Catherine Hemingway's Blog

I am compelled to amend my blog post from February 2024, “Was Jane Austen a Closet Abolitionist?”, based on discovering Helena Kelly’s exceptional book, Jane Austen, the Secret Radical.  Kelly, an Oxford scholar and acclaimed author, uses the instincts of an investigative reporter combined with a deep and abiding understanding of Austen’s novels to reveal political and social insights based on the times in which the books were written.  Our modern-day view that Jane’s focus was writing captivating “love stories” belies the political climate and social restrictions of the time in which she lived.

The premise of Kelly’s book is that Jane Austen tackled weighty topics critical of societal, religious, and political standards with such nuanced subtlety that she was able to reveal her views subliminally with wit and humor and convey her opinions without risking accusations of heresy or treason during the times of upheaval in which she lived.  Instead, we become aware of what Jane’s contemporaries would have consciously read between the lines, a more “dark and somber” reflection.   

Which brings me back to my observations of Mansfield Park from a year ago and adds new insights on the topic of slavery and enrichment revealed in the novel. My earlier post examined a contention between writers, Edward W. Said who believed Jane Austen’s failure to openly condemn slavery indicates that she subscribed to it, and Corrine Fowler who contended the opposite, that Jane revealed her true feelings of opposition through naming devices, symbolism, and location references. 

My purpose is not to relitigate the original post but to add depth and color to my position based on Helena Kelly’s work with new and revealing details.  I also wish to correct a reference I made that a man named John Norris, a slave captain, was the inspiration for Mrs. Norris, the heartless, selfish aunt who was the scourge of Fanny Price’s life.  Instead, it was a more prolific religious leader, Henry Handley Norris, whom you will learn deserves the attribution.

 Jane made prolific use of names and places to remind her contemporary readers of key players on both sides of the slavery argument.  The title of the book is a reference to Chief Justice Mansfield, who adopted three nieces including one of mixed-race named Dido Belle.  Jane was acquainted with Elizabeth Murray, another of the nieces through her brother Edward and may have met the mulatto cousin.  In 1772 Lord Mansfield passed a judgement that effectively ended slavery on English soil leading to a later judgement in 1807 making it illegal for English ships to engage in the slave trade.

So well-known was the name Mansfield that Jane attempted to keep the title of her book undercover until it was published in 1814 knowing the name alone would raise alarm among the pro-slavery advocates. Significantly, Mansfield Park was the only one of her books that was not reviewed by The British Critic, a magazine owned by slavery apologist, Henry Norris. This was a significant omission but considering the owners, editors, and printers of The British Critic were heavily invested in supporting the Church of England, which promoted slavery under the guise of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Lands, it is hardly surprising.  They had no reason to promote a novel that exposed the Church. 

Mr. Norris went so far as to paint the accommodations on board a slave-ship in the most “glowing colours” claiming the were “fitted up as advantageously for them as circumstances could possibly admit: they had several meals a day; some, of their own country provisions, with the best sauces of African cookery.”  This claim was made to Thomas Clarkson, an abolitionist who toured port towns to get a better understanding of the situation and went on to write “History of the Abolition of the Slave-Trade” which Jane was known to have read and admired.

“As far as The British Critic was concerned, then, women can write novels that ‘dabble in religion,’ provided the religion is entirely in line with Church of England thinking.” Later, when Emma was reviewed, “the final paragraph of the review had nothing to do with Emma, but the talk of ‘fanatical novels’ and ‘fanatical authoresses’ applies very much better to Jane’s previous book.  The reviewer seems to want Jane to know that he has understood – and heartily disapproved of – what she was doing in Mansfield Park.”

It may come as no surprise that in 1801Henry Norris was also the author of “Influence of Female Character on Society” which was a critique of female fashion later voiced by Mrs. Norris when she approved a neighbor’s decision to not hire a couple of maids because they dared to wear sheer “white” dresses that were the fashion of the time. 

While it’s easy to read Jane Austen’s novels with rose colored glasses and view them as delightful love stories with a charming view of polite society populated by appealing and sometimes deceitful suitors courting beloved heroines; she reveals so much more about her life and times, her feelings and observations, and was far more radical than you might think, when you look beneath the surface of her stories, delivered under the guise of romance.

As Kelly states, “Mansfield Park is about slavery.  The subject isn’t just brought up once or twice; it appears over and over again.  It’s relentless.  As February comes to a close, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to amplify Black History Month by adding to my previous post which you can read here.  I look forward to sharing more interesting observations from Helena Kelly on other topics in future posts so please stay tuned. 

Love is in the air when Valentine’s Day rolls around and we can thank our dear Jane for providing some of the most timeless love stories ever written.   We are drawn in again and again whether in books, films, or plays by her stories of love and longing; miscommunications and misinterpretations; provocations and disparagements.  Hopeful lovers must conquer despondency, despair, jealousy, and anger; human frailties that must be overcome by our heroes and heroines before they find true love.   Their plights have touched our hearts for over two centuries.

As readers we are drawn to our favorite couple in the same way we are drawn to our preferred novel in the canon or our favorite film version.  Everyone has an opinion, and no one is reluctant to share it. Favorite novel and favorite couple may seem to be one and the same, but I believe the choice to be more nuanced.  Knowing that I risk importuning many of my fellow Janeites, I have rated her romantic couples in terms of the degree to which they achieved the most transcendent love, the one that burns brighter than all the rest.

