As we’re finishing up Austen’s canon, I kind of want to go back to the beginning of our class and talk not just about the novel or characters, but of Jane Austen herself.  Jane Austen described her own works as being created on a “little bit (two inches wide) of ivory on which [she worked] with so fine a brush.”  She equated the emphasis on detail with a form of femininity that no man with his “manly, vigorous sketches” could achieve.  I think it was her flourishing artistry and growing command of authorship that allowed her to create—and popularize —this feminine genre.  And regarding, femininity, I wanted to raise the topic of female characters' objectified roles as marriage selections...

          In Sense and Sensibility, we see reason and rationality paired in Elinor and Marianne.  In Pride and Prejudice, we have five unique Bennet sisters.  In Mansfield Park we have Maria and Julia Bertram who are somewhat similar, and in Persuasion, we have the Musgrove and Elliot sisters.  What I found intriguing as we’ve come to the end of Austen’s canon is that in each of her novels, the sisters, regardless of how similar or different in personality they may be, usually play very similar roles.  What I mean is that in each novel, the girls always seem to be portrayed as being lined up and ready for marriage selection by the men.  To me, it often feels like the girls are voiceless mannequins in a display window and the men walk by, observing them, taking their pick from the one they like most.  I don’t like how women seem to be so objectified, but I suppose that is simply a result of the times and culture of Regency England.  What I wonder is whether Austen ever thought to spin this concept on its head and write an “inverted” novel?  Suppose she had written one where the men were "on display" and the women took their pick? I’m guessing that might be too modern of a concept, but just as Lady Susan is a deviation from Austen’s typical characters, I think this idea would just as well have worked as an Austenian novel.  I think it would have been nice to see a different kind of novel from her.  The only reason why many perceive her novels to be all same sort is because all except a few share similar settings and storylines.  I don't think that the few works we read should serve as the absolute picture of her as an author, but I suppose that these books are the canon for a reason, and I think they have shaped how I, and many others, have come to know her, read her, and understand her.  


Austen's novels have always been popular among women, but as I mentioned before, I find that a move towards an appeal to masculinity could also help in the postmodern era. Fittingly, I found a rap video on Austen while I was browsing on youtube... Hope you enjoy! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b_xiWmFWgY