Looking at Austen’s six major novels, the differences and yet
similarities are stunning. And when we come to her heroines those
similarity differences are absolutely fascinating.
First
off, Austen often seems reticent when it comes to physical
descriptions, but I think, in the end, she actually delineates her
heroines perfectly, deftly capturing both their inner and outer beauty.
There are really so many snippets it’s astounding, so in the following I
shall confine myself to a pointed few.
From
Pride and Prejudice:
"Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her (Lizzy) to be pretty; he
had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next
met, he looked at her only to criticize. But no sooner had he made it
clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in
her face than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by
the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded
some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical
eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced
to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his
asserting her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was
caught by their easy playfulness."
And of course there is good, sweet, loving Jane whom everyone considers beautiful inside and out.
From
Sense and Sensibility:
“(Elinor) had a delicate complexion, regular features and a remarkably
pretty figure. Marianne was still handsomer. Her form, though not so
correct as her sister’s, in having the advantage of height, was more
striking; and her face was so lovely, that when in the common cant of
praise she was called a beautiful girl, truth was less violently
outraged than usually happens. Her skin was very brown, but from its
transparency, her complexion was uncommonly brilliant; her features were
all good; her smile was sweet and attractive, and in her eyes, which
were very dark, there was a life, a spirit, an eagerness which could
hardly be seen without delight.”
Anne in
Persuasion has
“an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed
her high with any people of real understanding…” Regarding her love
story: “He (Wentworth) was, at that time, a remarkably fine young man,
with a great deal of intelligence, spirit and brilliancy; and Anne an
extremely pretty girl, with gentleness, modesty, taste, and feeling.”
When she arrives in Bath -- just beginning to taste happiness again --
her gracious, gentle spirit shines radiantly through, beautifying her
entire being. Even her father notices it; and Wentworth can’t look away.
And
we have this glowing description of Emma in an early conversation
between Mr. Knightley and Mrs. Weston: “Oh! You would rather talk of her
person than her mind, would you? Very well; I shall not attempt to deny
Emma’s being pretty.” “Pretty! Say beautiful rather. Can you imagine
any thing nearer perfect beauty than Emma altogether—face and figure?
…Such an eye!—the true hazel eye—and so brilliant! Regular features,
open countenance, with a complexion! Oh! what a bloom of full health,
and such a pretty height and size; such a firm and upright figure. There
is health, not merely in her bloom, but in her air, her head, her
glance. …She is loveliness itself. Mr. Knightley, is not she?” “I have
not a fault to find with her person,” he replied. “I think her all you
describe. I love to look at her; and I will add this praise, that I do
not think her personally vain. Considering how very handsome she is, she
appears to be little occupied with it, her vanity lies another way.”
One
of Emma’s tremendous struggles is her stopping and starting, her
unwillingness to see something through -- her unconquered reading list,
her unfinished sketches, her dilatory music practice. Now (looking at
these) I don’t think Austen’s making a point that
all young
ladies need to pass some arbitrary bar of accomplishment (for instance,
witness Lady Catherine’s shock over Lizzy’s list of accomplishments in
P&P). The trouble in Emma’s case is in a lack of
diligence. And
that
is tremendously important. Important enough that Austen highlights it
(or the lack of it) with many of her feminine characters (Lydia,
Georgiana, etc.) and with every single one of her heroines from
Catherine to Anne.
And so we come to the inner character of our heroines. Now, with some of her quieter heroines, there’s also just the
slightest
possibility that they might occasionally seem like wall flowers...
passively observing everything going on around them. But, while true
strong integrity may not seem glamorous at times, ultimately it
never
goes unnoticed. And when strict adherence to solid principles and
gentleness are combined, it’s a red-hot combination. Other characters
may or may not like it, but they can't ignore it.
