Written in 1816, partly as a result of her encounter with
Mr. Clarke, Jane Austen returns here to
her earlier habit (in the
Juvenilia and
Northanger Abbey) of
parodying what was ridiculous in the
popular literature of her day -- in this case perfectly virtuous
heroines (she confessed in one of her letters that "pictures of perfection
make me sick and wicked"), villainous aristocratic would-be ravishers, and
high toned literary sentiments and vehement emotions instead of a natural
depiction of real life. The Plan of a Novel also incorporates
some of the would-be helpful "advice" that most authors can't help receiving
from family, friends, and strangers (the original manuscript includes marginal
notes indicating those who were responsible for certain suggestions).
SCENE to be in the Country, Heroine the Daughter of a
Clergyman, one who after having lived much in the World had retired from it
and settled in a Curacy, with a very small fortune of
his own. -- He, the
most excellent Man that can be imagined, perfect in Character, Temper, and
Manners -- without the smallest drawback or peculiarity to prevent his being
the most delightful companion to his Daughter from one year's end to the
other. -- Heroine a faultless Character herself, -- perfectly good, with
much tenderness and sentiment, and not the least Wit -- very highly
accomplished, understanding modern
Languages and (generally speaking)
everything that the most accomplished young Women learn, but
particularly excelling in Music -- her favourite pursuit -- and playing
equally well on the PianoForte and Harp -- and singing in the first stile.
Her Person quite beautiful -- dark eyes and plump cheeks. -- Book to open
with the description of Father and Daughter -- who are to converse in long
speeches, elegant Language -- and a tone of high serious sentiment. -- The
Father to be induced, at his Daughter's earnest request, to relate to her
the past events of his Life. This Narrative will reach through the greatest
part of the first volume -- as
besides all the circumstances of his attachment to her Mother and their
Marriage, it will comprehend his going to sea as Chaplain to a distinguished
naval character about the Court, his going afterwards to Court himself,
which introduced him to a great variety of Characters and involved him in
many interesting situations, concluding with his opinions on the Benefits to
result from Tithes being done away, and his having buried his own Mother
(Heroine's lamented Grandmother) in consequence of the High Priest of the
Parish in which she died refusing to pay her Remains the respect due to
them. The Father to be of a very literary turn, an Enthusiast in
Literature, nobody's Enemy but his own
-- at the same time most zealous in discharge of his Pastoral Duties, the
model of an exemplary Parish Priest. -- The heroine's friendship to be
sought after by a young woman in the same Neighbourhood, of Talents and
Shrewdness, with light eyes and a fair skin, but having a considerable
degree of Wit, Heroine shall shrink from the acquaintance.
From this outset, the Story will proceed, and contain a striking variety
of adventures. Heroine and her Father never above a fortnight together in
one place, he being driven from his Curacy by the vile arts of some
totally unprincipled and heart-less young Man, desperately in love with the
Heroine, and pursuing her with unrelenting passion. -- No sooner settled in
one Country of Europe than they are necessitated to quit it and retire to
another -- always making new acquaintance, and always obliged to leave
them. -- This will of course exhibit a wide variety of Characters -- but
there will be no mixture; the scene will be for ever shifting from one Set
of People to another -- but All the Good will be unexceptionable in every
respect -- and there will be no foibles or weaknesses but with the Wicked,
who will be completely depraved and infamous, hardly a resemblance of
humanity left in them. -- Early in her career, in the progress of her first
removals, Heroine must meet with the Hero -- all perfection of course -- and
only prevented from paying his addresses to her by some excess of
refinement. -- Wherever she goes, somebody falls in love with her, and she
receives repeated offers of Marriage -- which she refers wholly to her
Father, exceedingly angry that he should not be first applied to.
-- Often carried away by the anti-hero, but rescued either by her Father or
by the Hero -- often reduced to support herself and her Father by her
Talents and work for her Bread; continually cheated and defrauded of her
hire, worn down to a Skeleton, and now and then starved to death. -- At last,
hunted out of civilized Society, denied the poor Shelter of the humblest
Cottage, they are compelled to retreat into Kamschatka where the poor Father,
quite worn down, finding his end approaching, throws himself on the Ground,
and after 4 or 5 hours of tender advice and parental Admonition to his
miserable Child, expires in a fine burst of Literary Enthusiasm,
intermingled with Invectives against holders of Tithes. -- Heroine
inconsolable for some time -- but afterwards crawls back towards her former
Country -- having at least 20 narrow escapes from falling into the hands of
the Anti-hero -- and at last in the very nick of time, turning a corner to
avoid him, runs into the arms of the Hero himself, who having just shaken
off the scruples which fetter'd him before, was at the very moment
setting off in pursuit of her. -- The Tenderest and completest Eclaircissement
takes place, and they are happily united. -- Throughout the whole work,
Heroine to be in the most elegant Society and living in high style. The name
of the work not to be
Emma, but of the same sort as
S. & S. and
P. & P.
A "curate" was a Church of England clergyman on the lowest rung of the
hierarchy of ecclesiastical endowment (entitlement to agricultural tithes, and security of tenure): curate, vicar,
rector.