This Essay provides a commentary on the feminine role and representation of women during the Classical and Romantic era's of the 19th century, with a particular focus on the works of Jane Austen.
The representation of and reflection upon emotion within romantic literature is a defining theme within the era’s most celebrated and revered texts, particularly those which depict the role of emotion, or lack thereof, in the ideal woman of the 19th century. Jane Austen’s representation of the dual aspects of femininity is ever present in her novel Sense and Sensibility, published in 1811 upon the cusp of the end of the Classical period and the beginning of the Romantic period. Arguably her least successful novel, Sense and Sensibility can be considered a pinnacle for feminist discourse and articulates the contrast in the display of emotion by the two protagonists: Elinor and Marianne. Austen further accentuates this contrast by representing Elinor’s classical approach to emotion alongside Marianne’s romantic ideals. This essay will discuss how characterisation and depth of imagery within the novel represents a romantic viewpoint taken towards emotion expressed by women, particularly Marianne’s emotional response to her experiences in contrast with Elinor’s rational feeling and suppression of her emotion. This essay will further lend historical context to the stereotypes and roles of women within a patriarchal society in 19th century England and reflect upon how a woman, regardless of her understanding of her own emotion and its expression, is ultimately punished for her gender, as expressed within Austen’s novel. Ultimately, it is the character growth of both Elinor and Marianne following their struggles and hardships at the hands of their society which reflects Austen’s commentary on the duality of femininity and, by extension, its ultimate oppression within society.
Image: First edition manuscript of Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility, 1811.
The role of the traditional woman in 19th century England greatly contrasts the romantic ideals deemed admirable in romantic literature, particularly in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. It is Austen’s distinction between the rational thinking protagonist Elinor and her emotional sister Marianne, that astutely represents the societal attitude taken towards the ideal feminine figure and her ultimate oppression within a patriarchal society as a result of her conduct and emotion. The stereotyped ‘ideal’ woman has long been that of a quiet, respectable female in control of her emotions and capable of rational thinking. In contrast, the romantic woman is one of keen feeling, self-expression and authentic emotion, a distinction which Austen is quick to differentiate between in her first chapter. With the use of descriptive characterisation in “Her feelings were strong, but she knew how to govern them,” Austen not only describes the main protagonist Elinor but reflects a profound description of the ‘ideal’ woman in a society where her conduct determines her societal and familial success. In comparison, by using a foil technique in “She was eager in everything; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation,” Austen is presenting a challenge to the classical representation of women in the characterisation of Elinor’s younger sister, Marianne. Marianne becomes the embodiment of romantic ideals, both in her self-expression and feeling, and her love of all things aesthetic in beauty and nature. This is revealed through the use of personification in “And you, ye well known trees! But who will remain to enjoy you?” as Marianne mourns the loss of her home, Norland Park. It is plain, the free spirit and deeply passionate Marianne is introduced as both a contrast and compliment to her sister, who both possess admirable qualities of the feminine figure, yet in utter excess, or somewhat lacking thereof. It is this turmoil and lack of balance that foreshadows the two sister’s misery and pain further in the novel. This is furthered through the use of a revelatory description of Elinor in Chapter 37, in “I have had to oppose, by endeavouring to appear indifferent where I have been most deeply interested.” The use of this revelation affords the reader with a deeper sense of understanding into Elinor’s plight, being that of a woman with great depth of feeling yet oppressed by a society that prefers her rational and in control of her emotions. Therefore, Austen reflects upon the challenges of the 19th century woman regardless of her temperament, within a society that places unrealistic expectations and oppression upon them.
In conjunction, it is the oppression of the feminine figure within a patriarchal society both for her classical and romantic ideals, that Austen represents within the emotional response of both Elinor and Marianne. Sense and Sensibility’s success in its era can be attributed to its representation of “the pressures of society on the individual” as well as it’s examination of “the right responses to those pressures,” according to literary critic Maggie Lane.[1] In this sense, Austen astutely represents how both Elinor and Marianne’s contrasting temperaments and response to emotion results in equal misery and oppression for them within their society. Marianne’s responses and expression of emotion directly challenge the pre-conceived idea of the modern-day woman and leave her open to ridicule from her peers. This is expressed with the use of accusatory dialogue in “as it has already exposed you to some very impertinent remarks, do you not now begin to doubt the discretion of your own conduct?” as Elinor chastises and cautions Marianne for her intense expression of emotion and love towards Willoughby. For not remaining reticent and guarded, Marianne is seen as an emotional and unstable female figure for breaking free from the constraints and expectations society has placed upon her. In fact, it is her passionate response to emotion and pursuit of happiness that “drives her to misery, near-breakdown and the brink of death,” as stipulated by Lane.[2] This is reflected in revelatory dialogue in “My illness, I well know, had been entirely brought on by myself,” after Marianne recovers from a ‘putrid fever’ that plagued her following her neglect of self-care due to her jilting by Willoughby. This revelation in Marianne aids the reader in understanding that even Marianne is aware of her disregard for the expectations of her society, yet her passionate ardour and free spirit are more important to her, thus reflecting the essence of romanticism.
Image: An artists rendition of the image of Jane Austen, circa. 1805.