#6

Sense and Sensibility brings together Elenor and Edward as star-crossed lovers who meet when widowed Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters have been ousted from their family home by the heir to the estate, John Dashwood and his wife, Fanny.  The reprehensible couple contrived to impoverish the family and ensure that Fanny’s brother, Edward, didn’t pursue a romantic interest in Elenor because, thanks to them, she was now impoverished, while he stood to inherit his mother’s fortune.  The young couple was naturally drawn to each other; his shy introversion was matched by her gentle forbearance, but his integrity didn’t allow him to follow his heart.  Aside from his family’s objections there was another impediment which arose when Elenor learned he was secretly engaged to someone else and became entrapped into silence by her new confidant, Lucy Steele.  Added to this was the stress of managing her younger sister, Marianne’s, imprudent choices as she pursued a romantic attachment to John Willoughby.  When all was revealed, Edward was disinherited by his mother but later rescued by the offer of a living as a clergyman by Colonel Brandon and was finally free to marry Elenor.  Were they happy together?  Absolutely.  Even Marianne’s marriage to Colonel Brandon had every chance at happiness once she came to her senses about the reality of her prospects with John Willoughby. Nevertheless, the only real romantic fire occurred between Marianne and Willoughby. Does this represent transcendent love?  For me, not so much, but they have my best wishes for marital bliss.

#5

In Northanger Abbey, we are introduced to young Catherine Moreland as an inexperienced teenager sent off with family friends to broaden her horizons as she experienced new and exciting entertainments available in Bath.   There she met Henry Tilney when she attended her first ball, and he arranged for an introduction so he could invite her to dance.   A flirtation ensued and their courtship was encouraged by his father, General Tilney, based on the mistaken notion that Catherine was an heiress.  Her greatest desire was the goodwill and approbation of Henry and his sister, Isabella, and her fondest dreams were realized when they invited her to visit their home, Northanger Abbey.   Catherine’s core sense of integrity and honesty coupled with her innocence, naivete, and love of gothic novels, lifted her hopes and then dashed them when she was sent packing, unescorted, to find her way home after the general discovered he had been misled about her prospective wealth.  When Henry followed her to ensure she made the journey safely, they became engaged despite his father’s disapproval. Eventually they married and I’m certain theirs was a happy union even though I believe it would likely take a little time for Catherine to mature into a proper wife and life partner. I’ve never been sure if her regard for him was greater than his for her and whether they became a match of equals in the end.  Certainly no one would envy her such an awful father-in-law, but who wouldn’t want to marry charming Henry? 

#4

Dear Emma was allowed to live life on her own terms and at a young age had taken charge of her father’s household along with matchmaking as a hobby.  She was quite content and had no serious thoughts on marriage, for, as she told her friend, Harriet, “I have none of the inducements of women to marry.  Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing! But I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.  And, without love, I am sure I should be a fool to change such a situation as mine.  Fortune I do not want, employment I do not want; consequence I do not want.”  Her wakeup call came when she realized she might lose her dearest friend and faithful counselor, Mr. Knightly, to her new friend, Harriet, after interfering with a proposal to Harriet from Robert Martin, followed by an effort to mismatch Harriet with Mr. Elton.  The threat to her complacent world order of losing Mr. Knightly finally awakened the longing for a love match of her own with the one man whom she valued above all others.  And who wouldn’t want to marry Mr. Knightly?  Would his willingness to move to Hartfield so as not to indispose her father and continue to patiently guide her towards becoming a less self-centered person spark a passionate romance?  The attraction is certainly there as he confesses, “I love to look at her; and I will add this praise, that I do not think her personally vain.  Considering how very handsome she is, she appears to be little occupied with it.” Their age difference and his “older brother” perspective may mean it will take a while for them to find a balance and be on equal footing.  No doubt it will require give and take on both sides.  Happily married?  Yes.  Incandescently happy?  Not so much.

#3

When we meet Fanny Price and her cousin, Edmund, in Mansfield Park, they are anything but equals.  She arrived as a young girl of nine and became reliant on him as the only member of the family to show her any kindness.  Whatever romantic spark there was between them was a long time in coming.  His first experience with romance began when he became enamored with Mary Crawford, a beautiful, accomplished and lively young woman who, despite her concern about his avowed calling as a clergyman, returned his affections.  She came to visit a close relative along with her brother, Henry, who in turn attracted the interest and attentions of Edmund’s sisters.  Sitting on the sidelines for all this romantic intrigue was Fanny, the confidante of all while safeguarding her own growing feelings for Edmund.  We never quite know when Fanny’s feelings turned from gratitude and admiration to love, nor is it clear when Edmund overcame his infatuation for Mary and turned his heart towards Fanny.  They were certainly far more compatible, and she was more than happy to become a clergyman’s wife.  Jane Austen gave us a hint when she wrote, “With so much true merit and true love, and no want of fortune or friends, the happiness of the married cousins must appear as secure as earthly happiness can be – Equally formed for domestic life, and attached to country pleasures, their home was the home of affection and comfort.”  I have some Janeite scholars to thank for recently pointing out in a group discussion the sly double entendre that “country pleasures” infers, and, based on that I believe their love life was sparked with passion.  Country pleasures indeed!

