversations, putting on plays, practicing her piano, watching people from a corner, and finally doing what she is most drawn to: writing. Is there room for this type of education in our world? It seemed to work very well for Jane Austen! 

PS...I am a public school teacher and am aware of why the question I just posed above would be a “no” as well as like to dream of the answer being a “yes” and then revamping our current model of public education. 

References: 

Claire Tomalin, Jane Austen a Life

Deirdre Le Faye, Jane Austen’s Letters 

First woman graduate: 

https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/oua/enquiries/first-woman-graduate

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-49595057

https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/jane-austen-went-to-school/

https://study.com/academy/answer/did-jane-austen-go-to-college.html

https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/female-education-reading-and-jane-austen

Music: 

https://www.uwosh.edu/psychology/faculty-and-staff/frances-rauscher-ph.d/CatterallRauscher_2008.pdf

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3101523/

Nature: 

https://www.tsc.nsw.edu.au/tscnews/how-time-with-nature-can-improve-academic-outcomes-infographic

https://www.childrenandnature.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/CNN_AcademicOutcomes_16-10-27_O_newlogo.pdf

Her views...

http://www.ijsrp.org/research_paper_mar2012/ijsrp-Mar-2012-43.pdf

Top Four Reasons Jane Austen is Relevant Today

Recently I received a book with the title What Would Jane Do? It is a lovely little companion holding Jane’s “quips and wisdom” (subtitle) in a beautifully designed format. Leafing through the book and amused by the title I asked myself “How can an author of 2 centuries past be one we look to for guidance in what we should do?” 

What makes Jane Austen so relevant to today? Jane Austen’s relevance to modern day is largely due to her writing about the ordinary parts of life, having themes that speak to today’s audience, timeless characters, and brilliant writing. 

By reading Austen’s take on the ordinary elements of life, I can relate since I live an ordinary life. She also manages to make the ordinary extraordinary by letting me see its overarching beauty and purpose to her characters’ lives. I am too close to my own ordinary to see how truly real and lovely my life’s broader picture is. 

Austen’s themes and characters reach relevance to modern readers because of how timeless they are. I see Austen’s characters in my own life and ponder on ideas that she gives perspective on as encompassing themes to her novels.

Lastly, I think Jane’s writing connects to readers of her time as well as ours because of how well she wrote. Words are sometimes hard to find for us. We experience life through feeling more than anything, but we can’t communicate with each other through that method. We need words. Jane is one of those souls who was able to put words to those feelings. I feel lucky when I find words that can express my inner world, especially when they are gorgeous or hilarious.

Ordinary to Extraordinary

Jane wrote of the daily parts of life. Ordinary events are what propel her stories and I resonate because it is the ordinary that carries my life as well.  She wrote of dealing with family, friends, and a community. She showed her characters having limits and maneuvering in them. She also highlighted personal growth. By writing about people and their problems, we all can relate. People are what we are and problems are what comendeers most of our thoughts. Jane does it in a way that allows us to see ourselves from a new perspective, often one that is humorous. 

Family 

Jane Austen’s stories circle around family life, giving us a rich path of connection to her works, for we all have family. She highlights the beauty of family bonds, like in Pride and Prejudice with Elizabeth and Jane Bennet’s close relationship. Jane also shows the difficulty of having differences among family, such as in Persuasion when Anne Elliot’s sense and priorities are disregarded by a family blinded by rank. Even Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, the sisters of Sense and Sensibility, who deeply love each other, find it hard to see from the others’ perspective. 

Whether the family relationships are beautiful or difficult, Jane’s characters work within those bonds, just like we (usually) choose to. It feels comforting to recognize that we are not alone in the thought of Elizabeth Bennet’s, “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer to whom I think well.” We struggle with our family and we also love them. Jane’s family-filled stories resonate for they are our own.

Friendship and Community

Each novel holds a community for Austen’s heroines, giving belonging and stability for them, but also frustration...compared exactly with our own experiences. In Emma, Miss Woodhouse must navigate tolerating Miss Bates while loving her at the same time, she wrestles with inviting Mr. and Mrs. Elton  though they are not liked. Emma must muster civility through all her interactions, just as Austen asks each of her heroines to do. 

