pi & anne

… and passionately – like a deep pocket that, for some reason, no designer of women’s trousers has ever incorporated.

Just think about it. Jane Austen’s characters are, as we know, grappling with moral standards and forming connections in settings that could not be more clearly defined by society: first encounters with potential life partners or the forming of friendships during a supposedly chance meeting in the street, a chance encounter on a walk, a wedding, a ball, an invitation to an evening party, a concert, a stroll along a busy city street, the purchase of accessories, afternoon tea and a walk in the countryside.

Women and men knew whom they had to greet and in what order, what words to choose, and who should introduce whom at what point.

Yes, it all seems very refined and is set in the world of the upper classes, but listen to me: these were all things Jane Austen was familiar with, so she naturally wrote about what she knew best. If you take a closer look at her heroines, a LOT is going on inside them, despite the fact that the events on the surface aren’t exactly adventurous or shocking. We are shown women who have a strong sense of their own worth, whilst treating others without attributing the same worth to them (Elizabeth Bennett, Emma Woodhouse), deeply grounded, caring, intelligent women who (learn to) trust their intuition, protect their boundaries and remain true to their convictions (Anne Elliott, Fanny Price). We encounter women with such contrasting ideas of what a happy marriage might be or look like (again, Elizabeth Bennett, Charlotte Lucas, Jane Bennett, Lydia Bennett, Emma Woodhouse, …). We encounter finely drawn characters who are portrayed above all through the way they speak and act, that reveals who they are.

I love that so much. All her protagonists learn something fundamentally important about themselves and about how they treat others. They fail (in society’s eyes), they stray from the path, they are ‘stubborn’, selfish and sometimes self-centred. But they learn from their experiences and aren’t afraid to recognise an opportunity for growth. After all, all her books revolve around personal development.

Moral integrity, openness, respect and care, as well as the ability to take responsibility – values we needed back then and that we need today.

And yes, Jane Austen’s dialogue is at its best when it steers clear of small talk, and that is precisely what it does. Talking about ribbons and dresses, or a partner’s status or appearance, certainly has its place, but it also proves to be superficial and empty – if that is the only thing on one’s mind. We learn about poor upbringing, a lack of education and the absence of role models, about the lack of loving care between parents and their children and the opposite of that. We learn about the differences between lust and love, patience and thoughtlessness.

In a society where women had so few opportunities to lead independent lives, we see how Jane Austen’s characters strive for what is possible, and beyond that, for what they need to be happy, and how they defend this. From today’s perspective, this may not seem radical enough – perhaps. The fact that Lydia Bennett elopes with George Wickham without getting married is quite radical in an era when a woman’s reputation was almost the only thing that protected her.

The problem was that property law, inheritance structures, class expectations, and economic realities made marriage a necessity for women; they needed a partner who would provide and care for them. They had few opportunities to earn an independent living. And yes, religion and social norms. Jane Austen’s characters are well aware of this fact and their lack of other options, and they repeatedly confront men and other women with it. Torn between love and a life in which their material sustenance is provided for. Between what is expected of them and what they believe will make them happy. Fear of the future, fear of remaining in the same situation they find themselves in. Judged by other women for their lack of accomplishments and social skills, surrounded by competition, favouritism, privilege and bullying.

Jane Austen’s heroines find themselves striving to choose wisely, to preserve their self-respect, to find affection, and to secure a tolerable future. Not at all a small task.

Jane Austen gave her female characters a voice so that they could tell their story and reveal how they felt within that social context. Through her fine irony, she also exposed the absurdities and injustices of the society around them. That in itself was already radical.

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” (Emma)

But also:  “I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” (Persuasion)

“I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.” (Sense and Sensibility)

Indeed, Jane.