#2

What?  How can it be? Inconceivable!  How can Pride and Prejudice rate as the number 2 pick on my list?  It was an admittedly close call because there is no more beloved a couple than Lizzy and her Darcy, whose relationship has spawned numerous films and thousands of fan fiction novels.  She is absolutely my favorite heroine with her independence, pert opinions, humor, and honesty.  However, theirs was a rocky road to romance fraught with false impressions, misguided proposals, and social impediments getting in the way.  He was the reluctant lover, resisting for as long as he could before falling under her spell, unbeknownst to her.  She was the recalcitrant arbiter of alleged injustices blamed on him for perceived insults, and his interference with her sister, Jane’s, marital hopes, while succumbing to falsehoods from a duplicitous lothario named Wickham.  Then, of course, there was the dreadful “ungentlemanlike “proposal by Darcy, followed by his long letter to explain and justify his behavior.  Each of them was eventually forced to come to grips with their own prideful behavior in misjudging the other and cautiously admit their true feelings for each other while fears of rejection hovered for both.  In the end they were a perfect match for each other.  He was an introvert and socially awkward while she delighted in society which provided a platform for her witty observations and playful manners.  Once those obstacles were overcome, of course they were incandescently happy; of that there can be no doubt.  Lizzy and Darcy are enshrined in our hearts and how could it be otherwise?

#1

I implore you to hear me out.  Unlike Lizzy and Darcy, Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth fell in love immediately when she was 19 and he was just beginning his naval career.  They would have married were it not for the objections of her father and a dear family friend who interfered.  He went on the travel the world and made his fortune while she resigned herself to the authority of her family while she pined for her lost love.  When they met again eight years later, he was aloof and bitter, and she dreaded the prospect of having to watch from the sidelines as he pursued the younger sisters of her brother-in-law, whom she considered to be unworthy of him.  Her love never wavered while his had turned into resentment.  However, once circumstances brought them together, his feelings begin to thaw and he finally realized he was at risk of losing her again, this time to another suitor, one who was to inherit her father’s estate.  As a last resort he wrote her the world’s greatest love letter of all time and expressed emotions she had been longing to hear, confirming their love had transcended time, and was as strong then as it had been when they first met. That is why I gave them the number one slot.  To fall in love and then wait eight years to find each other again and finally rekindle those deeply held feelings, the sparks must have burst into flame once they finally married, and the embers still burn brightly for us two centuries later; not to mention that he rescued her from her dreadful family.  I see them as incandescently happy but feel free to disagree.

As for Jane, although she remained single her entire life, there is some evidence that she once fell in love, not the youthful flirtation with Tom Lefroy, but with a kindred spirit who touched her heart during a summer at the seashore and he might have won her if he hadn’t passed away shortly after they met.  We’ll never know but I suspect Cassandra did, and probably burned the letters that would have revealed what Jane was like when she truly fell in love.  Oh well.  We have the books that she considered her children and we have her love stories, while Cassandra thought it best to leave our thoughts about Jane’s love life to our imaginations.  It was very discreet of Cassandra, but oh how I wish she hadn’t been quite so thorough in protecting her sister’s private life. 

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Financial insecurity can define a person’s life in any era.  For some it may be overcome through good fortune or hard work, for others the struggle may follow them throughout their lifetime.  As fate would have it, some fall into it through no fault of their own while others are born into it.  Many of us straddle the middle, neither rich nor impoverished, making the most of what we have and grateful that we’re not worse off than others while hoping for better times.

Jane Austen experienced both sides of the financial security quandary.  Her family wasn’t wealthy; her father provided a comfortable homelife through his “living” as a well-educated clergyman whose income at Steventon Rectory relied primarily on the collection of tithes, supplemented by income from crops raised on his land, and running a residential boarding school for young men.  In this environment he raised his eight children, six boys and two girls, who benefited from access to an extensive library and whose creativity was encouraged. Such family amusements included organizing theatrical productions at home and sharing stories written during the day and read as family entertainment in the evenings.  In this atmosphere Jane Austen’s creative pursuits were admired and encouraged from a young age until circumstances changed radically after her father decided to retire and moved with his wife and two daughters to Bath when Jane was 25.

The move was unexpected, an unwelcome surprise to Jane who found herself abruptly removed to Bath, a city for which she had no great fondness.  She sorely missed her home in the country and her beloved books that were left behind.  During the five-year period they resided in Bath, their family's fortunes diminished forcing them to move three times to less expensive lodgings until George Austen’s death in 1805.  From there the widowed Mrs. Austen along with her daughters, Cassandra and Jane, moved with their brother Frank and his wife, Mary, to South Hampton where they lived something of a vagabond existence traveling for extended visits with friends and relatives including her wealthy brother, Edward Knight, who had been adopted by affluent relatives as a youth. 

While the lively environs of Bath seemed a logical place for Mr. and Mrs. Austen to showcase their two unmarried daughters in hopes of finding suitable matches for them, Jane’s only opportunity to marry and provide her family with greater financial security occurred in 1802 when she received a marriage proposal from Harris Bigg-Wither, a man she had known since she was fourteen, who had a large estate near Steventon and two sisters of whom she was very fond.    After she accepted the proposal and, presumably, wrestled with her conscious all night, Jane declined the proposal the next morning.  It may be assumed the decision caused much dismay for her mother if not her father since it would have ensured financial stability for them all. 

