I am currently finishing my third novel by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. The film version starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is a wonderful adaptation, very true to the book itself, and very well acted. I've noticed that while Austen herself had one sister and multiple brothers, in her novels thus far, all the heroines have sisters only. I suppose this is to show the need for marriage (a brother can support his unmarried sisters in her class, but unmarried women have no means of support if they are not independantly wealthy and without male relations) and be the impetus for the plot in each novel. In life, Austen and her sister were indeed supported by their brothers after her father's death, and Austen wrote anonymously to help increase her income. Both she and her sister never married, as Austen's only known marriage proposal was from a man who would have made her financially secure, but she did not love, and she believed in marrying for love mainly.
When I first read these things (and as someone in the working class, as I do not live off of inherited family money or estates), I did not understand... why did she have to write anonymously? Why are even the poorest in this class supposed to have servants (Mrs. Smith from Persuasion was so poor, she was "even unable to afford herself the comfort of a servant")? Why could a woman in this class not work? I began to study a bit more of the background to understand.
As the heroine in her novels, Jane Austen was of the gentry, and women in this class did not work, even in the lower echelon of this class. When Austen authored her books, she published them anonymously as a woman in her class was not supposed to write for income, but for pleasure only. Her books were published as written "by a Lady" and later "by the author of...."
Emma was independantly wealthy, so she was the only heroine thus far who did not feel a need to marry. Anne Elliot's father was perpetually frivolous with his money, leaving her unsecure, and Elizabeth Bennet's father assumed he would eventually have a son (and thus their property would not have been entailed away from them), so did not think to save for his daughter's futures until it was too late. Jane Austen was not desperate because she had brothers.
Read more posts about Jane Austen novels.
There are some lovely web-sites that offer more information, for anyone who might be interested. One is the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). It offers information on events for members, essay contests, and more.
I think there are a couple of considerations about women and work. No, certain work was considered beneath the dignity of a gentlewoman. Remember Mrs Bennet's protestations that her daughters never went into the kitchen? Even though she believed Lady Lucas held different ideas on the matter -
ReplyDeleteBut also, living conditions of the day created far too much work for one woman to do it all, alone. Miss Austen and her contemporaries had none of the conveniences that make our lives so simple. Clothes had to be made by hand, and so did all cleaning supplies and tools (such as brooms). Heating was difficult - and it produced huge amounts of dust and dirt. There was no indoor plumbing, so water had to be hauled for everything - and chamber pots had to be dealt with. (Did you notice in the Emma Thompson Sense & Sensibility - the scene where Eleanor is telling Edward of Col. Brandon's offer of the parish - the chamber pot under the table in the background?) The tasks to keep up even a very modest home were far too great for one woman to manage on her own; a servant of some description was necessary. I believe even farm women would take in older daughters from other farms for help until their own children were old enough to pick up the difference to be of service in their own homes - and this work provided the training for the smarter ones to go "into service." It was truly a different era!
Jane Austen was such a fantstic writer. And I think you're correct the Colin Firth film version was the strongest adaptation. It was far superior to the Keira Knightley version that was released several years ago.
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