We all know about the feminist
movement, we have all heard about huge historical moments and people such Susan
B. Anthony and the 19th amendment. Women’s rights have only recently
gained momentum, and often times we forget that women’s suffrage did not begin
in the late 1800’s. Since the beginning of time, women have been seen as the
weaker of the two sexes. But it has not been socially acceptable to say that
this is wrong until now. Jane Austen put forth her own views on women’s rights before
it was talked about, and she did so in a creative way; she showed the problems
of women through her novels.
In Pride and Prejudice, Austen’ s most recognized novel, her main
character Elizabeth points out the flaws in society’s view when one of the
women, Caroline claims that “A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music,
singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages…and besides all this she
must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of
her voice, her address and expressions…” Elizabeth replies by saying “I am no longer surprised at your knowing only
six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing any"(Austen58).
While these ideals seem frivolous, they were important because women did not
have a real job other than keeping the house. These skills were important to be
marriageable, which was the ultimate goal for many women.
The views of how a woman should act have changed, but we still face
these problems today. We have the right to vote and do the work we choose, but
girls are still told how they should look or act by the movies and magazines
that have saturated our culture. Magazines such as Cosmopolitan are constantly
giving tips on how to dress and look better. Austen saw that giving
expectations for women as wrong, and gave her opinions the only way she could.
The wit and humor that she uses show how ridiculous the views of woman are, and
how no one can live up to the standards that society has created. Society expected women to be seen, not heard,
an opinion is a luxury that women have today but Austen’s culture did not. What
is interesting is that all of Austen’s female characters have a voice, and
strong opinions. Catherine in Northanger Abbey frequently discussed her views
and opinions not only with her friends, but the man she loves Henry Tilney. While
it is not different to us today, having hints of feminism in Austen’s writing
had huge implications. How might have society viewed her writing in her time as
opposed to now?
Our modern Jane Austen is Tina Fey, who is constantly making fun of how
women act and the expectations of women. This video is a spoof of how women are portrayed in our modern television shows, and how they portray unrealistic expectations of how women should act. Sound familiar?
The Tine Fey video is great--and she seems to be making fun of the anti-Austen, Candace Bushnell, right? Part of Austen's brilliance, of course, is that she didn't create characters that could so easily be made fun of--they hint at feminist ideals, but they are also fully worked out as characters.
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