It wasn’t until 1809 when Edward Knight, having inherited several great estates, finally offered them a cottage in Chawton.  At last, they had comfortable, secure lodgings and Jane was able to revise novels she had written in her youth and embark on creating new ones.  Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811 followed by Pride and Prejudice in 1813, Mansfield Park, in 1814, and Emma in 1815.  Northanger Abbeyand Persuasion were published posthumously after her death in 1817 and she left behind two unfinished novels as well.

We can conjecture that the constant moving about after her father’s death wasn’t conducive to the artistic endeavors of a talented writer.  Her early work sat fallow until housing stability provided an environment that allowed her to focus on her creative pursuits.   Although Northanger Abbey had been in the hands of a publisher since 1803, he failed to produce it and she later bought back the rights with the help of her brother, Henry. 

Her awareness of the effects of financial and housing instability on widows and single women are a focal point in her novels; primary and secondary female characters struggle under the pressure to marry for security if not love.   The loss of a male provider could be calamitous.

The Haves

Wealth has its privileges and we can see how it shaped the characters of “handsome, clever, and rich” Emma Woodhouse in her namesake book, Emma, and arrogant, aloof Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, who were both born with the proverbial “silver spoon” in their mouths and made no secret of their elevated place in society.

Although his fortunes had waned due to his spending habits and he was in debt, Sir Walter Elliot’s refined tastes and overarching vanity never suffered even though he was forced to move to Bath so his estate could be rented out in Persuasion.  Sir Thomas Bertram enjoyed a portion of his income from the slave trade for his largess, although his oldest son managed to squander some of that wealth from gambling and fast living in Mansfield Park.  When we meet General Tilney in Northanger Abbey, he proudly displays all the amenities of his noble estate to the impressionable Catherine Moreland until he discovers she’s not an heiress and sends her packing. 

Sense and Sensibility is populated with many “haves” including Sir John Middleton, who offers a country cottage on his estate to Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters, whose fortunes had fallen.  His wealthy mother-in-law, Mrs. Jenkins, was a busybody but also had a generous heart and a firm conviction that she could play matchmaker for the older Dashwood sisters, Elenor and Marianne, based on her connections.  Mrs. Ferrars kept tight control over her sons by using a large inheritance as leverage over them.

The Have Nots

Plentiful indeed are the “have nots” in Jane Austen’s universe of characters.  They are the emotional center for circumstances beyond their control around which plots revolve.  Witness the aforementioned widow, Mrs. Dashwood, in Sense and Sensibility, and her three daughters who, in a precipitous shift from “have” to “have not”, were forced from their beloved home after the death of Mr. Dashwood, whose property was inherited by the son of his first marriage.  Greed and avarice were the guiding principles for John Dashwood and his wife, Fanny, who bequeathed a meager inheritance to the widow which forced her to move to the small cottage offered by her relative, Sir John.  The prospects of marriage for her daughters to men of consequence were as diminished as their new living circumstances.  Emotional, headstrong Marianne and restrained, steadfast Elenor did find love matches after struggling with disappointment but the specter of poverty was their constant companion despite having been raised on a wealthy estate.  Young ladies without dowries were best served by beauty, intelligence, and well-to-do relatives to advance them in the right circles. 

At the opening if Mansfield Park we find Sir Thomas Bertram and his wife exhibiting charity to their niece, Fanny Price, by lifting her out of the poverty into which her mother had sunk after marrying a sailor beneath her station and producing multiple children.  Taking Fanny in and raising her with their own children, while kindly intended, did nothing to ameliorate the fact that she was on unequal footing with her cousins who looked down on her, all save for second son, Edmund, and she was disabused by her aunt, Mrs. Norris, who mistreated Fanny under the pretense of serving the interests of the Bertram family.  When Fanny was sent home after several years for refusing an unwanted proposal from Henry Crawford, whom she neither respected or trusted, she confronted the true extent of the poverty from which she was extracted as well as a lack of affection on the part of her parents who were already burdened with other mouths to feed and wore the disappointment in their life choices rather openly.  Her only solace there was the brief time spent with her brother, William, before he shipped out and her younger sister, Susan, who later made her escape to Mansfield Park and a better life. 

Emma’s position in life afforded her the ability to demonstrate generosity and goodwill towards those less fortunate in her community including Mrs. and Miss Bates, the widow and daughter of a former vicar of Highbury, respectable women with no safety net, dependent of the kindness and charity of the community which, we are told, included a side of pork from Emma.  Their place in society allowed them to mingle with Mr. Woodhouse and his daughter and other well-to-do families for they were well respected, but financial insecurity was part of their daily life.  Jane created a rather comical character in Miss Bates, who was effusive, cheerful, and endlessly loquacious, both endearing and annoying, but it is certain that Jane identified with the struggles of the women who lacked the support and protection of a male relative in a patriarchal system. 

