Jane Austen for the 21st century
Alert Janeites Cindy and Jennite as well as Paul from KeiraWeb.com sent us a link to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald that discusses the continuing popularity of Jane Austen, with mentions of P&P3 and books about her and her work.
This is the nub of the matter, she says. Many people think Austen’s books are about young women deciding who to marry, but that is only half the story. “What she is fascinated by is that moment around about late teens, just before you turn 20 or 21, when a young woman faces a moment of choice.” To borrow Dr Johnson’s phrase, this is a “a choice of life”, a choice of how to live, and it is essentially moral. “You’re making a choice about how you as an individual, who’s on the verge of growing up, can best use your energy and contribute to the welfare of the community.”
This is also an astonishingly modern concern. When Austen was writing in the late-18th and early-19th centuries - she lived only 41 years, from 1775 to 1817 - women had no vote, no political influence, and were usually dependent on men for financial security. “Yet she has the largeness of soul to see that we are all responsible for our moral behaviour,” Gay says. This is why Austen still seems so relevant today, as we are confronted with the same choices about how to behave - and fewer rules to guide us. Yet for some, at least, there is more to it than that. Austen is not just admired, she is loved, and she is loved with rare intensity. People do not call Shakespeare “William”, no matter how much they admire his work. The author of Great Expectations is always Dickens, never Charles. But many Austen fans habitually call their favourite author Jane - and refer to themselves as “Janeites”. It is indicative of the special regard in which she is held. They see her books as a source of wisdom, strength and - this word comes up again and again - comfort.
