Women, Feminism, and Jane Austen

Imagine having to spend your entire lives cooking, cleaning, painting tables, doing needlepoint, and playing piano all day. Sounds awesome, right? Now imagine that everyone around you is going to college and getting smarter, and now you are sitting in a room full of people that assumed you are not their equal because of the way you were born. Oh, and they own your entire life. That is how women felt in a society full of men that did not believe women were equals. That is probably how Jane Austen lived.

In the 1790s, before feminism was a term that people used regularly, there were bold, brazen women like Mary Wollstonecraft who stood up and fought for her right as a human being, and there were quiet, subtle workers who yearned for the same freedoms. Jane Austen is the latter. Austen did not scream and kick and put up a fight; instead, she decided to create strong, intelligent heroines that inspired readers all over the world.

Why feminism? Jane Austen is one of the most popular female authors of her time. She constantly mentioned the social and economic standing of females in the eighteenth century, created female characters that were headstrong, independent, and intelligent, and she influenced many women. Austen expressed her disdain for a woman’s status in several, if not all, of her books, but was able to soften it with comedy and happy endings. Life was portrayed realistically; a woman had to get married if she wanted to survive.

The following selective annotated bibliography includes a variety of sources regarding women, gender, and feminism in Jane Austen’s books. Works include analyses of Austen’s novels, influences on Austen herself, and the prevalence of feminism within her work.

Students, scholars, and teachers may use this bibliography for a greater understanding of women, gender, and feminism in Jane Austen’s novels.

Anderson, Kathleen. “Fathers and Lovers: The Gender Dynamics of Relational Influence in Emma.” Persuasions On-Line 21.2 (2000): n. pag. Summer 2000. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Anderson argues that Emma’s character growth was not beneficial; Emma became a submissive wife. In the article, Anderson closely examines the roles of Emma’s father and Mr. Knightley, as well as the similarities between Emma’s relationship with Harriet and Mr. Knightley’s relationship with Emma. Patriarchal figures play a part in the deciphering of relationships in Emma, oftentimes confusing gender roles. This is a beneficial source for those who wish to delve into the question of gender roles in Emma.

Ascarelli, Miriam. “A Feminist Connection: Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft.” Persuasions On-Line 25.1 (2004): n. pag. Winter 2004. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Ascarelli’s article reveals the similarities between Mary Wollstonecraft and Austen, although their approaches to feminism are drastically different. Ascarelli explains the political turmoil in the 1790s, Wollstonecraft’s writing and botched reputation, Austen’s subtle feminist agenda, and why Jane Austen may have avoided establishing a public connection between Wollstonecraft and herself. Also, Jane Austen’s “fairytale endings” are put into perspective for anyone that is skeptical of Austen’s role as a feminist icon.

Booth, Wayne C. “Emma, Emma, and the Question of Feminism.” Persuasions 5 (1983): 29-40. Jasna.org. Jane Austen Society of North America, Feb. 2009. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Booth’s article is separated into five sections discussing the idea of the love story as a necessary evil within Emma. Booth explains the dangers of Emma and taking the male roles too seriously, as well as Austen’s reasoning behind Emma’s strong, overpowering male characters. He continues by giving examples on how to keep a clear head (and heart) while reading the novel. This article provides a lighthearted view on the dangers of reading Emma without sufficient comprehension skills and showcases Austen’s ability to keep Emma Woodhouse a feminist role model.

Brown, Lloyd W. “Jane Austen and the Feminist Tradition.” Nineteenth-Century Fiction 28.3 (1973): 321-38. JSTOR. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Composed for graduate students and professors, Brown’s eighteen page article addresses the difficulty many scholars have in defining the feminist and female aspects of Jane Austen’s novels; examples from Persuasion on inherently “female” characteristics; comparisons between Austen’s novels and Mary Wollstonecraft’s Vindication of the Rights of Woman regarding education; sexual passion and modesty in Austen’s work; and finally, Austen’s treatment of marriage. Brown delves into Austen’s work using comparisons with James Fordyce, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Thomas Gisborne, producing an in depth analysis of female stereotypes and truths.

Jeffers, Regina. “Jane Austen and Feminism.” Austen Authors. Austen Authors, 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

Regina Jeffers uses her experiences as a child of the women’s movement in 1968 as a tether to Jane Austen’s feminist role in the early eighteenth century; Jeffers also brings up the difficulties of being a female writer in Austen’s time. This article is composed for easy understanding, and is beneficial for those who know little to nothing about Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft, as well as women writers in the eighteenth century.

Kirkham, Margaret. “III Allusion, Irony and Feminism in the Austen Novels.” Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction. Sussex: Harvester, 1983. 81-99. Print.