Less charitable was Emma towards Mrs. Bates granddaughter, Jane Fairfield, with whom she felt competitive and jealous because of Jane’s accomplishments and beauty.  Jane was also facing an uncertain future as a single woman having to contemplate taking a position as a governess to support herself.  Regency times were not kind to single women.  Harriet Smith, Emma’s chosen friend and social engineering project was of questionable parentage, but had the benefit of financial support that allowed her to live at Mrs. Goddard’s boarding school, until she could find a prosperous match which Emma actively tried to engineer for her with ill-chosen men.   Fortunately for Harriet, she made her own happy match with Mr. Martin.

The Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice could hardly be considered impoverished but their financial security was entirely dependent on how long their father lived since his estate was entailed to Mr. Collins.  Mrs. Bennet and her brood of five would have been dependent on the financial support of her brother, Mr. Gardner, unless her daughters were fortunate enough to marry well, which two of course did, but the prospect of financial insecurity was the bane of Mrs. Bennet’s existence and an irritant to her “poor nerves”.  She could not forgive Lizzy for refusing Mr. Collin’s proposal and wished her daughter shared the attitude of Charlotte Lucas whose opinion was echoed by Tina Turner two centuries later, “What’s love got to do with it?”  After announcing her engagement to pompous, obsequious Mr. Collins, Charlotte revealed to Lizzy that she wasn’t at all romantic followed by, “I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.”  Until Lizzy became engaged to Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Bennet was inconsolable that her daughter defied her and considered Charlotte to be a usurper.

While Sir Walter Elliot and his family faced the mortification of managing his debts by moving to Bath and renting his estate, Kellynch Hall, to Admiral Croft, they still afforded to live quite well, unlike a former classmate of Anne, Mrs. Smith, whom we encounter in Persuasion.  Her story is one or riches to rags.  Upon leaving school, she married and lived the highlife in London with her husband, who made the mistake of trying to keep up with the extravagant habits of his friend, William Elliot, the heir to Kellynch Hall, who managed to marry a wealthy woman of low rank and spent her fortune freely.  When Mrs. Smith’s husband died, Mr. Elliot refused to assist her in financial matters related to the estate of her late husband, and Mrs. Smith fell deeply into poverty and ill health which brought her to Bath in search of relief from the healing waters available there. 

Northanger Abbey doesn’t present any serious “have nots” although the Thorpe family may have been skirting the edges.  Mrs. Thorpe was a widow but we can assume her son had an inheritance from his father to ensure some level of financial security.  Isabelle Thorpe was definitely on the hunt for a prosperous husband and sorely disappointed to find out that her engagement to James Moreland meant a marriage delayed for a few years because his family couldn’t provide the income required to support a new wife immediately.  It appears she didn’t have a significant dowry on her side to supplement her fiancé’s income, leading her to begin a flirtation with Frederick Tilney, the oldest son of General Tilney, in hopes of finding greener pastures, and causing a break with James Moreland.  When her plan for a fiancé upgrade fell through and Frederick dumped her, she desperately tried to renew her engagement to James.  Dowries were an important ingredient in the marriage market, and a lack thereof, such as the Bennet sisters faced as well as the Dashwood sisters, and perhaps even Miss Thorpe, could significantly limit the prospects of single women no matter how “accomplished” they were. 

The challenges for women in a patriarchal society are central to Jane Austen’s novels and clearly reflect many of the issues her own family faced.  Were it not for successful brothers willing to provide financial support for their mother and sisters, Jane would never have been able to focus on creating the stories we all know and love.  Henry Austen was also instrumental in helping to get the novels published for which we all owe him a debt of gratitude.  We owe Jane a debt of gratitude for not accepting Harris Bigg-Wither’s proposal as well.  He went on to marry and father 10 children.  Lucky for us we have her brilliant novels which likely never would have been completed had she married Harris so she could be a “have” rather than a “have not” for the sake of her family.  Jane referred to her books as her children and we celebrate their birth every time we read one.

Holiday traditions in Jane Austen’s time were quite different from our own.  Christmas trees didn’t become common place until the Victorian era. No doubt her family made the traditional Christmas pudding with family members taking turns stirring the currants, sugar, spices, suet, and egg mixture to be steamed and served as the grand finale to the holiday meal.  Balls were a vital component to add felicity to the season by bringing friends and neighbors together for music and dancing.  Jane wrote Cassandra about one she attended on December 24, 1798, in which she tells her about Mr. Calland whom she “talked to and abused for not dancing.  We teased him, however, into it at last.”  In the same letter she spoke of her “charities to the poor” attesting to having given “a pair of worsted stocking to Mary Hutchins, Dame Kew, Mary Steevens, and Dame Staples, a shift to Hannah Staples, and a shawl to Betty Dawkins; amounting in all to about half a guinea.”  Despite her comical skewering of clergymen in her novels, she had a loving relationship with her father and brothers and once expressed admiration for a likeness of “the Savior” in a painting on display in London.  This is a far cry from the commercialization of the holidays in our time, when Christmas decorations make an appearance weeks before Thanksgiving and there is a universal mandate to consume. 

Jane transports us to her world, and we read her stories repeatedly because we like vicariously experiencing a less complicated sphere where simple pleasures like changing the trim on a bonnet, visiting neighbors, relaying witty conversations, and sharing wry observations are newsworthy subjects for a letter to a beloved sister.  It allows us to escape the assault to our senses and expectations to consume in a world confused by the presentation of facts and “alternative” facts depending on your political views and your news sources.  There are many benefits to modern society and conveniences that we would not wish to do without, but it can make the holidays overwhelming on many levels and leave us stressed with the pressures. 

