Analysis d'Austen

Jane Austen. One of my all-time favorite authors. I have read a goodly amount of her novels, and have loved every one of them. The movies are sometimes less than desirable (Persuasion...) but I have adored the books. My mother hates them. She says that they are redundent because they are purely social, and they are boring because the characters spend all their time going to parties and having social difficulties. I tell her that I love the books because they are purely social, and all the people do is go to parties and have social difficulties. Why do I love this? What makes it worth it to me? Why is there such a difference between my mother and I?

As I have stated or implied in nearly every post, I am a social creature. Much of each evening is spent trying to sort out hurt feelings, mysterious men, misunderstandings, lost souls, and every other sort of social trap imaginable. I love it. The best thing about doing this for teenagers is the fact that I will never have to stop giving them advice. They will keep coming back because even if they know the answer to their problem, they will still want someone to talk to about it, and try to get something out of them that will be less inconveniant to them than the answer they have already come up with. The other best thing is that the person who can listen well, make a person feel important, and give them wise but not pushy advice, is everyone's best friend. At least while they are in trouble, and that's where some better (more loyal) friends will come in handy. Jane Austen's novels put an emphasis on the kinds of problems I love to try to solve. They are easy to relate to. Almost every character matches someone I know, at least in some of the things they do or feel. The people seem real, and their feelings are realistic (at least among teenage audiences). This makes it fun for me to read about their lives, because it's almost as if I'm talking to my friends about theirs.

Another great thing about Jane Austen is her wit. So much of the novel can be humorous to those who understand the humor. At one point she writes, "I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligable." or "Life seems to be but a quick succession of busy nothings." "Nobody minds having what is too good for them." "A woman, especially if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." "Those who do not complain are never pitied." "I do not want people to be agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them." These and countless other witty sayings are slipped so fluidly into her books, that it takes a doubletake to know they are there. I believe that these satirically wise one-liners are definately what gives Jane Austen that extra spice, and helps one not to skip some of the dialogue. There is quite a bit of dialogue, but her humor certainly does make reading it worth it.

I really enjoy the stories. The plots may not be dreadfully complicated, or beautifully entwined like Dickens or Hugo (though I do love them too, perhaps I'll analyse them later.) but they keep the reader (especially if that reader is a hopeless romantic) enthralled. The absolute humiliation sometimes experienced is so well communicated (well, perhaps not so much communicated, but led up to with suspense &c. and then just held there, making it seem like you are experiencing that awful, horrible, detestable, dreaded moment, that is awkward to say the very least.) that sometimes I find it hard even to read it, I am just writhing in so much amused agony for the character. The best example that comes to mind is when Elizabeth Bennett accidentally meets Mr. Darcy at his home after months of not seeing him (in Pride and Prejudice just in case you don't know). It took me forever to get through that scene, because I felt what Elizabeth would have felt, which was absolutely...just humiliating. I nearly died. I can't really find enough words to say it, so I will move on.

Jane Austen makes you feel like you are the character's best friend. They tell you everything, and you can often see trouble before it occurs. But, because the hints and foreshadowing are so subtle and mixed in with hints that amount to nothing, it's almost like trying to figure it all out while experiencing it. It is fun to take a step down from omniscient being.

Another great reason I love Austen is because her books are the perfect chick flicks. There is the rich handsome young man, and the beautiful young woman (money optional). There is the question of which of the handsome gentlemen will win her fancy, and the audiences approval when she finally makes her decision and comes to grips with herself. Then, the classic rejection and humiliations, and finally they end up happy and married and still rich. What more could a girl want!? I fall in love every time, making me in love with Mr. Darcy, Mr. Frank Churchhill, Mr. Bingley, Mr. Edward Ferrars, and others each in their turn. How can one not? Chivallry, good-looks, money, it's all there. hehe.

Why my mother and I differ: she is hard to please. She does not enjoy social enigmas and riddles. She is already married. Sadly enough, I don't think she's as well read as I am. *sigh* Perhaps one day. But it gets less likely as the years go by. She's getting too caught up in 6th grade level books...my whole family is going in that direction. Ah well, another analysis.

I adore every moment of Jane Austen's books. She has written some of the few books I would ever consider reading twice. At the moment I am in the middle of Emma, which is called her masterpiece. It is just blowing me away. In fact, I'm going to go read it instead of talk about why it's so good. Have fun, and read her books!