Peter Singer: Friend of Jane
An interview with philosopher and animal rights activist Peter Singer reveals that he is an F.O.J. While we look askance at some of the other opinions expressed in this article, we loved this bit.
You once included Pride and Prejudice in a list of your top ten books. Was Jane Austen a feminist? CARRIE HOWARD, Manchester
Of course! Do you think Elizabeth Bennet meekly did whatever men told her to do?
Man’s got a point!
September 11th, 2006 at 11:03 am
I think he was reading a bit more into the character of Elizabeth Bennet than Jane Austen tells us.
As near as I can remember (and I am open to correction), very few men ever tried to tell Lizzy what to do.
When her father asked or told her to do something, I can’t recall an instance where she ever refused to obey him. She argued with him about something HE was going to do (allow Lydia to go to Brighton), but not about anything he wanted her to do. And even if she did, I would hesitate to put disrespect for father under the umbrella of feminism.
As for the other men in her life: I don’t recall Wickham ever telling her to do anything. Mr. Collins did propose to her assuming she would accept, but after all, a proposal is still only a proposal; it is a request, not an order; he is not telling her what to do; refusing a marriage proposal is not feministic. Much the same logic applies to Darcy’s first proposal.
In fact, I don’t remember even Darcy ever trying to tell her once what to do. At Pemberley he invited her into the house and she refused; but again, I would characterize that as a response to a social situation (after all, her aunt and uncle were well behind her and she evidently wanted them to catch up).
When Colonel Fitzwilliam asked her to play the piano, she agreed even though she was modest about her capabilities.
She tolerated nonsense from both men and women as long it did not affect her freedom of action, even if she was vastly amused by it. When it did, however, she rejected it from Lady Catherine as firmly as she did from Mr. Collins.
It seems like he is imposing 20th-21st century values on an 18th-19th century character.
September 12th, 2006 at 9:12 am
The only person who told her what to do *was a woman - her mother!!!!*
And Lizzy did not do what she told her to do - accept Mr. Collin’s proposal.
I too am not of the opinion that Lizzy was a kind of feminist.
September 12th, 2006 at 11:22 am
I meant to say the only *other* person in the book who asks her to do something is her own mother.
Curt has already mentioned one other woman - Lady Catherine.
September 14th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
I think she’s a feminist, but I don’t have the politically charged view of that word that many other people do. I think it simply means that she saw women’s lot in life as unfair (having to marry for money, etc), that’s all. That’s feminism to me. You don’t have to be an activity or anti-man or even think women ought to be equal to men to be a feminist.