Jane Austen: All is Fair in Love and Novels

The novels of Jane Austen are much beloved by many people and for many good reasons. In the academic realm, her works offer interesting political commentary from a marginalized member of society; in the realm of pop culture, her works show us that love conquers all, even at a time when decorum and marrying for money was at its height. Her novels give us insight on what it means to be human, and how we relate to each other. Many a young woman has dreamed of her own Mr. Darcy, and has had to put off the overwhelming affection of a Mr. Elton. Or at least, that is what we imagine we gleam from Austen’s novels. As was the literary convention at the time, all of Austen’s major works end in marriage. The deserving man gets the heroine, saving the admirable woman from complete ruin. But just how happy are these “happy endings”? Austen uses the complex social narratives in her books to explore the notions of love and marriage. Some notions are contemporary with other literature of the Regency period, while others aren’t. In this essay, I will be exploring how love and affection is played out between family and sweethearts, who can marry for love, and when these sentiments are (or aren’t) appropriately expressed.