Premium Essay

Analysis of Jane Austen

In:

Submitted By jessulli
Words 1118
Pages 5
Discuss the ways in which Jane Austen uses caricature to ridicule or point out the faults of a rigid class system in characters such as Sir Walter, Mr. Woodhouse, and Mr. Collins. Extend your explanation of these character's personalities and goals to those of one or two of today's politicians. Are there parallels between Mr. Woodhouse, for example, and members of the Congress or Legislature? Explain your Answer.

Jane Austen uses caricature to ridicule and to point out faults of the rigid class system of her day. We can look at Sir Walter Elliot from Persuasion, Austen’s last completed novel in 1816. Secondly poor old Mr. Woodhouse from Emma, written by Austen and published in 1815. Lastly Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice also written by Austen and published in 1813.
Sir Walter Elliot at first read comes off as pompous and vain. After finishing the novel I cannot seem to change my view of him and probably with good reason. “He maintains personal qualities that are abhorrent to Austen's protagonists. Selfish and self-absorbed, he is unable to think past himself and his own immediate desires. Yet Sir Walter is not at all evil or ill inclined; rather, he is comically ridiculous, a caricature of the old, titled class” (SparkNotesEditors).
Austen explains his vain character well in this one statement. “Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character; vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty-four, was still a very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lord be more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy…” (Kindle Locations 25079-25082). I think Sir Walter’s goals were that in the same with most politicians it is hard to

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

How Does Galperin Review Jane Austen

...Review: The Historical Austen Galperin, William. The Historical Austen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. 2002. William Galperin’s 2002 work, The Historical Austen, offers a dichotomous approach to understanding both Jane Austen in history, as well as, in literature. Austen’s history remains troubled by a lack of sources for her personal narrative, however, Galperin strives to find her contributions to writing and Austenite studies’ historicity to find his own “probable” Jane. (7) He does this through literary trends, aesthetic trends, and social trends in support of his thesis arguing for widespread understanding of Austen’s dynamic oppositional style, which would correspond with contemporary opinions despite many other scholars’...

Words: 1508 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

On Jane Austen’s Point of View of Marriage in

...On Jane Austen’s Point of View of Marriage in Pride and Prejudice Acknowledgements This thesis has finally come into being to meet critical eyes through two months of hard work. From the very beginning when I chose the topic till the completion of the thesis, I have benefited from many people . First of all I would like to show my sincere gratitude to my tutor, Shen Guozheng. Without his sincere and trustworthy guidance,valuable suggestions and critical comments,it would be difficult for me to accomplish this thesis.His loyalty to teaching and punctilious work style has profoundly impressed me. Moreover, I heartily thank all the teachers who have helped me in the past four years, who have provided me with incentives and direction for my study. Thanks are also due to my classmates and friends for their constant encouragement and their ways of assistance in the course of writing. Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family members, for their selfless support,thoughtfulness and encouragement. Abstract Jane Austen was one of the distinguished realistic novelists in the nineteenth- century-English literature.Pride and Prejudice is a world wide popular novel published in 1813.Austen set the story in the first decade of the nineteenth century.At that time,marriage was the only way for women to gain social status and recognition. The author of the present thesis will analyze the five marriage patterns from the perspective...

Words: 4250 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Jane Eyre Research Paper

...levels of understanding. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte has stood the test of time due to its impact on society, masterfully utilized motifs, and the continued relevance Bronte’s message has to readers. Emma, by Jane Austen will weather time equally as well as Jane Eyre, as both of the novels display incredible use of language in their distinctly different criticisms of English society in the 19th century. Both Authors employ motifs as a way to express dissatisfaction with society...

Words: 837 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Literary Styles of Rosseau

...Dennis C. Ramdawah ENG 4300 Professor J. Desalvo March 30, 2012 In writing about the literary styles of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Jane Austen, there are subtle comparisons and contrast the reader draws upon to decipher the ideological content of these two writers’ works. Rousseau’s, The Confessions and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice exhibit the sensibility of nature in one perspective and the hierarchy of an aristocratic culture too long forgotten. Moreover, these writers draw upon natural life experiences to showcase their thoughts on humanity, life, love and nature as a whole. They both employ these two definitive factors throughout their respective works. Their writing reflects their passionate relationship during the Romantic period and why they became influential artisans of that era. Rousseau’s most influential work, The Social Contract, discusses the origins of government and states emphatically that laws cannot be made if the people do not agree upon them. These thoughts on government were light years ahead of his time and for citizens of the Romantic period. Additionally, Rousseau argued that children should live and play and enjoy the outdoors and their learning should coincide with them during these stages of development. He bore his development as a child emotionally through his experiences with nature. He thought nature should have an impact in literature. These same influences are the kindling flames of the Romantic movement that spread from England to abroad....

