Today in celebration of Jane Austen's 237th birthday, I'm posting some thoughts on an Austen-related book I read recently, which casts some illumination on why she's still so ardently adored across the world today.
The premise of All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith is simple: Smith, a professor of literature and lifelong Janeite, takes a year off to travel South America, reading Austen with people from every walk of life and all ranges of literary training. She wants to discover if the strong reactions Austen provokes in her students - such as threatening physical violence on obtuse characters - will be experienced by those in South America. The book is an enlightening look into other cultures, with the companionship of Austen's beloved characters to provide familiarity.
Janeites won't be at all surprised to learn that most Latin American readers connected with Austen's themes and characters in some way. (And, yes, a few men in Ecuador wanted to beat Mr. Darcy. Seriously.) But the culture and history of the countries also provided some unique perspectives on class, gender, duty, and morality that may give a new twist for some readers. There were also fascinating differences between the pervading perspectives in the various countries. For instance, comparing the reactions of a group of writers in Chile and the less-educated Mexican group, Smith says,
I couldn't help but think that the Mexican readers' more personal reaction had been influenced by their tendency to connect literature with the Bible – to look for personal applications via parables and positive role models. Then again, there had been that wonderful private moment with Fernando, when he confessed that Elinor had lured him across the life/literature divide.
SPOILERS and some politically-incorrect personal opinions follow. Scroll down to "spoilers end" for review conclusion.
As is to be expected with an Austen-revolving book, Smith's romantic life is a thread running through the book. As with the book by William Deresiewicz that I reviewed last year on this date, I was left again questioning what it means to incorporate Austen's values in modern life... especially in the area of sexuality. That's not to say I support books that portray Austen as someone who today would be leading the purity movement as an outspoken Christian. I don't think it's entirely possible to say what values Austen would espouse. Her family was quite mainstream (which today might translate to nominally Christian, but okay with premarital sex), but Christianity, as Austen herself has Edmund point out in MP, was the underlying - although frequently invisible – foundation of morality.
I guess I'm personally uncomfortable with the way dating is done today. Throughout much of the book Smith is in a one-foot-in, one-eye-open relationship with a Mexican version of Mr. Bingley. (Interestingly, he and his friends are devote Catholics, but this seems to pose no threat to his sex life with women he meets while driving his taxi. Is this a feature of Mexican Catholicism?) While he sounds like the perfect man, hints are dropped throughout the book that he's too perfect, and the reader never becomes attached to his perpetual, but boring, cheerfulness. When she meets an arrogant Argentinian who's read Udolphowith his hair standing on endher own favorite NA, it's obvious that the man is a Darcy. But how does she break off the relationship with the Bingley-character, who she's kept waiting in the background? Her letter saying “I've met someone else” seems a little cruel for an Austen heroine. And, though their relationship is certainly nota marriage, I couldn't help thinking, as she met and sized different men up, of Mr Tilney's thoughts on it being in the duty of dancing partners "to keep their own imaginations from wandering towards the perfections of their neighbours, or fancying that they should have been better off with anyone else."
That aside, the ending is delightfully Austenesque – all the more so for being rather obvious from the moment her Darcy enters the picture.
SPOILERS END
Jane Austen was born 237 years ago today. Since then her fan-club has swelled to become bigger and more devoted than that of any other writer in the history of English literature. I'm sure Rev. and Mrs. Austen had no idea 237 years ago how life-changing their little girl would be for so many people besides themselves. Smith's description of the power of meeting Jane is true for me, as it has been for thousands of others.
So, why do people love Jane Austen so much? Here's the conclusion Amy Elizabeth Smith drew from her experiences.
“Immersion in a new culture can inspire huge changes, but so can reading. Any bookworm knows how a truly powerful book can motivate us toward major change. Give a woman an Austen novel and, if she takes it to heart, seriously takes it to heart, how will she behave? She'll soul search about what she wants in a partner; she'll evaluate how well she behaves toward her family; she'll consider her role within her community and how well she treats people, no matter what their status in life; she'll acknowledge the value of being true to herself, while being respectful of others; she'll go dancing once in a while; maybe she'll even learn to sew.”
So, why do people love Jane Austen so much? Here's the conclusion Amy Elizabeth Smith drew from her experiences.
I agree. I've written many times on why I love Austen - and my reasons are always expanding and shifting - but that's about as good a description as anyone can give in three sentences. To find out how each South American group experienced both the 'believable' and the 'happiness' parts of Austen's works, read this delightful book.“Believable happiness – that's what's in store for Austen's protagonists. They all find love, but it's love embedded in situations we can identify with: money woes, frustrating relatives, unavoidable personality clashes. That, I think, is why people keep coming back to Austen...”
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