Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Michelle Griffin
Mr. Campbell
UWRT 1104
3 April 2017
Feminism began and developed in various types of mediums is important to note. The Feminist
theory developed through the influences in disciplines such as Literature, Art, and Psychology. I
will be examining Feminism through the lenses of Literary criticism, focusing on Jane Austen
and her works. The question I will pose is, How have Austens heroines influenced the ideals of
early Feminism? In addition, I will also discuss the impact it has had on todays literature.
In order to successfully analyze Jane Austens works and the impact on modern literature,
its important to know the historical context of womens position in the 19th century as well as
having a background in the history of Feminism. The Feminist movement can be categorized in
waves; the first wave emerging in the early 19th and 20th century, the second wave in the
1960s and 1980s, and the third wave extending from the 1990s to present time. Within each
The first wave of Feminism originally focused on gaining equal property and contract
rights, it soon became about gaining political equality. Mary Wollstonecraft started the notion of
full equal rights in the first Feminist philosophical paper, A Vindication of the Rights of
Women back in 1792 (Shmoop, 2008). Her writings gave the groundwork for suffragists such as
John Mill and Harriet Mill who pushed petitions to Parliament in 1867. Women were granted the
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right to vote in municipal elections, but not parliament elections. While the outcome was small, it
was a step in the right direction, leading suffragists to gain equal voting rights in 1928 and
allowing women to sit in the House of Elections (The Editors of Encyclopdia Britannica,
2017).
As the second wave of Feminism rolled around in the UK, women started to focus on
issues such as reproductive rights and sexual liberation. The contraceptive pill was made
available for married women in 1961. Beatrix Campbell, an English writer and activist said the
pill was revolutionary but showed that sexual liberation did not necessarily mean womens
liberation overall. However, a stride in marriage equality was made, as women could inherit
property and have financial control. Women became more prominent in the political sphere as
politicians such as Margaret Thatcher made history by becoming Prime Minister. In doing so,
she was able to open doors for women in the political world (The British Library, 2014).
The third wave is a multifaceted movement, being inclusive of all races, ethnicities,
gender background, and socioeconomic background. While the first two waves excluded
marginalized groups, the third wave seeks to raise awareness to issues faced by other groups
such as discrepancies in wage. Intersectional Feminism intertwines issues such as racism and
sexism creating a larger group of feminists who advocate for broader changes within the political
sphere, representation, and workplace. However, third wave Feminism still deals with issues
dealt with in the earlier waves such as reproductive rights. Recently, the debate over abortion has
become a controversial topic, especially with the Trump administration in place (Desmond-
Harris, 2017).
Now that background information has been presented about Feminism, I will be
discussing Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Woodhouse, and Catherine Morland. In the course of my
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analysis, I will be presenting the actions of how these heroines have exemplified Feminist
qualities and then discuss how modern authors set up their heroines to display the same traits as
In Jane Austens most notable piece, Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet stands out
as the outspoken and confident protagonist. Bennet is the main figure of Feminism in terms of
Austens heroines as she provides the most opposition to societal standards. In the historical
context of the novel, it was expected of women to find husbands who could sufficiently provide
for them. Mrs. Bennet serves as the embodiment of this expectation as she continuously pushes
all of her daughters to find a husband and move out of the house. The expectation of grooming
ones self to find a husband is pushed upon the Bennet sisters, especially in Kitty and Lydia.
However, Elizabeth does not succumb to these pressures. She refuses the engagement proposals
from both Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy, despite their good standing within society and ability to
provide. Elizabeth even goes as far to say I thank you again and again for the honour you have
done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. [...] Do not consider me
now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth
from her heart.'' (Austen 94). If by being an elegant female, she must falsely reject his
proposals, then she could not fulfill the societal standard and would rather be regarded as a
rational creature. Notice the word choice, by rejecting the standards, Bennet regards herself as
The formal education received by women in the 19th was one centered around the
A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the
modern languages.; 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(Ch. 8)
By abiding to these standards, a woman was more likely to attract a potential suitor, and if their
talents were superior, then it made them stand out even more. However, Elizabeth does not fall
under the description Caroline Bingley outlines. She states that she is not well versed in the
piano nor is she versed in singing. She does find dancing interesting but prefers to cultivate
herself in other manners otherwise not approved by society. While Elizabeths actions are
frowned upon, she finds comfort in herself and has the confidence to carry herself in society.