Words: 1246 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Use of Irony in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: “the Most Unlearned and Uninformed Female Who Ever Dared to Be an Authoress”

...The Use of Irony in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: “The most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an Authoress” Irony serves as a fundamental literary tool for authors. It enables them to express their themes and views through characters whose words are often inconsistent with their actions, and in situations where the intended result differs from the actual result. Irony works in a clever manner by showing the reader what the author wants to express by making these inconsistencies apparent to the reader, if not to the characters themselves, and exposing it, more often than not, in a satiric fashion. Yet, while irony works with satire, the power it holds for those who wield it well is no laughing matter. Famous writers such as the sardonic H.L. Mencken and Jonathan Swift, a true satiric master, have used irony to promote real, legitimate change. In Swift’s case, his famous piece, “A Modest Proposal,” used extreme satire and irony to promote change in Irish policy. Perhaps the greatest satirist of all time, William Shakespeare used irony in almost every piece he created. In his play Julius Caesar, the speech he has Mark Antony give in which he repeats the phrase “but Brutus is an honorable man” when he is trying to convey the exact opposite serves as a truly timeless example of this literary tool. It is unique in that it does not simply throw the author’s point of view directly in the reader’s face, but rather enables the reader to discover the author’s...

Words: 5225 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Eqfewf

...Högskolan i Halmstad Sektionen för Humaniora Engelska 61-90 The Importance of Class and Money A Marxist Analysis of Jane Austen’s Persuasion Therese Andersson C-essay Tutor Kristina Hildebrand Abstract This essay analyzes how issues related to money and social class are presented in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. The method used will be a close reading as well as aspects of Marxist literary criticism, a theory that will be presented in the second chapter. Background information about the author and her time will then be given in the third chapter. In chapter four, the character of Sir Walter Elliot will be analyzed, in chapter five Elizabeth Elliot, and in chapter six William Elliot. Some of the other characters will be analyzed, more briefly, in the seventh chapter. Conclusions will then be drawn in the eighth and final chapter. 2 Table of contents Abstract.....................................................................................................2 Table of contents.......................................................................................3 1. Introduction.........................................................................................4 2. Theory and method..............................................................................5 2.1 Close reading............................................................................................5 2.2 Marxist literary criticism................................................

Words: 12119 - Pages: 49

Free Essay

A Short Analysis of Romance and Eroticism in Emma and the French Lieutenant’s Woman

...Anka B ENG210H5 2 March 2011 Essay 2 A Short Analysis of Romance and Eroticism in Emma and The French Lieutenant’s Woman While both novels explore the ideas of romance, Jane Austen is much more conservative in her approach to courtship and marriage. She includes traditional love scenes where men confess their love to a lady, or a woman speaks of her love for a man. There is no strong sexual content or intimacy between characters that is able to evolve into a steamy affair. There are certainly no intimate scenes within the novel and much of the romance is expressed through flirtation, superficial interest and courtship. John Fowles on the other hand explores romanticism and eroticism through several affairs that end in romantic tragedy in The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Although this contrast exists between the two novels, both authors are still able to demonstrate the complexity of romantic relationships using their own unique approach to the subject. Jane Austen introduces romantic ideas through complex relationships that involve courtship and marriage. For some characters it is a growth process that allows them to make mistakes and learn new lessons. Emma is the main character in the novel and she is the main cause for the drama that goes on in the story. Emma assumes that she has cupid-like qualities that make her a great matchmaker for those she surrounds herself with. In reality, the matchmaking backfires and Emma finds herself entangled in a web of guilt and...

