I think we're agreeing straight down the line
Posted by Laraine on May 01, 1998 at 15:34:03:
In response to And..., written by Linden on April 30, 1998 at 18:54:46
]IMHO the only author who can match JA for comic heroines is Shakespeare, with Viola, Rosalind, Portia, Beatrice etc.
I completely agree with you, and I think they have much in common. And we have pretty big critics agreeing with us to0--Marilyn Butler said that Highbury is Illyria (but I haven't read her intro so I can't say more about it.)
] The unfunny ones are the stuff of tragedy - Anne's rejection of Wentworth is the main one. Alternatively, where it's not the heroine's own mistake that causes her pain, they are the stuff of pathos, which is rarely so dramatic as tragedy. When she puts them on the main heroine (the point of view character) it doesn't quite come off (Elinor and Fanny). When JA puts them on her secondary heroines (Jane Fairfax, Jane Bennet***) we don't worry about them so much.
I'm sorry, Linden, but I don't quite follow. I think I get the Anne part and I agree that her having lost Wentworth for so long is the stuff of tragedy (or at least as close as JA gets). But I'm not sure about the pathos and it not coming off--do you mind elaborating?
] Catherine has the luck to find a good man with a sense of humour ... Marianne doesn't, and so her mistakes are nearly deadly.
Yes! I'd add that JA seemed ready to take on much bigger challenges with the character Marianne. Catherine's leanings towards sentimentality seem more flights of fantasy; they're touched with a bewitching lightheartedness. But Marianne's have a truly dark side--not to mention Willoughby's. JA seems to want to show the dangers as real dangers. (I'm glad you like Henry too!)
] *** The pain in Jane falls mainly on the Janes
LOL! ;-D
- Pathos in JA Linden 19:41:36 5/01/98
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- Can I get a clarification? Erin 13:53:45 5/02/98
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- Tragedy and pathos Linden 20:02:33 5/02/98
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- Yet... Erin 12:35:18 5/03/98
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- What about S&S Arnessa 22:51:25 5/04/98
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- Aristotle and tragedy... Helen 14:47:18 5/03/98
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- Blah Blah, Tragedy in this "Helen-ic" age Ian of Erin 22:34:11 5/04/98
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- I can't believe... Erin 00:03:25 5/04/98
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- Oh, don't stop!!!! Laraine 14:42:32 5/04/98
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- Even longer... (I'm sorry) Helen 17:43:54 5/04/98
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- Driveling along ;-p Erin 23:12:56 5/04/98
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- Driveling along ;-p Erin 23:12:56 5/04/98
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- Even longer... (I'm sorry) Helen 17:43:54 5/04/98
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- Oh, don't stop!!!! Laraine 14:42:32 5/04/98
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- What did Aristotle say about comedy? Linden 18:47:59 5/03/98
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- Essentially... Erin 22:14:57 5/03/98
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- So JA's comedies aren't Aristotelian? (nfm) Linden 23:56:41 5/03/98
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- I would not use Aristotle's definition Erin 00:20:59 5/04/98
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- We're running off the screen here... Linden 02:15:00 5/04/98
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- We're running off the screen here... Linden 02:15:00 5/04/98
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- I would not use Aristotle's definition Erin 00:20:59 5/04/98
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- So JA's comedies aren't Aristotelian? (nfm) Linden 23:56:41 5/03/98
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- Essentially... Erin 22:14:57 5/03/98
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- Blah Blah, Tragedy in this "Helen-ic" age Ian of Erin 22:34:11 5/04/98
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- What about S&S Arnessa 22:51:25 5/04/98
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- Yet... Erin 12:35:18 5/03/98
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- Tragedy and pathos Linden 20:02:33 5/02/98
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- Can I get a clarification? Erin 13:53:45 5/02/98
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