It is the frequent response of readers who argon devising their first acquaintance with Jane Austen that her subject matter is . . . special to the readiness of a small section of English country aristocracy who apparently have never been worried approximately demise or sex, hunger or war, vice or God. . . . alone if we expect artistic mastery of limited materials, we shall not be disappointed (Van Ghent 303-304).
In other words, if we limit our expectations, wherefore Austen's novel will not let us down. Van Ghent is saying that we should not expect Austen to deal with death, sex, hunger, war, guilt or God. And, again, this is a legitimate argument---except for the event that Austen's talent is so great, and the fact that she has squandered that talent writing about these really privileged, insulated, socially and politically apathetic, and superficial characters.
After all, they care about little but money and marriage. The heart and soul of the defend is the effort to marry five daughters to wealthy men. Her defenders might be able to rationalize away the shortcomings of the novel, but Austen herself is most informed of them, and most willing to enunciate them in a garner:
The work is rather too light, and bright, and sparkling; it wants shade; it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense datum; . . . of solemn specious nonsense, about something unconnected with the story; an render on writing, a crit
Austen, Jane. dress and Prejudice. New York: W.W. Norton, 1993.
It might be suggested that Austen should be viewed as a kind of Truman Capote of her era, and that she means to be satirizing these self-obsessed, genteel commonwealth and their petty concerns. However, if this is satire, it is the gentlest satire ever indite. Austen consumely admires many if not most of these people. Even when the author draws contrasts between two characters, very much both of the characters thus contrasted have their own individual worth.
though clearly and impressively conveyed, are not offensively prescribe forward, but spring incidentally from the circumstances of the story; they are not forced upon the reader; but he is left(a) to collect them (though without any difficulty) for himself: hers is that unpretending kind of instruction which is furnish by real life (Whately 284-285).
From this we might be tempted to take on that Austen has something deeper in mind---perhaps a tragic vision of such a profoundly sensitive women being trapped in such a shallow world with such a limited range of options, if any range at all? The purpose to this question must be a resounding "no," for Austen makes clear that Elizabeth is far from miserable with her world, her options, or her choice:
Far from satirizing Mary, this expiration shows a sense of admiration for her hard work, and its criticism of her telephone line and manner is not satiric but straightforward. And certainly no satire can be found in her definition of the sister who stands at the center of the book: "Elizabeth, easy and unaffected, had been listened to with much more pleasure, though not playing half so well" (Austen 17).
Of course, Austen is being facetious with her suggestions, but her facetiousness cannot cutis the fact that the novel is too light and bright and sparkling. Clearly, Austen has written the book she wanted to write. This is the world she knew, and these are the people she knew, and these were her interests. The fact that she k
Ordercustompaper.com is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers!
No comments:
Post a Comment