I find that interacting with the annoying coworker, the gloating family next door, and the awkward couple at church requires much of my energy, if not most. Through Jane’s words the humor of living among these experiences, as well as examples of dealing with them, is able to be seen, which the muck of my own life often hides. Jane also shows us the beauty of community in the friendships and belonging it offers. 

Limits

All our lives have limits in them, which can be frustrating to operate under. To feel trapped by a job, a home, illness, lack of education, or low salary is terribly difficult. Jane’s characters experience the same thing. They are female at a time of high restriction for that gender, lack money, are removed from their home, have an atrocious family, or are the “wrong” class (lower gentry), to name a few.  

Jane rarely makes how her heroines live within these debilitating circumstances her main focus. It is just part of life. We see her characters accept their limits and often even maneuver to happiness inside them. Persuasion’s Anne Elliot despises moving to Bath with her family, but makes the best of her situation by finding joy in reconnecting with an old friend, Mrs. Smith. 

Sometimes I can’t escape from a part of life that feels limiting, but I feel strengthened to find joy amidst my circumstance as Austen’s heroine’s do. My limits do not define me and I am reinforced in that belief by reading Jane’s works. 

Personal Growth

Our lives are full of painful moments that can ultimately bring us growth. Mistakes are made, humbling is had, and we can choose the path of becoming better because of it. Jane let’s us see our beloved heroines walk this path, emphasizing how individual yet universal the experience is. 

Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey makes exciting, but wrong assumptions about Mr. Tilney’s father. Pride and Prejudice’s, Elizabeth Bennet judges Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy incorrectly. Emma Woodhouse in Emma shames a friend. In Sense and Sensibility Marianne Dashwood acts selfishly in her romance with Mr. Willoughby. 

Each of these ordinary fallacies have happened in our lives. We know the pain they can cause and can feel it as the heroines feel it. We get to see how those experiences wake the characters up and catalyze a change in them. Lest we forget that we have been transformed from our similar experiences, Austen reminds us that all lives experience growth.

Themes

Because Jane Austen wrote of daily life, the themes that spill through each novel are the things that affect a life and fill a conversation. Technology has changed a great deal in 200 years, but the things that were pertinent to shaping a life and worth discussing then still are today. 

In all her novels, Jane explored themes such as love and marriage, gender and equality, money and class, and society and moral codes.

Love and Marriage

All of Jane’s novels have a central love story moving through the quiet lives of her characters. As humans we seem to have been created for love. We both ache to receive it and long to give it. Austen confirms the voice inside us that whispers we should never settle but also recommends some practicality. Mostly she lets us live in the emotional ups and downs of the world of love.

In Masfield Park we see a mother, Mrs. Price, marry for love but without much thought for finances or her husband’s character. Her life is full of hardship. Fanny, the daughter, cannot hope for who she really loves (he’s stupidly blinded for the love of another through most the novel), but does not settle for a man whom she cannot respect, despite the financial and social comfort he offers.

Do not we battle with similar circumstances? To each their own, but Austen does allow us to explore the many roads of love we can experience. She prompts us to ask ourselves some difficult questions regarding love and marriage, which I believe we want to do.  

Gender and Equality

Females were unequal to men in the Regency time not only culturally, but through the law as well. Jane’s works depict this without a forceful voice against it. She points out the discrimination, but then works inside the constructs. Jane creates partnerships (marriage) that are as equal as could be possible in that society and time. In her own way she presents the belief of equality. 

Gender equality is still something we deal with. We press for change and also work within the constructs as they are. Oh, Austen, we feel it! And thank you for being one of the women who started to raise a voice around it. 

Money and Class

Jane’s books swarm with mentions of money and include actual numbers. Although the figures do not always translate for us in this time period, it is interesting how detailed Jane was on money matters. Her plots are also often pushed along because of discrepancy in wealth or rank. 

Today these topics arise in everyday conversation. When was the last time you mentioned money? Today, yesterday, a week ago? It is a large part of life, no matter the era. Also, on a larger scale wealth and class differentiation are current issues found in our national and world news. 

Society and Moral Code

Jane spent much time in her novels around the question of how to act in society and the morals that should be held as important. Jane has strong opinions and also experiments with ones she has mixed feelings over. Overall, individuals whose behavior is dictated through a moral code of kindness, honesty and steadiness are rewarded, i.e. someone like Elinor from Sense and Sensibility and those who are selfish, manipulative, and egocentric are shown in a sour light, i.e. Mr. Thorpe from Northanger Abbey. 

