Jane Austen's 235th birthday was yesterday, December 16. Her books are timeless; it's so much fun to see them beloved by a new generation of readers, who also eat up the movie versions, and all the parodies, takeoffs, spinoffs, and more. What a shame Jane herself isn't here to enjoy it, and to reap some royalties.
Here , a feminist blogger discusses the norms and expectations of Jane's era, why some of her characters are pretty darn insufferable, and why we should blame the era and not exclusively hate on Austen's women when they say things like this:
No one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half deserved.
