Elizabeth's Top Ten: Jane Austen

[elizabeth_hoot]

A/N: I found this stuffed into a folder; it was a sort of series of irritable 'top ten' lists, so here's the first.

(10) Jane Austen did not write romances. She did not write proto-chick lit. She wrote, for lack of a better word, novels. (See Northanger Abbey for a better explanation

Comments

[elizabeth_hoot]

Thank you, thank you. *bows*

10-- I've always felt that people are trying to shove JA into a box to avoid dealing with her properly, but I'm beginning to think that an enormous part of it is to acquire some reflected glory. I'm definitely of the opinion that a lot of it comes from 'Nineties Austen' -- not that it was all in the nineties, but I think you know what I'm talking about? I suppose it's appropriation of Austen, which has probably been going on for ages, but not in this particular way. Keeping the list down to ten was a bit of a struggle! Honestly, the 'dear sweet Aunt Jane' thing, for all of its flaws, bothered me less than 'young hip one-of-us Jane.'

4 -- You said ages ago that we obviously hang out in different places, and I'm seeing what you mean! I actually haven't personally come across the argument I suggested, but it's reverse. I was recently set off by a variation on the old 'does Darcy really change' argument, which went (I'm not kidding) -- 'but if he doesn't change, then Lizzy doesn't get credit for it!' The idea of people getting credit for others' improvements (though nobody suggested Darcy should get credit for her post-Letter epiphany), or taking the blame for their lack of them, seem to me the consequences of the same basic idea. But I can't help but find it a really repulsive reading of JA, esp re: Henry and Darcy, because by taking away their own culpability and agency, it seems to have this almost misogynistic flavour -- as if women are responsible for the behaviour and morals of men, like some sort of twisted Angel of the House thing.

PS -- I loved 'the Colin Firth thing'!

[cressida0201]

Honestly, the 'dear sweet Aunt Jane' thing, for all of its flaws, bothered me less than 'young hip one-of-us Jane.'

I know exactly what you mean! I was a fan of Jane Austen before that particular "wave" hit, and the further it's gone, the more out-of-touch I feel. I don't feel like I fit in with either the "fan club" or the ivory tower.

'but if he doesn't change, then Lizzy doesn't get credit for it!'

That's interesting, because I usually see people wanting to argue that Darcy really doesn't change. I think they feel like it would take away from his status as The Perfect Romance Hero if he had actual flaws at the beginning, rather than a misunderstood endearing shyness.

The idea of people getting credit for others' improvements (though nobody suggested Darcy should get credit for her post-Letter epiphany), or taking the blame for their lack of them, seem to me the consequences of the same basic idea.

I first came across it when my Jane Austen group read Evelina. The main character's grandfather made a disastrous marriage with a barmaid, and people blamed his friends for not stopping him. I also run across this attitude toward Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter books: people act like he's more to blame for James and Sirius being assholes than James and Sirius are. And I have definitely seen people blame Fanny and Edmund for not reforming Henry and Mary. To me, it just sounds weird.

[elizabeth_hoot]

1 -- I sympathise. I have files for my hard-copy JA stuff, and have to actually divide them into two different folders: 'Jane Austen' and 'Jane Austen -- fandom'. It's this sort of crazy no-man's land. I went to fandom because the professional lit-crit was so exasperating, but it has its own slew of problems.

2 -- *blinks* We are definitely moving in different circles. My crew tends towards the 'Elizabeth is charming and perfect and delightful and she TRANSFORMS him and even so he is still not worthy of her wonderfulness.' Strangely, this seems to be part of the Great Romantic thing going on. Ick.

3 -- I think it's pretty much rampant. I didn't think of Lupin, but of course it's much the same thing (well, I also think that James and Sirius are practically demonised and therefore Lupin is either used and manipulated or deeply immoral himself to be such good friends with them). Lupin is very passive and I don't think he's exactly overflowing with moral courage, but James and Sirius are absolutely responsible for their own behaviour (and Snape for his, of course -- in a weird twist of the same rationale, I've seen James and Sirius blamed for his being a Death Eater).

Definitely weird.