“Elinor,
this eldest daughter whose advice was so effectual, possessed a
strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified
her, though only nineteen, to be the counselor of her mother… She had an
excellent heart;--her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings
were strong; but she knew how to govern them…”
Sense & Sensibility
“As
soon as her eagerness could rest in silence, he was as happy to tell as
she could be to listen, and a conversation followed almost as deeply
interesting to her as to himself, though he had in fact nothing to dwell
on but Fanny’s charms.—Fanny’s beauty of face and figure, Fanny’s
graces of manner and goodness of heart were the exhaustless theme. The
gentleness, modesty, and sweetness of her character were warmly
expatiated on, that sweetness which makes so essential a part of every
woman’s worth in the judgment of man, that though he sometimes loves
where it is not, he can never believe it absent. Her temper he had good
reason to depend on and to praise. He had often seen it tried. Was there
one of the family, excepting Edmund, who had not in some way or other
continually exercised her patience and forbearance? Her affections were
evidently strong. To see her with her brother! What could more
delightfully prove that the warmth of her heart was equal to its
gentleness?—What could be more encouraging to a man who had her love in
view? Then, her understanding was beyond every suspicion, quick and
clear; and her manners were the mirror of her own modest and elegant
mind. Nor was this all. Henry Crawford had too much sense not to feel
the worth of good principles in a wife, though he was too little
accustomed to serious reflection to know them by their proper name; but
when he talked of her having such a steadiness and regularity of
conduct, such a high notion of honour, and such an observance of decorum
as might warrant any man in the fullest dependence on her faith and
integrity, he expressed what was inspired by the knowledge of her being
well principled and religious.” Henry Crawford speaking of Fanny in
Mansfield Park
Strong
minded and romantically passionate, Austen’s heroines are yet all
dutiful to authority. The key and very interesting point being that it’s
to the right and proper God-given authorities. Lizzy’s a good example.
She defies Lady Catherine: “I am only resolved to act in that manner,
which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without
reference to
you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with
me”; yet, for all his failures as a father, she’s on pins and needles
regarding Mr. Bennet’s permission. Anne submits (and does not blame) her
father and Lady Russell for their initial hard counsel regarding her
engagement, and then later (rather than just running off together or
something equally terrible) Captain Wentworth and Anne solicit her
father’s blessing once again.
It’s very worth noting that it’s only
her practically perfect heroines (i.e. Anne and Fanny) who justly and
appropriately go up against their immediate authority figures. It’s a
weighty and fearsome thing, never to be taken lightly, and it seems
long years of genuine obedience generally have to be in place first.
The
above actually ties into our next point, being that we, as human
beings, tend to very easily get self-centered and self-absorbed -- the
quick and bitter fruits of which being deeper blindness, selfishness,
and ingratitude. Marianne is a prime example:
“Long
before I was enough recovered to talk, I was perfectly able to reflect. I
considered the past; I saw in my own behavior since the beginning of
our acquaintance with him (Willoughby) last autumn, nothing but a series
of imprudence towards myself, and want of kindness to others. I saw
that my own feelings had prepared my sufferings, and that my want of
fortitude under them had almost led me to the grave, My illness, I well
knew, had been entirely brought on by myself, by such negligence of my
own health, as I had felt even at the time to be wrong. Had I died,--it
would have been self-destruction. I did not know my danger till the
danger was removed; but with such feelings as these reflections gave me,
I wonder at my recovery,--wonder that the very eagerness of my desire
to live, to have time for atonement to my God, and to you all, did not
kill me at once. …Whenever I looked towards the past, I saw some duty
neglected, or some failing indulged. Every body seemed injured by me.
The kindness, the unceasing kindness of Mrs. Jennings, I had repaid with
ungrateful contempt. To the Middletons, the Palmers, the Steeles, to
every common acquaintance even, I had been insolent and unjust; with an
heart hardened against their merits, and a temper irritated by their
very attention. ...But you (Elinor),--you above all, above my mother,
had been wronged by me. I, and only I, knew your heart and its sorrows;
yet, to what did it influence me?—not to any compassion that could
benefit you or myself.—Your example was before me: but to what
avail?—Was I more considerate of you and your comfort?—No;--not less
when I knew you to be unhappy, than when I had believed you at ease, did
I turn away from every exertion of duty or friendship; scarcely
allowing sorrow to exist but with me, regretting only
that heart
which had deserted and wronged me, and leaving you, for whom I professed
an unbounded affection, to be miserable for my sake.”
