Somewhat ill-used, I think....
Posted by Carl Goss on January 13, 1998 at 13:41:33:
In response to Need help with JA influence, written by Joyce on January 13, 1998 at 00:48:46
You must complain to your friend how ill he uses you AND
Jane Austen. While it is true that her novels contain the the literary conventions and devices of the time, plot, setting, narration and so forth, she turned away from the popular romantic novels of the day to introduce her readers to a more natural, realistic world, something ordinary middle-class readers of the time could relate to. If anything she criticised the excesses of sentiment found in the popular novels of the time. (See Sanditon, Northanger Abbey)
Austen heroines are unsentimental creatures. They face uncertain futures in an unsympathetic male-dominated culture. They must be self-relient. They must have strong inner resources. Other than Emma Woodhouse, they are not wealthy.
No. They cannot be romantic heroines in the supermarket sense that I think your friend means.
] I have a friend who does not like JA (yes, they do exist) because he found a quote which said that "Jane Austen was the supermarket romance novelist of her day." Thus he has no respect for her and refuses to take me seriously when I talk about her.
] I need a) where did he get that quote and who said it (he can't remember)
] and
] b) quotes from well known writers about the influence of JA and her writing
] I told him that anyone who is STILL being reprinted 200 years later must have something going for them. His reply was unprintable but it had something to do with the softness of JA's obsessive's minds.
] Give me something to shut him up!
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