In a social soil--where men dominate and women succumb-- it is a wonder how women such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen were cultivated. These treasures, undoubtedly fertilized by the Lanyers’ and the Astell’s before them, sprung triumphantly from below and questioned the current culture regarding women in society and how it affects marriage. They stood in stark contrast to their surroundings-- showing their readers a mirror, and easing them out of their comfort zone. They ask us why we insist on creating and maintaining women who suffer in the current society, and they “sighed when obliged to confess” that “Weak, artificial beings, raised above the common wants and affections of their race, in a premature unnatural manner, undermine the very foundation of virtue, and spread corruption through the whole mass of society”. It is our society that breeds and builds the current model--ultimately leaving everyone dissatisfied.
Austen assures, through the voice of her heroine, “when the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but too common and too dangerous” (Austen 47; Chpt. 6). The romantic refinements Austen mentioned is the key to having a fulfilling life, yet,--the majority of the time-- this virtue is manipulated and taken advantage of, leaving woman with only two options: to be sensible or to be cunning; the latter being the most popular option.
Austen assures, through the voice of her heroine, “when the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but too common and too dangerous” (Austen 47; Chpt. 6). The romantic refinements Austen mentioned is the key to having a fulfilling life, yet,--the majority of the time-- this virtue is manipulated and taken advantage of, leaving woman with only two options: to be sensible or to be cunning; the latter being the most popular option.
Together, Wollstonecraft and Austen beg us to see marriage as they see it; an artificial institution that rarely produces a happy union, and more commonly produces the perpetuation of inequality. At best, they see society breeding “ridiculous and useless” women who are ill prepared to “govern a family with judgment, or take care of the poor babes whom they bring into the world” (Wollstonecraft, 169). However, far worse than this, they see women trained to ignore the “natural emotions of the heart” and become cunning and manipulative, stifling their virtues and leading “them to play off those contemptible infantine airs that undermine esteem” (Wollstonecraft, 170). Women are taught to play a game in order to win in the marriage pool, not only to become married but also to have a feigned and fragile power within the marriage itself.
Mary Wollstonecraft is forthright in her opinion and without asking for forgiveness exclaims: “The conduct and manners of women… prove that their minds are not in a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness are sacrificed to beauty” (Wollstonecraft, 166-167). Nearly a century earlier, Mary Astell asked the question, “If marriage be such a blessed state, how comes it, may you say, that there are so few happy marriages?” (Astell, 2285). Wollstonecraft replies: “I attribute to a false system of education… [men] are more anxious to make [women] alluring mistresses than affectionate wives and rational mothers”. She feels that the misconception of the female sex is so ingrained and nurtured that women, “with a few exceptions, are only anxious to inspire love, when they ought to cherish a nobler ambition, and by their abilities and virtues exact respect” (Wollstonecraft, 167). Thus, the majority of marriages result in a union between disenchanted men and disrespected women.
Women, who engage in frivolous occupations and collect vacant achievements, have the tendency to lack substance; a way of connecting intelligently to another human being. These women, instead of investing their time in creating a well cultivated mind and an appropriate sense, engage in the learned helplessness of their time and read from the books of male authors who view them more as an angel of the hearth than a mortal human being; their “unfolding mind is not strengthened by the practices of those duties which dignify the human character”. Since these women “only live to amuse themselves, [and thus, can] only afford barren amusement”, they offer little to a fulfilling marriage and “will soon become objects of contempt” (Wollstonecraft, 168). These women, who were designed to ignite passion and allure, fail to realize that they are neglecting the important issue of relationships in general and find themselves married to men who, though once enamored, are now dissatisfied and disrespectful husbands. Both, men and women, while creating their own demise, will become disillusioned and live in unhappy unions.
When Wollstonecraft speaks of an “artificial weakness” in women, she insists that, had the weakness been genuine, a graduation from ridiculousness into cunning would certainly not happen, which it so often does. And becoming cunning will contribute to the overall degradation of women, to be sure. Now, instead of being mindless children, they are untrustworthy and evil manipulators; both equally unappealing and useless in society. However, she asks men to take their share of the responsibility and “become more chaste and modest” , and also, realize that although they are the exception, “some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect will always govern”. Society needs to make allowances for those who choose to take another path. Instead of passing their days in idleness they gain useful knowledge and question their world with a philosophic eye. Men and women together must understand, the reason for their unhappy union is the foundation in which they were grown; the culture itself.
