The scenes were generally small country towns. The characters were middle and upper class men and women. The events were typical of nineteenth century life. Jane Austen uses this background to poke fun at the exaggerated behaviour and affectations of the wealthy. She recognized the flaws of middle and upper class society and scolded them for their opinions and pretensions.
She spoke through her heroines who were noble and kind with a strong sense of honest values and principles. Miss Austen herself probably possessed these same virtues and, like her heroines, also enjoyed a close attachment to her family. This describes Catherine Morland, Elinor Dashwood and Elizabeth Bennet from the beginning. Miss Austen herself said about Emma, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like". Emma´s personality at the start of the novel is that of a snob and typical of the society in which she was raised. As the story progresses, Emma sees the errors of her judgment and the superficiality of her thinking. At the end she becomes another wise, sensitive heroine.
Catherine Morland is the heroine of Northanger Abbey. She is young, enthusiastic, innocent, full of romance, but eventually, she finds out that life is very different from Mrs. Radcliffe´s novels, Mysteries of Udolpho, the tasteless romances of the day. Catherine is timid mainly because, for her, Bath is an introduction to society, a society to which she was not exposed in the small town where she grew up. As a result, she doesn not appear to be as strong as Emma or Elinor or Elizabeth. Although she does not express her convictions verbally, her lack of agreement with something or someone offensive shows the reader that she is indeed a strong character.
Emma Woodhouse has more faults than the other young ladies. Initially she is not a sympathetic character, but as the story progresses, so does her personality evolve and she gains the affection of the reader. Emma is a snob; she is well-acquainted with the privileges of her social rank and she expects everyone else to recognize them as well. Her hobby is match-making, but she fails at this because of her lack of understanding of other people´s feelings. She bases her matches on what society considers the necessary requirements for a good marriage. She is only successful at the end when she realizes that one´s heart must be the judge and not society. Even though Emma has many faults, the reader sympathizes with her because she is real. Her intentions are good, but her opinions have been formed by the society she lives in.
Our third heroine is Elizabeth Bennet. She is intelligent and witty. She has self-respect, but is not vain. She has abundant common sense, enough to offer her own father advice as to the welfare of another daughter. Her mind functions quickly and she is usually right. She seems to be an almost perfect person uninfected by the affectations of society. Although stung by an insult from Darcy in the beginning of Pride and Prejudice, she is capable of overcoming her prejudice and his pride in order to form a loving union with him by the end of the novel.
Elinor Dashwood represents Sense in Miss Austen´s Sense and Sensibility, whereas her sister, Marianne, represents Sensibility. Elinor is kind and loving toward her sisters and her mother. She does not put her wishes before those of her family. She is vigilant in family affairs. When a decision must be made, she, with her common sense, tactfully advises her capricious mother. She is reminiscent of Emma in that she does not promote her own love affair until that of her sister is straightened out. Elinor always put the feelings of others before her own.
Academic year 1998/1999
12.Marzo 1999
© a.r.e.a./ Dr.
Vicente Forés López
© Kathleen Pérez
Garrity
Universitat de València
Press
Created: 23-5-99
Updated: 23-5-99
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