“Here
ceased the flow of her self-reproving spirit; and Elinor, impatient to
sooth, though too honest to flatter, gave her instantly that praise and
support which her frankness and her contrition so well deserved.
Marianne pressed her hand and replied,
“You are very
good.—The future must be my proof. I have laid down my plan, and if I am
capable of adhering to it—my feelings shall be governed and my temper
improved. They shall no longer worry others, nor torture myself. I shall
now live solely for my family. You, my mother, and Margaret, must
henceforth be all the world to me; you will share my affections entirely
between you. From you, from my home, I shall never again have the
smallest incitement to move; and if I do mix in other society it will be
only to shew that my spirit is humbled, my heart amended, and that I
can practice the civilities, the lesser duties of life, with gentleness,
and forbearance. As for Willoughby—to say that I shall soon or that I
shall ever forget him, would be idle. His remembrance can be overcome by
no change of circumstances or opinions. But it shall be regulated, it
shall be checked by religion, by reason, by constant employment.”
There
is the lesson of humility: Marianne learns it, along with Catherine,
Lizzy, and Emma. True beauty is inseparably bound together with strength
of character and true tenderness of heart -- knowing and acknowledging
and facing up to faults and tenderly receptive to correction, which can
be raw and stinging and hurt tremendously at times, but yet yields
wondrous fruit.
And
(even if they seem to have the humility lesson down) all of Austen’s
heroines still have struggles. As included at the end of the quote from
Marianne above, trying to run from a problem, to flee to different
surroundings, is absolutely useless (witness the experience of Elinor,
Marianne, Anne, Fanny in Portsmouth, even Jane Fairfax). This isn’t to
say moving, or changing situations, can’t be extremely healthy and
helpful and broadening at the very least. But when all is said and done,
and the dust settles, we’re still the same people. And our problems
have to be faced and dealt with head-on. And sometimes it’s a long
struggle. And sometimes it comes over and over. It can be discouraging.
So here we can see the call to action. To action and
diligence (again!) and perseverance.
And
here I think Austen highlights something incredibly beautiful. Along
this road of ups and downs and twists and turns of life, we have
friends.
Friends and mentors; both new blossoming friendships and those that are
tried-and-true. And each one is precious.
Austen’s heroines don’t
isolate themselves. They’re friendly, even when it’s awkward (or simply
frightening to take that first step). There are highly important sister
friendships (which I’ve written on before
here) and sometimes the mentor relationship is all tied in
with
the sister relationship: Jane/Lizzy/Mrs. Gardiner, Elinor/Marianne,
Eleanor Tilney/Catherine, Mrs. Weston/Emma/Harriet, Anne/Lady Russell
and Fanny/Susan, even Fanny and Miss Crawford, to a certain degree (not
in the mentor sense, but in the ‘pushing yourself to be friendly because
it seems to be the right thing to do sense’).
Some of the friendships have serious bumps in the road, but (perhaps with the exception of Miss Crawford) they’re
all worth it. The time -- the occasional hurt -- the love that has to be poured out over and over. It’s all worth it.
And
true friendship (in the family or otherwise) calls for loyalty -- in
which every last one of Austen’s heroines provide stunning examples.
‘Tis true that standing on one’s principles (as discussed above)
sometimes necessitates a hard break in a relationship (i.e. Fanny being
sent to Portsmouth, Catherine breaking communication with the Thorpes,
etc.), but, in the general course of events, fierce loyalty is of prime
importance and is an awe-inspiring gift. The kind of loyalty that loves
without question and yet would fight any number of battles
with you to keep you on the right pat
h.
So there are some of my thoughts on Austen's lovely heroines...
What think ye? I'd love to hear! :)