Words: 2096 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Marxist Reading of Persuasion

...A MARXIST READING OF JANE AUSTEN’S PERSUASION Abstract This essay analyzes how issues related to money and social class are presented in Jane Austen’s Persuasion . The method used will be a close reading as well as aspects of Marxist literary criticism, a theory that will be presented in the second chapter. Background information about the author and her time will then be given in the third chapter. In chapter four, the character of Sir Walter Elliot will be analyzed, in chapter five Elizabeth Elliot, and in chapter six William Elliot. Some of the other characters will be analyzed, more briefly, in the seventh chapter. Conclusions will then be drawn in the eighth and final chapter. 1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 2. Theory and method .............................................................................. 2.1 Close reading ............................................................................................ 2.2 Marxist literary criticism ................................................................................ 3. Background .......................................................................................... 3.1 Jane Austen and her time ......................................................................... 3.1.1 Titles and ranks .......................................................................................... 3.2 Class in Jane Austen’s novels .....................

Words: 11250 - Pages: 45

Premium Essay

Essay About Pride and Prejudice

...Essay about attitudes and reasons for marriage, based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. At the end of the XVIII century, families with daughters used to be worried about setting good marriages for them. Getting a good husband was the main objective of young ladies at that time. Austen uses the Bennet family of Longbourn to illustrate the good and bad reasons behind marriage. Since they had so many girls to be married, Mrs. Bennet made huge efforts to make her daughters well married. Her husband's estate was entailed to his nephew, Mr. Collins, upon Mr. Bennet's death. So, Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters to have financial stability in case of their father's death. Women who could not find a husband were often referred to as old maids and lived their whole lives with their parents. It’s possible to understand why Mrs. Bennet did not want this for any of her daughters. The Bennets' marriage was not ideal. Mr. Bennet had married his wife because she was beautiful in her youth and her ability to supply him with children. But her beauty faded and so did their enjoyment of each other, eventually. He enjoyed his time alone in his studies where he could be away from his wife and daughters. Mrs. Bennet enjoyed gossiping about neighbours and finding future husbands for her daughters. Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth's best friend, married Mr. Collins for money. Jane Austen plainly states that Charlotte accepted his proposal for the pure and disinterested desire of an...

Words: 557 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Comparative Analysis of Point of View of Joseph Andrews and Emma

...Comparative Analysis of Point of View of Joseph Andrews and Emma Point of view is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the readers “hear” and “see” what takes place in a story. In this essay, the point of view of Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding and Emma by Jane Austen will be analyzed in comparison to one another. The comparison will be made on each aspect of the point of view, such as subjective/objective, partial/impartial narration and the perspectives through which the point of views are presented. The point of view of Joseph Andrews is third person omniscient. In Third person omniscient narration the narrator lies outside the plot and knows everything about the characters, their emotions and feelings and various events happening in the story, such a narrator is a God like character who is aware of everything. The narrator of Joseph Andrews is an intrusive narrator who keeps the reader aware of the fact that they are reading a fiction and the truth of the novel lies not in its facts but in the depiction of human nature. The intrusive nature of the novel can be felt by the descriptions provided at the beginning of each chapter, like the description of chapter V says, “The Death of Sir Thomas booby, with the affectionate and mournful Behaviour of his Widow, and the great Purity of Joseph Andrews”(24). In the very beginning even before reading the chapter the mind of the reader is made to think in a particular way that the behavior of the widow will be affectionate...

Words: 1145 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Term Paper

...Sept 3, 2014 The Merchant of Venice The Merchant of Venice is a play written by Shakespeare, the most influential writer in history. The Merchant of Venice is about a variety of relationships: “Father-daughter; husband-wife; male friends; female friends; money lender-borrower; and Christian-Jew.” The relationship explored in this essay is the father-daughter relationship of Shylock and Jessica. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender in Venice, and he is so immersed in the business that he neglects his daughter Jessica. Shylock despises Christians, because of the mistreatment he suffered at their hands, and he encourages Jessica to do the same. Jessica is very different from her father. She is in love with Lorenzo, a young Christian boy, who her father disapproves of. The relationship between shylock and Jessica is very dysfunctional. Example is when Jessica is talking with Launcelot and she says “I am sorry thou wilt leave my father so; our house is hell, thou a merry devil” (p.30). Jessica detests her home life and wants to leave it behind. She also states “Alack, what a heinous sin is it in me to be ashamed to be my father’s child...I shall end this strife, become a Christian, and thy loving wife” (p.31). Jessica is confined to her father’s wants and wishes, but she is very unhappy. Therefore, when a chance of freedom came she took it. Jessica chooses to elope with Lorenzo, the one she is in love with and convert to Christianity. Shylock was a bad father. For instance, he says...

