As a result of the recent “Bridgerton” phenomenon, Regency Era literature has gained some new readers. One of the most famous of these Regency authors is Jane Austen, who has been applauded for centuries for being an early feminist, as the author of such works of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility.”
However, some new readers disagree with her centuries-long title as a feminist, stating that none of her characters challenged social norms or believed that women were equal to men. Some go as far as to believe that we should take Austen off the pedestal and villainize her for perpetuating solely domestic women. Others strongly disagree and believe that Austen’s work is timeless.
So, is Jane Austen actually a feminist?
I believe yes. While it is true that Austen’s version of feminism is very different from our own, it does not change the power her stories had at the time. At the heart of her fairytale-like love stories is a biting cultural critique of a time where a woman was nothing without the support of a man.
In the case of Jane Austen, context is key. During Austen’s lifetime, women could not vote, own land, make their own money or divorce their husbands. Jane Austen had to publish her first few novels anonymously and her novels did not gain much popularity until 30 years after her death. Just being who she was at the time was a feminist stance. However, Austen’s true feminism lies within her actual writings. It is my personal opinion that anyone who doesn’t believe that Jane Austen’s novels are feminist stories clearly have not actually read the novels. In “Pride and Prejudice,” Elizabeth Bennet turns down two marriage proposals, which was unheard of at the time. Austen’s “Emma” tells the story of a girl who gets what she wants no matter who is in her way. In “Sense and Sensibility,” Marianne Dashwood says to her mother, “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love.” The fact that the women in her novels have the confidence to speak about their situations in a negative way is huge. Austen writes about female characters who have minds and wit. Women that do the best that they can with the world that they live in. It does not matter that all of the women in her stories end up married in domestic bliss because they chose that life for themselves.
I am reminded of a quote in Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” where Meg says, “Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they are unimportant.” Just because the Austen heroine’s dreams are different from ours does not mean that they are any less valid.