Author, Dacher Keltner, has an interesting new book entitled Awe, The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform your Life.  He describes awe as “being in the presence of something vast and mysterious that transcends your current understanding of the world” and unfolds in the form of emotions we experience when we witness certain things.  We recognize moral beauty when it is expressed in kindness and generosity to others; we connect with nature when we take time to enjoy a beautiful sunset; we experience emotions collectively dancing or listening to music at a concert; we find solace and healing during spiritual moments and in music and art that moves us deeply.  It may come in the form of an epiphany that changes our viewpoint or at a bedside when a loved one is about to pass, and we feel the enormity of our transient existence.  It may manifest itself with goosebumps or tears.

Sometimes we experience awe when we reread a passage in one of Jane’s novels and find a whole new meaning that we’d missed in our countless prior readings.  The subtlety, the hidden nuances, the wry humor are unveiled, and we have a moment of awe beholding her brilliant ability to paint scenes and express emotions with the written word and, miraculously, we never tire of it. 

So, enjoy the holidays as Jane would.  Curl up with a favorite novel; spend time with those whose company you enjoy, avoid those who might importune you; give as you can to those in need; embrace gratitude by remembering someone special who made you feel loved, seen, and acknowledged in a way that brought you joy and happiness.  Find quiet moments to soothe your soul as you bear witness to the world around you with all its jagged edges, its demands, and imperfections.  Keep your sense of humor just as Jane did. Be impertinent if it suits you. Tease.  Be grateful for the special people in your life with whom you can enjoy sparkling conversations.  Treasure those things that bring you comfort, especially a good novel that can never be read too many times.  Tis the Season after all.

Happy birthday to Jane, born Decembere 16, 1775.

Fans of Jane Austen, those who read her stories and those who write stories in homage to her canon, are all students of human nature because it is the focus of her writings.  Yes, they are love stories, but they are also an examination of relationships within the family and society at large that drive the narrative and captivate our interest.

In March of 2024 I published a blog post “Jane Austen Understands Social Anxiety” which attracted hundreds of readers and stimulated some lively discussions on Facebook.  A few people took umbrage with my including Mr. Darcy in the list of characters who suffered from social anxiety.  They considered him to be wealthy, arrogant, proud, and aloof by nature and gave no credence to the possibility that he potentially suffered from social anxiety despite the examples I cited in my post.  My purpose here is not to relitigate my position but to share my journey as a writer and the experience of creating characters that reveal themselves in the process of conjuring them.  Jane Austen said of Emma, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” 

In March of 2023 I published my first novel, The Matchmaker of Pemberley, which combined characters from all six Austen novels who meet in Bath.  Lizzie and Darcy are the focal point of the plot where three marriages and an engagement take place and characters retell their stories from their point of view to new acquaintances.  Colonel Fitzwilliam makes an appearance as do Persuasion’s Dowager Viscountess Dalrymple and her daughter, the Honorable Miss Carteret of whom Jane wrote: “There was no superiority of manner, accomplishment, or understanding.  Lady Dalrymple had acquired the name of ‘a charming woman’ because she had a smile and a civil answer for ever body.  Miss Carteret, with still less to say, was so plain and so awkward, that she would never have been tolerated in Camden-place but for her birth.”

Was Miss Carteret just another version of Anne De Bourgh, the victim of an overbearing mother and a poor constitution?  Quiet, plain, and awkward could certainly qualify her as a character who might suffer from social anxiety, but could there be other influences?  What if she was an intelligent woman with a brilliant mind who was confined by the rules of polite society to endure the daily platitudes of conversations and events that were so excruciatingly boring, she chose to avoid engagement by projecting reserve and aloofness?  The social constraints imposed by society on gifted women in those times would have been onerous, hence, the Honorable Miss Carteret became a protagonist who called out to have her story told. This was the woman to whom Colonel Fitzwilliam introduced himself in The Matchmaker of Pemberley.

After I concluded writing Pemberley to Dublin, A Matchmaker’s Journey, which tells the story of the colonel’s pursuit of Miss Carteret, I realized that I had conjured a female version of Mr. Darcy; she was wealthy, arrogant, proud, and aloof.  She had to come to terms with the barriers she had faced from childhood and the defenses required to protect her values and integrity, until finally recognizing her own behavior masked fears and anxieties that kept her trapped in a prison of her own creation.

Both characters suffered from social anxiety and were saved by their opposites, people who were self-confident and socially at ease.  Darcy was drawn to Lizzie’s sparkling wit, her impertinence and out-spoken opinions, her distain for those who put on airs.   She saw herself as an equal to Darcy in birthright if not in wealth.  She never tried to ingratiate herself to those of higher social standing or sacrifice her independence for anyone she did not respect.  

Colonel Fitzwilliam was very similar to Lizzie which is why they were attracted to each other when they first met at Rosings: “he was beyond comparison the pleasantest man; he certainly admired her, and his situation in life was most eligible.”  Had he been the first son of an earl rather than a second son, Darcy would have had real competition on his hands.  Like Lizzie, Colonel Fitzwilliam was socially at ease, self-confident, and full of good humor which made him perfect for an intelligent, aloof woman who was determined to never marry because she refused to become the possession of a husband, the fate of married women at that time.