The third section of Kirkham’s book contains chapters twelve through sixteen, highlighting Austen’s earlier works: Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, and Pride and Prejudice, as well as a short chapter entitled “Kotzebue and Theatrical Allusion in Mansfield Park and Emma”. Kirkham examines the schemas Austen uses in her early novels, the heroines, Austen’s steady improvements throughout each novel, and the influence of August von Kotzebue on her later works. This section of Jane Austen, Feminism and Fiction reveals the rise of the strong, intelligent heroines within Austen’s earlier novels as well as analyses on the concepts behind the stories themselves.

Marantz Cohen, Paula. “Jane Austen’s Rejection Of Rousseau: A Novelistic And Feminist Initiation.” Papers On Language & Literature 30.(1994): 215-234. Humanities Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

Marantz Cohen proposes that Jane Austen was not a traditional feminist; Austen reacted to the female stereotypes in a more refined fashion, and her feminist perspective grew as her writing skills did (215). Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice are used to show Rousseau’s influence of Austen’s writing style and schema, opinions on education, heroines, and concept of nature. Marantz Cohen shows the growth within feminist understanding in Jane Austen’s writing.

Moffat, Wendy. “Identifying with Emma: Some Problems for the Feminist Reader.” College English 53.1 (1991): 45-58. JSTOR. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Moffat’s essay is separated into sections: “The Problem of Emma’s Autonomy”, “Marriage and the Genre of Emma”, “The Problem of Knightley” and “The Relation of Narrator to Reader”. Moffat, as a “feminist reader”, uses her skills to determine whether the use of history should be involved while teaching about Emma, and “about the relation between academic reading…and naïve reading” (45). This essay provides examples of why Emma is not often considered a feminist novel, and why Emma may not be considered a feminist heroine.

Morrison, Sarah R. “Of Woman Borne: Male Experience And Feminine Truth In Jane Austen’s Novels.” Studies In The Novel 26.(1994): 337-349. Humanities Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

In this article, Morrison discusses the lack of inner life in Austen’s male characters, and whether it is attributed to the condemnation of female stereotypes or the equality of men and women (349). The lack of sexual relationships as well as the abundance of strong familial relationships and friendships are used to unveil Austen’s feminist vision. Morrison uses the thirteen-page article to touch on subjects such as male power and marriage in Austen’s novels.

Swords, Barbara. “”Woman’s Place” in Jane Austen’s England.” Persuasions 10 (1988): 76-82. Jasna.org. Jane Austen Society of North America, Feb. 2008. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Barbara Swords explores the legal rights, economic security, marriage, and (especially) education of women in Jane Austen’s time. Swords examines the female characters of Austen’s novels and how marriage and education affected the characters’ growth and economic standing throughout the stories. The article provides insight into the lives of women in the nineteenth century as well as the realistic representation of these issues in Jane Austen’s work.

Victorian Studies Journal

         Victorian Studies is a quarterly journal published by Indiana University Press (Bloomington). Founded in 1958, Victorian Studies is “one of the first interdisciplinary journals in the humanities,” and “is the journal North American Victorian Studies Association”; there is an issue dedicated to the association’s annual conference each year (“Victorian Studies”). Issues of Victorian Studies from 1974 to 1993 are available to students in print at the Angelo & Jennette Volpe Library, and issues from 1983 to present can be accessed through the Humanities Full Text database. This journal caters to professors and scholars as well as individuals wanting to learn more about “Victorian literature, social and political history, fine arts, science, philosophy, economics, and law” (“Victorian Studies”). Editors are Andrew H. Miller, Ivan Kreikamp, and D. Rae Greitner, professors of Indiana University. The current editorial board is an equal amount of men and women, which is a vast difference from the male dominated board in 1974; the current members are primarily American, unlike the British and American board of 1974. Victorian Studies advises submissions be between 7,000 and 9,000 words, as well as a works cited page, adhering to MLA format.  Articles tend to be from 9 to 13 pages, which is significantly less than it had been in 1974, with articles ranging from 20 to 26 pages.

            Issues of Victorian Studies typically have five to seven in-depth reviews of Victorian short stories and poetry, such as “Of Mothers and Merchants: Female Economics in Christina Rossetti’s ‘Goblin Market,’” and “Can You Forgive Him? Trollope’s Can You Forgive Her? and the Myth of Realism”. There are four or five literary criticisms. Many of the criticisms deal with the new or advancing technology. “The Medium is the Media: Fictions of the Telephone in the 1890s,” deals with the prominence and the misconception of telephones in several books and short stories; “Authenticity and Charm: The Revival of Victorian Photography,” displays several different photographs taken in the Victorian era and explains how pictures were taken, archived, and the artistic approach to photography. The goal of Victorian Studies is to educate people about Victorian times and give some insight into the literature and life of the era. There are an abundance of book reviews in each journal mainly concerning works about the Victorian era published within the last five years. There are about 35 reviews in the current issue—a significant decrease from 1990, which had 70 book reviews.