When Wollstonecraft speaks of an “artificial weakness” in women, she insists that, had the weakness been genuine, a graduation from ridiculousness into cunning would certainly not happen, which it so often does. And becoming cunning will contribute to the overall degradation of women, to be sure. Now, instead of being mindless children, they are untrustworthy and evil manipulators; both equally unappealing and useless in society. However, she asks men to take their share of the responsibility and “become more chaste and modest” , and also, realize that although they are the exception, “some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect will always govern”. Society needs to make allowances for those who choose to take another path. Instead of passing their days in idleness they gain useful knowledge and question their world with a philosophic eye. Men and women together must understand, the reason for their unhappy union is the foundation in which they were grown; the culture itself.
No one knew the truth of Marry Wollstonecraft’s words as well as Jane Austen. In fact if we use A Vindication of the Rights of Women, as a guide to Austen’s work, we will be more readily prepared to uncover her judgment on social issues-- particularly issues regarding women and marriage. While Wollstonecraft wishes “rather to persuade by the force of [her] arguments, than dazzle by the elegance of [her] language”, Austen would rather take you into a small country house and let you peek in-- seeing for yourself the issues that arise. Virginia Woolf notes that, “Jane Austen kept to her compact; she never trespassed beyond her boundaries”, and yet, “she evades nothing, and nothing is slurred over” (Woolf, 263). Austen shares many of the ideologies of her predecessor, yet weaves them into the personalities and interactions of her characters--though so subtle they may go unnoticed.
Austen illustrates the words of Wollstonecraft beautifully in Sense and Sensibility. Through characters in this novel, we are able to see first hand the issues Wollstonecraft highlights. Elinor, being the strong and sensible older sister, (well informed and able to keep her emotions in check), makes her very close to the type of ideal woman as was wished for by Wollstonecraft in A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Austen, gives Elinor the “duties that dignify the human character” when she assigns her the role of caretaker. Elinor “possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counselor of her mother” (Austen, 6; chpt 1). Elinor worries about money, stability, and the reputation of her family, all while silently falling in love with a man she feels inaccessible-- she is sensible without being modishly cunning. Elinor is not, however, as outspoken as Wollstonecraft may have liked her to be, but she bridges the gap between the typical women of her time and one of Austen’s more blunt characters: Elizabeth Bennet.
Marianne, in contrast, exemplifies the virtue of having “the natural emotions of the heart” paired with an unyielding conviction. She is mindful of her surrounding yet, is bold enough to ignore them and act upon her emotions without hesitation. She has a good heart and an accomplished mind--with only a slight air of arrogance; a perfect host for a lesson in humility. Austen shows us that to maintain the gift of sensibility, you must learn to sensor yourself in order to make sound judgments, nurturing it enough to ward off the tendency to fall into shrewd and calculating behaviors. “Marianne Dashwood was born to an extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favorite maxims” (Austen, 311; Vol, 3; ch. 14).
Growing and learning from our experiences is truly an extraordinary fate--more likely is the demise of our appealing qualities and the birth of maladaptive behaviors. Fortunately, and likely very decisively, Austen formed Marianne and Elinor with just the right amount of sense and sensibility to triumph in the end. We can infer that she shares Wollstonecraft’s views as we watch the sisters move throughout the novel, desperately trying to hold on to the innate virtues they possess while their society and culture relentlessly tries to make them succumb.
Growing and learning from our experiences is truly an extraordinary fate--more likely is the demise of our appealing qualities and the birth of maladaptive behaviors. Fortunately, and likely very decisively, Austen formed Marianne and Elinor with just the right amount of sense and sensibility to triumph in the end. We can infer that she shares Wollstonecraft’s views as we watch the sisters move throughout the novel, desperately trying to hold on to the innate virtues they possess while their society and culture relentlessly tries to make them succumb.
We may only need to look as far as Lucy Steele to understand that Austen was fully aware, and in agreement, with Wollstonecraft’s idea of the idiot girl turned cold and calculating. Wollstonecraft noted, with “energetic emotions”, that women are forced into these roles; society leaves no room for other--more honorable--options. In this same fashion, Lucy is poor and does what her world tells her to do in the best way she is able to do it. She is truly a product of her generation and Austen “wishes neither to reform nor to annihilate” (Woolf, 264).
Austen simply wants to paint a picture, using the colors she sees fit, and allows us to interpret it for ourselves. However, if she does her job well, as we may all believe she has, we will see an accurate account of middle class society; the same society that was noted by Mary Wollstonecraft almost twenty years earlier.
Austen simply wants to paint a picture, using the colors she sees fit, and allows us to interpret it for ourselves. However, if she does her job well, as we may all believe she has, we will see an accurate account of middle class society; the same society that was noted by Mary Wollstonecraft almost twenty years earlier.