Not dissimilar is Elinor’s oppression and misery experienced within her role as the dutiful eldest sister and the ‘ideal’ model of civility and composure. Whilst Austen is quick to accentuate Marianne’s plight as a result of her temperament, she subtly introduces Elinor as a victim of hardship and pain at the hands of the sly Miss Lucy Steele. Throughout the novel, Elinor is represented as a woman who keeps her emotions and feelings in check and exhibits composure and rational thinking during the family’s move and resettling. Despite this, Elinor is still capable of great emotion and feeling, particularly towards Mr Edward Ferrars, though she doesn’t express her emotions as passionately as Marianne. This is expressed with the use of a line break in “If you can think me capable of ever feeling – surely you may suppose that I have suffered now.” The line break forces the reader to pause and allow Elinor’s declaration of her suffering and unhappiness to resonate more profoundly. What Austen is able to do so articulately in this line is emphasise the importance of expressing emotion and opening up about one’s feelings. Had Elinor deemed it acceptable to confide in her misery towards Lucy and Edward’s engagement to her family, then perhaps she would have been spared the degree of suffering she had endured. As it happens, Elinor chose “the repression of authentic feeling and candid speech” in favour of the maintenance of her civilised reputation and, as such, she has undergone pain to rival that of her emotional sister Marianne.[3] This is furthered through exclamatory language in “Oh! Happy, happy Elinor, you cannot have an idea of what I suffer,” during Elinor’s attempt to console Marianne through her heartbreak. This is reflective of Marianne’s ignorance towards Elinor’s suffering due to the latter’s unwillingness to express her pain and emotion. In actuality, Elinor understands a great deal of what Marianne is experiencing however she feels oppressed by the societal expectations that are placed upon her to remain neutral and collected in all matters of emotion. The sufferings and misery of protagonists Elinor and Marianne can be perceived as punishment for their temperaments and differing attitudes towards emotion yet emphasises the idea that women can never truly be free of the scrutiny and oppression placed upon them by the expectations and strict codes of society.
Furthermore, through oppression and hardship, character growth and change are imminent, none more articulate than in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Throughout the novel, Elinor and Marianne experience hardships and misery of equal measure and must learn to cope in a society that watches and critiques their existence. As a result, they understand that their suffering can be alleviated through an amendment of their attitudes towards their own emotional responses. This is particularly evident through Marianne’s character arc. After Marianne recovers from her illness, she is given the opportunity to reflect upon her grievances and concludes that her illness was a punishment for her folly and ignorance towards her own behaviour. This is revealed through assonance in “My illness has made me think. It has given me leisure and calmness for serious recollection.” The flow on effect of this passage guides the reader through Marianne’s thoughts and illuminates a key idea, “My feelings shall be governed, and my temper improved.” This pivotal dialogue between her and Elinor reveals how Marianne changes in accordance with her own experiences and the expectations of society. She understands that she cannot go on as she has and perhaps her eldest sister’s classical approach towards emotion and self-expression is the way forward for Marianne in order to avoid further misery and allow her to pursue happiness. It is important to note that Austen is not illustrating an abandonment of the romantic ideals that govern Marianne, but rather a more collected approach in the way she acts and expresses herself. This character growth is likewise expressed in Elinor towards the end of the novel as she has remained guarded and reticent towards her feelings for Edward, yet upon hearing that he is no longer engaged to Lucy, experiences a great deal of emotion and expresses them accordingly. This is revealed with the use of descriptive imagery in “She almost ran out of the room, and as soon as the door was closed, burst into tears of joy, which at first she thought would never cease.” This revelation is important for the reader to grasp Elinor’s capability towards intense emotion and acts as a pivotal scene within the novel. Elinor’s sudden and abrupt behaviour serves as a commentary on her joy and happiness which she has no difficulty in fully expressing, similar to the way in which Marianne has expressed her grief and joy many times throughout the novel’s progression. It can be concluded that Elinor’s pain and anguish from hiding her emotions and remaining refined and collected has influenced change within her and she understands that expressing emotions can be more beneficial to her than repressing them as society would have her do. Therefore, it is through the protagonist’s misery that they undergo great change and understand that a fine balance of both ‘sense’ and ‘sensibility’ is crucial in their pursuit of happiness.
Image: Two film adaptations of Jane Austen's Sense & Sensibility. Left: 2008 adaptation. Right: 1995 adaptation.
Ultimately, the attitude taken towards emotion, particularly by women in 19th century England, reflects the scrutiny and oppression placed upon them by a patriarchal society that would seek to control them. This idea is cleverly represented in Jane Austen’s 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility, through the characterisation of the cool and collected Elinor, and the free spirit that is Marianne. These two protagonists have contrasting ideas about emotion and how they express it, yet both endure great hardship and misery as a result of their temperaments. It is only through their understanding of each other and their character growth following their sufferings that they realise the importance of a fine balance between the classical and romantic approach to their expression of emotion. Therefore, through depth of imagery and characterisation, Austen provides a keen commentary upon the expectations and strict code that governs women of the 19th century, yet simultaneously illuminates the importance of a fine balance of reticent and collected behaviour, and the feeling and expression of emotion in the pursuit of happiness.
[1] Maggie Lane, Sense and Sensibility: Regency Life (England: Worth Press Ltd, 2017), p. 16. [2] ibid. [3] John Wiltshire, Sense and Sensibility: Modern Interpretations (England: Worth Press Ltd, 2017), p. 10.
References
Lane, Maggie. Sense and Sensibility: Regency Life. England: Worth Press Ltd, 2017, pp. 16-24.
Wiltshire, John. Sense and Sensibility: Modern Interpretations. England: Worth Press Ltd, 2017, pp. 7-15.
Comments