            Advertisements for books that are new or back in print, journals, and collections are often found within the pages of Victorian Studies, as well as photographs depicting historical events, famous images, or the day to day lives of those living in the Victorian era. Although the 1974 issue of Victorian Studies has an entire article dedicated to photography, photographs were not an avid part of the journal until 2000.

All in all, Victorian Studies is a journal used to understand and analyze all aspects of the Victorian era. The journal has an abundant amount of information, but it is directed primarily toward professors and scholars wishing to learn about the time.

Works Cited

Campbell, Elizabeth. “Of Mothers and Merchants: Female Economics in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market”” Victorian Studies 33 (1990): 393-410. Web.

Levine, George. “Can You Forgive Him? Trollope’s Can You Forgive Her? an the Myth of Realism.” Victorian Studies 18 (1974): 5-30. Web.

Menke, Richard. “The Medium Is The Media: Fictions Of The Telephone In The 1890S.” Victorian Studies 55.2 (2013): 212-221. Humanities Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 10 Oct. 2013.

Thomas, Alan. “Authenticity and Charm: The Revival of Victorian Photography.” Victorian Studies 18 (1974): 103-12. Web.

“Victorian Studies.” Indiana.edu. Indiana University, n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.indiana.edu/~victstu/victorianStudies.shtml&gt;.

Jane Austen Society of North America

The Jane Austen Society of North America, or JASNA, is a “nonprofit organization staffed by volunteers, with over 4,500 members and more than 70 regional groups in the United States and Canada”. Tennessee Tech students can access the organization’s information by going to http://www.jasna.org.  The organization was created by Henry G. Burke, “owner of the finest private Jane Austen collection in the world”; J. David Grey, who had an “encyclopedic knowledge of Jane Austen’s life and works”; and Joan Austen-Leigh, a “great-great grand-niece of Jane Austen”.  Catering to students, professors, and anyone with a proclivity for Jane Austen and her writing, JASNA’s website offers a biography of Jane Austen and resources for her works; select issues from the self-published journal, Persuasions, as well as an online journal, Persuasions On-Line; and information about the organization itself.

JASNA’s section entitled “Jane Austen” offers a brief biography, a list of works, pictures of Austen, and maps of the novels. The section entitled “Austen on Film” offers information on all of the movies based on Austen’s works. Every page has a section entitled “Further Reading” that offers several articles from Persuasions and Persuasions On-Line that offer more detailed information about the subjects.

Persuasions and Persuasions On-Line are the annual journals that JASNA publishes. Current editor Susan Allen Ford heads the diverse, but primarily female, editorial board and seeks to publish essays and articles about Jane Austen “writing and her world”. Essay contest winners are often featured in the journals. Select articles from Persuasions are held online, but entire issues are mailed to members of JASNA. Full issues of Persuasions On-Line can be accessed through the website.

Information regarding groups of different regions, meetings, events, and newsletters is also offered on the website. Membership is open to anyone.

All in all, the Jane Austen Society of North America is an easy to use resource completely devoted to the praise of Jane Austen, her work, and her culture. The website is a beneficial resource for those who know very little of Austen as well as those who know a great deal.

Postcolonial Web

 Postcolonial Web is a website specializing in contemporary postcolonial and post-imperial literature in English. Accessible through the website, http://www.postcolonialweb.org, TTU students can obtain postcolonial literature from various regions, authors, religions, and histories.

 Created by George P. Landow in 1995, this resource is the final result of Brown University’s Context 32, “as part of Brown University’s Institute for Research in Information and Scholarship (IRIS) Intermedia project.” In 2009 Landow transferred ownership of the website to Leong Yew, professor at the National University of Singapore. Although Yew has owned the website for several years, postcolonial web has been frozen since March 2006.

Postcolonial Web’s homepage is neatly organized and easy to navigate. Different countries and regions—such as Africa, New Zealand, and Ireland—of literature are linked, as well as a section on authors, history, religion, postcolonial theory, gender, and Diasporas. If you select, for example, “South Asia”, you are taken to “The Literature and Culture of the Indian Subcontinent.” Within this page is a serious of links similar to Postcolonial Web’s home page, offering literature from Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Nepal. South Asian authors have their own category, as well as geography, demography, gender, history, politics, economics, science and technology, religion, visual arts, and music. Selecting “Authors” offers a list of writers such as Mulk Raj Anand, Anita Desai, and fourteen others; “Gender Matters” has eight titles regarding gender in South Asia, such as Changing Images of Women in South Asian Fiction by Shoshana M. Landow; “Bangladesh” and other countries have their own home pages, complete with sections in geography, demography, gender, etc.

All in all, Postcolonial Web is an easy to use resource devoted to all contemporary postcolonial and post-imperial literature. The website is a beneficial resource for scholars in post colonial literature as well as those who know very little.