Throughout all of Miss Austen's works are her heroines who are independent, virtuous, decisive, witty, clever, discriminating and yet still embody the feminine ideal......never sacrificing what makes them so fascinating, attractive, and simply wonderful.

JA had it right way back then concerning marriage: We are partners in this thing, NOT adversaries nor dictators! Its called "respect."

Charlotte did what she had to do (considering her circumstances and the time in which she lived) and I respect her for that.