Daily we are required to make choices in how we will act in society and link to our core morals. Having clarity on what is important to me and how to actually live it in my community demands a lot of reflection and thought. Reading Austen’s exploration on these themes gives me some scaffolding to work with and a perspective to bounce off of.

Timeless Characters

One large reason Jane Austen is so relatable today is because of her timeless characters. Jane cared less about the image and more about the psychology of the individuals she created. By doing this, Jane prepared us to recognize those personalities in ourselves and those around us. Have you ever met a Mrs. Bennet or Miss Bates? Just last summer I met a Mr. Willoughby--it was lovely to be swept off my feet, luckily though I was 34 and not 16. His blindsided fleeing was not as wrenching…though still very painful. I feel you Marianne! 

Main Characters

Jane’s main characters often are written to portray a certain type of person, but she never paints them into stark caricatures. All of Jane’s beloveds have complex personalities that bring them to life, allowing a connection in the reader. 

In Sense and Sensibility, we find two characters written to represent differing modes of being: sense vs. sensibility. Even in this early work (accomplished by age 19!), we see complexity. Marianne, the woman of sensibility, holds much decorum while Elinor, the woman of sense, intimately knows deep feeling.

Side Characters

Jane’s side characters bring such delight to my reading. Jane writes them in a way that allows me to first laugh, then see them all around me and lastly to find their redeemable nature. They are just humans being humans, just like I am and those I interact with are.

Literary Genius

Even with all the elements that relate us to her work, Jane probably would have become an obscure author if not for her literary brilliance. Professor Mullan of English at University College London stated that, "There was absolutely no reason for her to become famous - except from the fact she's a genius." 

Many aspects of Austen’s writing show her “genius.” A start for this discussion includes her ability to weave humor, set dialogue, craft words that capture, and trust her readers’ ability.

Humor

Miss Jane has a unique sarcastic wit that is usually quite subtle. A reader newly exposed to Austen can get caught off guard by this, but soon is laughing aloud. Because of the underhanded delivery, when you catch her wit (sometimes after backing up and rereading) you feel like you are in on a joke. She has one-line zingers, but more often her sly sarcasm comes in the form of a slow burn or dribbled through the telling of a situation. 

It is her humor that allows us to see human flaws humanly. Through it she gives us permission to accept the ridiculousness of her characters and, therefore, the ridiculousness inside ourselves and others. 

Dialogue

Jane Austen trusted in conversation to progress a story along and reveal a person’s character. The dialogue found in her novels is masterful and I often find myself wishing for more. In life we learn of each other by interaction and Jane’s writing allows us to learn of her characters in the same way. This brings a realness and ownership to the opinions of her characters that connects us to her works.

Language

Jane’s wordsmithing skills are rare and the style she weaves them through is uniquely her own. As I mentioned earlier, finding an author that has the ability to put human feelings into words will latch us onto that person. Austen has proven to be an author of that ability. Simply look at the number of individuals who quote her on their Instagram or hang a sentiment scrawled by her on their wall.

Trust in her Readers

In one of Austen’s letters to Cassandra, Jane gives a rough quote from Walter Scott’s Marmion, “I do not write for such dull elves as have not a great deal of ingenuity themselves.” She was speaking of some of the things that were lacking upon the printing of Pride and Prejudice. More than a missing “he said” or “she said,” Austen does require a reader to read between the lines to pick up some of her greater meaning or deeper questions she wrestled with. Needing ingenuity as I read makes me feel close, involved, or in on a secret. Or maybe it inflates my ego by making me feel smart and special. Whether the feelings are respectable or not, there is something very satisfying about them that keeps me intrigued to read her.

Letting My Pen Dwell

I suppose it is not too much of a surprise to understand why Jane is relevant today. She was a talented observer of human experiences and had developed her craft of the pen. Humans as a whole species don’t really change much, do we? Content changes but our feelings and responses to those emotions don’t much. We are hurt when rejected. We are softened by kindness. We avoid having to say hard things. We stay true to our hearts when we know them. 

Put human experience with its ordinary moments and ever present themes into familiar characters and mastered writing, well, you get stories of relevance.