Another character that has confidence within herself is Emma Woodhouse. Emma
Woodhouse finds solace through her financial status. In a conversation Woodhouse has with
Harriet Smith, she finds her discussing how she does not feel the need to marry unlike most
women. For the time, having a woman be at peace without the title of marriage was an odd one,
and so Harriet notes later on in the conversation. Harriet is used as a foil character in order to
show how the women of the time should see marriage. Woodhouse, on the other hand, feels that
marriage should only come along if theres true love between the pair. She chooses to disregard
any notion of marriage and puts her efforts towards finding love for others. While Woodhouse
finds this to be a service to others, she comes off as arrogant and abrasive at times. However, her
headstrong personality gives her the opportunity to see her value as a person and as a woman.
This is seen through her interaction with Mr. Knightley. Throughout the novel, Mr.
Knightley and Woodhouse find themselves bantering. While Mr. Knightley cares for
Woodhouse, he poses as the typical man who demands the practice of normal social conventions.
He pushes for marriage despite knowing Woodhouse is opposed to it and belittles her without
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knowing it. In an argument they have, Mr. Knightley says Emma, your infatuation about that
girl [Harriet] blinds you (Austen 58). His choice of words echoes the opinion he holds about
Emma, her decisions, and her relationships. By choosing to say infatuation, he brings down
the relationship Emma has with Harriet to the level of a young child. He also chooses to say
blind, implying that her ability to make decisions is weak. Later on, its explained that
Woodhouse feels as if her womanhood gives her better judgement against his claims within the
argument. She continues to hold her ground against Mr. Knightley until she realizes its futile to
continue arguing with him. Despite her resignation at the end, Woodhouse shows some
The third protagonist to challenge norms is Catherine Morland. Out of the three books,
Northanger Abbey is the novel most frequently compared to Mary Wollstonecrafts Vindication
of the Rights of Women. Catherine, like the other protagonists, rejects female conformity. Its
stated that She was fond of boys plays, and preferred crickets not merely to dolls (Austen
13). In the same realm of Elizabeth Bennet, Morland prefers to follow her own path. She also
shows good judgement by not giving in to John Thorpes advancements. As Thorpe comes off
very abrasive, Morland clearly states that she will not accept any form of interest from him and
will not marry him for monetary reasons. Like Bennet, she does not believe in marrying purely
for good standing. The rational thinking shown by Morland emphasizes the intellectual capacity
(rough transition- still dont know how to properly shift the focus so please excuse the
abruptness)
Moving forward in my analysis, Id like to focus on how scholars compare Jane Austens
portrayal of her protagonists to Mary Wollstonecrafts ideas. Wollstonecraft said I do not wish
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women to have power over men; but over themselves, in accordance with that, Austens
protagonists seem to live by that very statement (Ascarelli, 2004). All three of the protagonists
choose to abide by their own rules, disregarding any criticism that may come their way. In the
face of men, they regard themselves with the same respect another man would demand in a
Secondly, reviewing how Jane Austen was able to express these Feminist ideas without
significant backlash is important to note. At the time Wollstonecraft came out with A Vindication
of The Rights of Woman, any mention of equality was unprincipled. Sinad Murphy from the
Huffington Post, praises Austen for her ability to spread these messages of Feminism while
Works Cited
Ascarelli, Miriam. A Feminist Connection: Jane Austen and Mary Wollstonecraft. Jane Austen
The British Library. Timeline of the Women's Liberation Movement. The British Library, The British
30 Mar. 2017.
Murphy, Sinad. Jane Austen: Feminist In Action. Huffington Post, October 14th, 2014,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sinead-murphy/jane-austen-feminist-in-a_b_5978612.html. Accessed
Shmoop Editorial Team. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11
Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. S.l., ARCTURUS PUBLISHING LTD,
2017.