Jane Austen reveals one aspect of human nature universally acknowledged, that opposites attract.  People who suffer from social anxiety often benefit from finding partners who provide a balance to their introverted ways.  Whether being introverted was intrinsic to their nature or was the result of nurturing, they benefit from someone with softer social skills, self-confidence instead of self-consciousness, at ease instead of anxious in social settings. 

They can fall prone to avoidance and use aloofness as a tool which can be perceived by others as arrogance, but it also inhibits their ability to develop social skills. “I certainly have not talent which some people possess,’ said Darcy, ‘of conversing easily with those I have never seen before, I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.”  The right partner can help mitigate these traits and enrich the lives of both parties.

In the case of Miss Carteret, she was the recipient of nurturing by her father because of her unique intellectual gifts, and distain from her mother for her plain appearance, lack of social graces, and the fact that she valued scholarship over the rules imposed by society.  Like Emma, she was wealthy and had no need to marry.

My goal as a writer is to adhere to the character development Jane Austen established and build on that foundation with new characters whose demeanor and behavior, I hope would please her, fit within the values she espoused, and stay true to the conditions in which she lived. 

Jane Austen speaks to the plight of women to this day in terms of the constraints and expectations placed on them during her lifetime.   They were not allowed to participate in higher education or learn a trade which made them entirely dependent on the men in their families.  They were pressured to marry so as not to be a burden on the family. 

Considering the hard-won rights of women in our own time, Miss Carteret’s stance in Jane Austen’s time is understandable; she did not want to lose her autonomy.  Jane herself declined marriage proposals for similar reasons.  When I was a young adult, a woman was not allowed to have a credit card in her name, open a bank account, or apply for a loan without the signature of a husband. 

I invite you to meet the Honorable Miss Carteret whom Colonel Fitzwilliam pursues in Pemberley to Dublin, A Matchmaker’s Journey.  I wonder if you will agree that she rightfully belongs on the list of characters who suffer from social anxiety alongside Mr. Darcy, Edward Ferrars, and others I included in my blog post from last March.  I hope you will enjoy this story of the power of love to transform lives and bring true happiness.

Visit www.catherinehemingway.com to:

-Pre-order Pemberley to Dublin, A Matchmaker’s Journey (available Nov. 15)

-Order The Matchmaker of Pemberley, An Amorous Sequel to All Jane Austen’s Novels for $0.99

-Download the first three chapters of both novels for free  

-Read my blog posts

If you would like to preview and review my new novel prior to launch, email me at www.info.catherinehemingway.com 

(Pastel portrait by Catherine Hemingway)

(Note to readers: This post has been amended to include Henry Crawford.)

Enter Henry Tilney when ingenue Catherine Moreland attends her first ball in Bath but lacks proper introductions and is relegated to the role of observer when she longs to dance.  We all fall a bit in love right along with her when Prince Charming arrives to invite her to dance and later teases her about what her diary entry will be the next day.  He’s even an expert on the finer points of Indian muslin.  A chain of events brings them together at Northanger Abbey where Catherine is at first welcomed and then rudely dismissed by General Tilney to travel home on her own, but Henry comes through in the end to win her hand as any Prince Charming would be expected to do.  Of course, not all the charmers Jane Austen introduces are as open, honest, and good natured as Henry Tilney.  Some are dishonest, self-serving, and not at all to be admired as we come to find out.   Just for fun, let’s examine the natural charmers we love and the charming rogues we come to loath for taking advantage of our young heroines.

Natural Charmers

Mr. Bingley immediately strikes us as genuinely open, affable, and affectionate.  When Netherfield Park is let at last, the neighborhood is overjoyed to have a single man of good fortune in their midst, and he does not disappoint.  He sincerely enjoys engaging with local society at large and Jane Bennet in particular, so what’s not to love?  Well, perhaps a bit of a weak spine since he is easily persuaded to move back to London because his friend, Mr. Darcy, and his sisters are fearful that he'll make an imprudent match with an attractive young lady who lacks fortune and rank and is saddled with an unruly family.  Still, we never doubt his goodwill or open temperament and he comes through with a proposal in the end.  Well done, Mr. Bingley.

Colonel Fitzwilliam is another natural charmer who was “very much admired” when he called at the Parsonage while visiting Lady Catherine at Rosings Park with his cousin, especially in comparison to the introverted Mr. Darcy.  He is an eager conversationalist on all manner of topics and Lizzy is quite taken with him.  She even has thoughts of marrying Fitzwilliam considering “he was beyond comparison the pleasantest man; he certainly admired her, and his situation in life was most eligible.” In her more rational moments, she understands that his position as a second son of an earl prevents him from pursuing her since he is expected to make an advantageous marriage to a wealthy bride, but she is most definitely charmed by him.  Had he been a first son rather than a second, Darcy would have had real competition on his hands.