Words: 2123 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Literary Comparison

...Comparison Essay The literary works Pride and Prejudice and The Importance of Being Earnest are interpreted as “comedies of manners.” Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde use satire to criticize their own respective societies in their work. Both works were written around the same time period, leading to correlations between the novel and play. However, both works are distinctly different from each other. The commonalities and differences between them consists of: the author’s perspective of their respective society, themes, and relevance to the society of today. The perspective of society plays a significant role when evaluating how Austen and Wilde viewed their respective societies. In each evaluation, both authors share a fair bit of commonalities...

Words: 693 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Pride and Prejudice Love Theme Analysis

...PRIDE AND PREJUDICE ANALYSIS Love theme Love never gets old. So does every problem that comes with it. The “pride” and “prejudice” that once hindered the love of Elizabeth and Darcy have not ceased to cause troubles to lovers until nowadays. It is the love theme that makes Pride and Prejudice famous and widely read for many decades. Love in late 18th and early 19th century must be more difficult than today. Social standings and class could become a huge barrier. Early in the book, this barrier is poitrated when Darcy, being a wealthy noble, snubs Elizabeth (he refused to dance with her). Elizabeth’s pride immediately judged Darcy on that bad first impression, and keeps her away further from him later. Just like that, Elizabeth and Darcy were distant from each other because of their prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy, however, eventually married. But how? Through a serie of events, and through many experiences, they understood each other. Darcy begins to admire Elizabeth, captivated by her fine eyes and lively wit. Elizabeth continues to impress Darcy during her time nursing Jane at Netherfield. But she, unlike him, did not grow such sudden change of heart that quick. She remained cold to Darcy for a long time, even angry at him once. But things change after Darcy gave her a letter to explain everything. And with some important events after that, Elizabeth slowly fell to Darcy. In the end both admitted that they were wrong. Aside from Elizabeth and Darcy, other couples contribute...

Words: 357 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Thesis

...sentence: a clear, concise statement of the specific position you will explore in your paper Outline first Outline your argument as fully as possible before starting the first draft. Outlining first helps you to see the shape of your argument, making writing the draft much easier. Start focused Avoid broad openers; start your argument right away. Do not open with empty filler such as “Since the beginning of time” or “For thousands of years, men, both good and evil.” Open with a sentence that launches your argument: “J. M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians explores the latent meanings of deformity.” Use substantive statements Each sentence should contribute to the development of your argument. Avoid fact-only sentences such as “Jane Austen uses letters to reveal important information.” Incorporate facts into more substantive statements: “Austen’s use of letters...

Words: 1348 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Pride and Prejudice

...Description To explore your understanding and share it with others is the purpose of an interpretation and an analysis. Yet, even though we create our own personal meanings out of a literary work, we must also learn to reach an objective understanding. You have to be able to use evidence from the text itself to support any points you are making. A literary analysis explains what you as a reader see inside a literary work. This automatically requires examples and support from various parts of the text. (Blueprint B v2.0 p. 234) Guidelines | 1. Decide on one of the two books assigned by your teacher. | | 2. Divide your book into three parts. Use one week to read each part. | | 3. Write reading logs as you read your book. There are three of them on the next page, one for each part of your book (beginning, middle, end) | | 4. Create an outline for your essay by using the template below. | | 5. Write your first draft. Follow the instructions closely, Blueprint B, pp. 234-239 | | 6. Do the ”Checkpoints for Revising” on page 239, Blueprint B. | | 7. Receive peer response from a classmate or two. Use the “Peer Response Sheet” and the ”Rubric” below. | | 8. Reflect on your progress so far and ask yourself; “How can I improve this text?” Make notes in your “Self Assessment Sheet” below. | | 9. Improve your text! Turn it into a final draft – 700-1200 words. Remember to use the ”Kulturama Manual of Style". | | 10. Complete the ”Self Assessment Sheet"...

Words: 7204 - Pages: 29