And it is true, I've never seen an author assault her own characters before. But, even when they are derided, they still possess humanity. And are three dimensional.

...is poor Lady Middleton!! I really do not know what she has done to JA to warrent the abuse the narrator heaps on her - and to be drawn so two dimensionally! So she is obsessed with her children, and does not have much of importance to say. At least she is not making fun of people's private feelings, and she is the provider of a great deal of elegant entertainment. She also, if only through the vacuity that JA seems to so despise, often deflects the conversation from embarrassing subjects: for example in chapter 12 when she starts talking about the weather to stop her mother and husband teasing Elinor about the mysterious gentleman whose name begins with an F.

I cannot get a handle on her, which is why I think she is not three dimensional. I can see that she is not the Dashwoods' equal, intellectually, but I really do not think she deserves the kicking she gets from JA :-)