Jane Austens Complex Main Characters in her Works

Jane Austen’s first novel was published in 1811, and her last two novels were published posthumously in 1817. Now, almost two hundred years later, Austen’s works are widespread and wildly popular. A classic is a text that speaks across the ages to different generations in different cultures, and so the success of Jane Austen’s novels can be attributed to her relatability. Complex characters are key to being relatable, and Jane Austen’s female protagonists are certainly so. Elizabeth Bennett, Catherine Morland, and Emma Woodhouse are good-natured and intelligent; but also flawed. These characteristics encourage the reader to identify with the protagonist and become invested in her story; thereby becoming invested in the novel itself. Elizabeth Bennett is the twenty year old protagonist of Pride and Prejudice. She is known for her wit and vivacity and has a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in anything ridiculous (Austen, 13). Her father champions Elizabeth as having â€Å"something more of quickness than her sisters† (4). Immediately the reader is encouraged to like Elizabeth, who has â€Å"a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody†(47). The book emphasizes Elizabeth’s virtues, and the reader comes to know her as a friend. However, Elizabeth is not without fault. Though she prides herself on being a â€Å"studier of character† (38), Elizabeth often misjudges people. She is convinced by the roguish George WickhamShow MoreRelatedJane Austens Influence on Literature: Pride and Prejudice1216 Words   |  5 PagesEven though today Jane Austen is regarded for her writing, during her time she couldn’t even publish her work under her own name, because it was considered unladylike for women to be intellectual figures. Unlike J. K. Rowling and other English female writers today, who are well known for their works even without using their full names, Jane Austen lived within the sanctuary of a close-knit family and always published her works under a pseudonym that could not be traced back to her (jasna.org). WritingRead MoreEssay Feminism and Jane Austens Emma1151 Words   |  5 PagesIn eighteenth century which feminist in social status was not popular by that time, author can only through literature to express her thought and discontented about society. Jane Austen’s Emma advocates a concept about the equality of men and women. Also satirizes women would depend on marriage in exchange to make a living or money in that era. By the effect of society bourgeois, Emma has little self-arrogant. She is a middle class that everyone could admire, â€Å"Young, pretty, rich and clever†, sheRead MoreSense and Sensibility by Jane Austen1151 Words   |  5 Pages11). This quote in Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility highlights the main conflict in the novel. Also, it describes how Elinor Dashwood, the main character of the novel feels about love. In this novel social class is important because most of the characters belong to upper-class families. Since there are conflicts with love and social class is of importance in the novel, two of the many themes from Sense and Sensibility include love and wealth. The conflicts the characters have with love areRead MoreThe Impact Of Romanticism In Jane Austens Northanger Abbey1500 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many genres of books that can do so, but one of the most important ones during the Romantic era was gothic literature. In Jane Austen’s novel, Northanger Abbey, it is clear that she is commenting on the impact of gothic literature during this era. Austen creates this commentary based on the continual exaggeration and use of the word ‘horrid’ by characters, Catherine Morland’s tendencies to get caught up in terrifying or dramatic fantasies, and the incessant mockery of the manners of speechRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1450 Words   |  6 Pageslight-humored wit as well as heartfelt cast of characters, Pride and Prejudice explores the classic yet distinctive narrative of the two divergent characters Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Set towards the end of the eighteenth century and early ni neteenth century in England, Jane Austen offers a profound insight into the social manners and behaviors expected of individuals in this time. In Elizabeth’s endeavor for independence in the face of her expectation as a female to marry, she must alsoRead MoreThe Function and Importance of Letters in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice1272 Words   |  5 PagesThe Function and Importance of Letters in Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice Introduction In her classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen describes the tribulations of Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters, as she struggles to navigate the social mores and values of early 19th century England. During this period in history, correspondence was almost entirely through written letters but the postal system in London made deliveries a dozen times a day, meaning that it was possible to writeRead MoreRealism in Pride and Prejudice1412 Words   |  6 Pagesstudied this year seem realistic and explain why realism is appropriate to the main themes of the novel. Sara Perley Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a complex novel mixing romance with comedy with an unprecedented quality of realism. Austens techniques require the reader to pay close attention and to actively interpret what it is they are reading unlike other light novels which you can passively work your way through. Pride and Prejudice is centrally concerned with the ideals andRead MoreJane Austen s Pride And Prejudice1589 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Jane Austen’s’ Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813. The setting of the novel was based in England. During the 18th century, society’s main focus was on social status, courtship, and marriage. Pride and Prejudice depicts the commotion of a town called Longbourn by the arrival of Mr. Bingley, a wealthy man. At the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Bennet is trying to marry one of her five daughters-Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, or Lydia-to Bingley. When Mr. Bingley meets Jane at a ball,Read More Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre: Love and Characterization2663 Words   |  11 Pagesand fiery, for others it is more reserved. Though a love can be expressed differently, this does not mean the people involved love each other any less. There are countless novels that focus on the love between characters, and each character loves differently. In Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester and Jane have an impassioned affair, this affair is cut short by Jane’s realization that Mr.Rochester already has ties to another woman. In Pride and Prejudice, it is clear that Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam DarcyRead MoreF.Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Comparison and Contrasted with Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice1708 Words   |  7 Pagesthis is Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice, this novel is more easily understood when it is compared and contrasted to other literature works, such as F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby. The aspects of the two novels that can be compared and contrasted are the plot development, characterisation, setting, narrative point of view, writers context and themes and issues. The plot of Pride and Prejudice is about a lower upper class woman in the 18th century who is trying to get all of her daughters