Behind what appears only to be the fictitious minds of eligible and savvy women is the writer herself. A pioneer of the novel of manners, which explore the domestic and social qualities of the world, no author captures the sentiment and implications of the life of a woman living in the 19th century than Jane Austen. Today, Austen has been honored with the presence on the £10 note by the Bank of England, and she is often considered the female equivalent of William Shakespeare (according to The Atlantic), but her legacy goes deeper. Just beyond the bicentenary of her death, there are certain Austenian qualities that make her novels timeless.
The most poignant attribute of Austen’s novels are the strong spoken and strong willed heroines that ignite the stories. Elizabeth Bennet of “Pride and Prejudice” is a force to be reckoned with, likely correlating to some of Austen’s own experience. Austen, who famously never married herself, rejected Thomas Lefroy, a man who should have been of great hope to Austen, as she did not possess a dowry. In an age when economic propositions and love were intertwined, it is equally surprising and unclear as to why Austen never married herself. Nonetheless, it is clear her own life experiences influenced her heroines greatly.
The witty and intellectual discourse between Ms. Bennet and her enemy Mr. Darcy is well-known in the literary world, and Austen’s free-speech writing is a theme throughout her works. At her essence, Bennet represents all women who wish to be seen as humans rather than sole objects of affection: “Do not consider me now as an elegant female, intending to play you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart.” Also, her displeasure towards marriage, specifically marriage with a man she does not love, contrasts the times. An article in The Atlantic writes that marriage was based on “the social and financial advancements of all family members,” meaning the bride had no say. It was a loveless time on the surface, which Austen explored deeply in her novels, using her heroines as means to communicate her own thoughts. Though all of her characters do end up married by the novel’s conclusion, the conflicts it takes to get there more honestly portrays the institution of marriage at the time.
Apart from the sappy romance plots of Austen’s novels is another significant detail: a humorous family. Best exemplified in “Pride and Prejudice,” Mrs. Bennet is a prime literary example of comic relief. Though she is involved with the love lives of her daughters, one can easily argue that she is too involved, as when she purposefully makes Jane walk in the rain to her suitor’s house, leaving her sick and stuck in the house of her potential husband for days. This notable characteristic derives from Austen’s own family, as she was one of eight children according to Britannica. The business of her day-to-day life within her family and their societal circle around Bath and London left Austen with lively inspiration to build her novels from.
When Jane Austen began to write, the most popular books were sentimental novels, which Austen would heavily critique in her works. These novels were designed to end happily with a marriage, something Austen adhered to with her own twist. Instead of solely focusing on the virtues that were heavily favored in female characters, Austen let her heroines speak their truths. In the novel “Emma,” the titular character proclaims, “A woman is not to marry a man merely because she is asked, or because he is attached to her, and can write a tolerable letter,” and Bennet boldly tells Darcy in “Pride and Prejudice”: “Your defect is a propensity to hate everybody.” Austen lets her own opinions sway her writing, making sure that at the bare minimum, her heroines possess a dignified mind of their own.
The legacy of Jane Austen has sustained well beyond 200 years. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, it is worth noting the female heroines that would inspire generations. There is no shortage of ways to find an Austenian character to fall for. Without the witty character of Emma Woodhouse, we would not have Cher Horowitz of “Clueless,” a loosely based modern adaptation of Austen’s classic. Without “Pride and Prejudice,” “Bridget Jones’s Diary” would not be such a beloved rom-com.
However, the real treasure of Jane Austen’s work is not the plots themselves, but the visibility of the characters. Still today, the significance of marriage is questioned, status and class can influence relationships, and a pointed remark can damage a woman’s reputation. Though there is nothing overtly contemporary about the sprawling English countryside life of the 1900s, it is the heart that creates these memorable novels.