Charming Rogues

How could clever, witty, and intelligent Elizabeth Bennet be so easily duped by a cad like Mr. Wickham?  Among other reasons it is because “Mr. Wickham was the happy man towards whom almost every female eye was turned, and Elizabeth was the happy woman by whom he finally seated himself.”   She was easily charmed by his friendly manners, handsome bearing, and willingness to reveal slanderous stories about Mr. Darcy, a man whom she already despises for his arrogant behavior and for slighting her the first time they met.  Wickham ingratiates himself to the degree that Lizzy is quite enthralled and her aunt steps in to caution her about her “warm recommendation” of Wickham and to remind her of her family obligations.  It’s not until we learn of Wickham’s debt and debaucheries after leaving Meryton and running off with Lizzy’s youngest sister, Lydia, that we come to realize how willfully he uses his charm to get what he wants.  That he demands a payout from Darcy to marry Lydia is a good indication of his lack of character. 

We discover another willful charmer in Mr. Willoughby from the moment he whisks up Marianne and carries her home after she sprains her ankle and calls the next day to check on her.  They quickly compare notes to discover so many similar tastes and interests that it seems they’re made for each other.  Elinor admonishes Marianne “how is your acquaintance to be long supported, under such extraordinary dispatch of every subject of discourse?” to which Marianne protests, “Elinor, is this fair? Is this just? Are my ideas so scanty?” Willoughby proceeds to further ingratiate himself with the family such that everyone who sees them believes he and Marianne must surely be engaged or soon will be, until his aunt sends him away to London where he betrays Marianne and becomes engaged to a wealthy young woman.  Later we learn of an even worse indiscretion with the ward of Colonel Brandon whom he seduced and abandoned. 

When Frank Churchill finally makes his way to HIghbury he proves himself to be another charming rogue.  He readily leads everyone to believe he is interested in Emma, including Emma herself.  Emma presumes his attentions are genuine because she is, after all, clever, handsome, and rich, yet there is always something sly about Frank and his interactions, so when we finally learn about his secret engagement to Jane Fairfax, we realize how deceitful he is with his family and the inhabitants of Highbury.  Emma is charmed because she felt she ought to be charmed and she expected to be the object of his interest. Why would she not be?  Thankfully, she has Mr. Knightly, who despises Frank Churchill as artful and duplicitous, to make Emma realize there is only one man for her, Mr. Knightly himself.

William Elliot works quite hard at being charming as he tries to redeem himself with Sir Walter Elliot, whom he slighted when first introduced to him and favorite daughter, Elizabeth. He intends to ensure his inheritance is not threatened by the wily Mrs. Clay who has managed to ingratiate herself with Sir Walter.  If not for a crooked tooth and clumsy wrist, she might have succeeded in winning him.  To Anne his efforts always seem transparent and when she learns from Mrs. Smith of his true opinion of Sir Walter and Elizabeth, it comes as no surprise that he is not to be trusted even as he tries to court her.  Anne already questions his character based on her own observations, so he is never able to use his charms to win her hand despite pressure from her friend, Lady Reynolds, to accept his attentions and become the next Lady Elliot. 

Mansfield Park introduces us to Henry Crawford.  While not handsome, he has magnetic charm that attracts the attention of both the Bertram sisters, most especially Maria, who recently became engaged.  Henry has no qualms about toying with the emotions of Maria, before and after her marriage, eventually leading to her ruined reputation and divorce while barely affecting his social standing at all.  Roguish behavior indeed.

Almost Charming

We can imagine that Captain Wentworth was quite the natural charmer when he and Anne Elliot first fell in love.  Eight years later, he loses any claim to that in his resentful behavior towards Anne and thoughtless flirtation with the Musgrove sisters.  Towards them he exhibits boundless charm, but we never believe that he has serious intentions towards either sister.  When he finally realizes during a trip to Lyme Regis how easily he could be ensnared in an engagement to someone he doesn’t love, he quickly exits and later follows Anne to Bath.  Of course, we can forgive Captain Wentworth anything for writing the world’s greatest love letter.

Mr. Knightly doesn’t quite qualify as a natural charmer because of the role he plays trying to guide Emma to be her better self.  He can be a bit of a scold.  On the other hand, Mrs. Elton considers him to be quite charming and assures her husband that Knightly was one friend he needn’t be ashamed of.  However, since impertinent Mrs. Elton lacks any charm in her own right, her opinion carries no weight with us. 

Jane Austen’s Prince Charming

We know Jane had at least one affair of the heart with handsome young Irishman, Tom Lefroy.  There was no chance it would become anything more because he needed to acquire money through marriage, and she had none.  Despite that encumbrance they did appear to have a great deal of fun together as Jane writes in a letter to Cassandra: “He is a very gentlemanlike, good-looking, pleasant young man, I assure you.”  Later she writes, “I am almost afraid to tell you how my Irish friend and I behaved.  Imagine to yourself everything most profligate and shocking in the way of dancing and sitting down together.  I can expose myself, however, only once more, because he leaves the country soon after next Friday.”  Later in life, after making a suitable marriage and eventually becoming Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Tome Lefroy admitted to his nephew when asked about his acquaintance with Jane that he was in love with her but qualified it as a “boyish love”.  He must have been a real charmer in his youth.  Still, had he not been hampered by the lack of fortune, would he and Jane have married?  Had they married, would she have managed to write her six timeless novels?  As fate would have it, she never married and we, her devoted readers over two centuries, are able enjoy her gallery of charmers and rogues over and over again.