This excerpt from “Jane Austen Education” recounts the author’s unexpected journey of encountering Jane Austen’s novels and how they profoundly impacted his understanding of love, friendship, and life’s significant aspects. Initially resistant to nineteenth-century British fiction, the author describes how Austen’s work, particularly Emma, challenged his intellectual arrogance and self-centeredness, leading to significant personal growth. He reflects on how reading Austen’s stories taught him about character, conduct, and the importance of observing and understanding others. Through his engagement with Austen’s world and characters, the author illustrates a transformative educational experience that extended far beyond the realm of literature.

A Study Guide to “A Jane Austen Education”

Review Questions

1. According to Deresiewicz, what was his initial impression of Jane Austen and why did he hold this view?
2. What is the significance of “minute particulars” in Austen’s writing, as Deresiewicz comes to understand it through reading Emma?
3. Explain the concept of the “Janeite” as described in the text. What does becoming a “Janeite” signify?
4. How did Austen’s personal life and family relationships influence the subject matter of her novels, according to the author? Provide specific examples.
5. What does Deresiewicz mean when he states that Austen taught him a “new kind of moral seriousness”? How does this differ from his previous understanding?
6. In the chapter on Pride and Prejudice, what aspects of Elizabeth Bennet’s character resonated most with Deresiewicz?
7. How does Deresiewicz interpret Austen’s portrayal of maturity in her heroines? What role does suffering play in their development?
8. Explain Deresiewicz’s argument against the “Brontëan” critique of Austen’s novels. Did Austen ignore passion and feeling?
9. According to the text, what is Austen’s perspective on the importance of friendship? How does she portray friendship in relation to family?
10. What was the “big, huge thing” that Deresiewicz felt was missing in his life before delving into Sense and Sensibility? How did Austen’s exploration of love influence his understanding?

Short Answer Quiz

1. Initially, Deresiewicz viewed Jane Austen as a writer of “silly romantic fairy tales” due to his preoccupation with modernist literature, which he perceived as complex, difficult, and rebellious. He associated Austen with conventionality and a lack of intellectual depth, fitting his self-image as an alienated young man.
2. “Minute particulars,” as Deresiewicz learns from Emma, refer to the small, seemingly insignificant details of daily life and conversation that Austen meticulously portrays. She demonstrates that these everyday matters—gossip, arrangements, and minor occurrences—are the very fabric of human experience and hold significant meaning.
3. A “Janeite” is a devoted and enthusiastic admirer of Jane Austen and her novels, forming a kind of literary “club” with shared appreciation. Becoming a “Janeite,” according to the text, signifies a deep understanding and valuing of Austen’s subtle artistry and profound insights into human nature.
4. Austen’s personal life, though seemingly uneventful, provided rich material for her novels. Her close relationship with her sister Cassandra, her brothers’ naval careers, and her knowledge of her extended family’s experiences in India and society informed her understanding of social dynamics and human relationships.
5. Deresiewicz explains that Austen’s “new kind of moral seriousness” involves taking responsibility for one’s immediate surroundings and personal conduct, rather than focusing solely on grand, abstract issues. It emphasizes the ethical significance of everyday interactions and self-awareness.
6. Deresiewicz was drawn to Elizabeth Bennet’s brilliance, wit, fun-loving nature, and her spirited independence, including her willingness to defy social expectations and protect her loved ones. He admired her resilience in the face of a difficult family and her initial disinterest in marriage.
7. Deresiewicz argues that Austen’s heroines achieve maturity not through easy lessons but through experiencing genuine suffering, particularly humiliation for their unjust actions witnessed by those whose opinions they value. This painful self-recognition forces them to confront their flaws and grow.
8. Deresiewicz counters the “Brontëan” critique by asserting that Austen did not ignore feelings but rather valued them without advocating for their uncritical worship. He points to characters like Lydia and Elizabeth themselves as evidence of passion within Austen’s world, arguing that Austen simply believed in the importance of reason and self-control alongside emotion.
9. Austen, according to the text, considered friendship a vital and chosen form of family, sometimes even more meaningful than biological ties. Her novels depict intricate networks of friends and family, where genuine connection, mutual understanding, and support form the bedrock of a fulfilling life.
10. The “big, huge thing” missing in Deresiewicz’s life was a meaningful romantic relationship. Austen’s exploration of love in Sense and Sensibility and her other novels helped him understand the complexities of romantic connection, the importance of genuine feeling over societal pressures, and the possibility of finding true intimacy.

Essay Format Questions

1. Explore William Deresiewicz’s initial biases against Jane Austen and analyze how his reading of Emma led to a significant shift in his perception. What specific elements of the novel and Austen’s writing style contributed to this change?
2. Discuss Deresiewicz’s interpretation of Austen’s social world. How does she portray issues of class, gender, and social expectations, and what insights did Deresiewicz gain about his own social milieu through her novels?
3. Analyze Deresiewicz’s claim that Austen taught him about “growing up.” In what specific ways did reading Austen’s novels challenge his youthful arrogance and contribute to his emotional and intellectual maturation?
4. Examine the significance of friendship in Austen’s novels as presented by Deresiewicz. How does Austen portray the complexities and importance of platonic relationships, and what did Deresiewicz learn about the nature of true friendship from her work?
5. Deresiewicz argues that Austen’s novels offer profound insights into “the things that really matter.” Based on the excerpts, discuss what these essential values are and how Austen’s narratives illuminate their importance in navigating life and relationships.

Glossary of Key Terms

• Minute Particulars: This term, highlighted in the context of Emma, refers to the small, seemingly insignificant details of daily life, conversation, and social interactions that Austen meticulously observes and portrays in her novels, revealing their underlying significance.
• Janeite: A term used to describe a devoted and enthusiastic admirer of Jane Austen and her works, often indicating a deep appreciation for her subtle artistry, wit, and insightful commentary on human nature and society.
• Valetudinarian: A person who is in poor health or constantly concerned with their health; often used in the text to describe Mr. Woodhouse in Emma and his tendency to use his perceived weakness to control others.
• Picturesque: A contemporary aesthetic vogue during Austen’s time that emphasized landscapes and scenes that conformed to specific artistic principles of visual beauty, often involving elements like ruins, gnarled trees, and dramatic lighting.
• Dilettante: A person who cultivates an interest in an art or other field without real commitment or knowledge; used in the text to describe characters like Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park who dabble in various pursuits without genuine purpose.
• Worldliness: Having or showing much experience and knowledge of the world and of fashionable life; in the context of Mansfield Park, it often carries a negative connotation, associated with the superficiality and moral ambiguity of the Crawford siblings.
• Usefulness: A key concept discussed in relation to Mansfield Park, representing the value of having a purpose and contributing meaningfully to the lives of others, in contrast to a life of mere self-indulgence.
• Constancy (in love): The quality of being faithful and unwavering in one’s affections or loyalties, a theme explored in the discussion of Persuasion and the debate between Anne Elliot and Captain Harville.
• Self-Consequence: A sense of one’s own importance or status; in the excerpt from Northanger Abbey, it is used negatively to describe the pretentious attitudes of those who look down on novels.
• Crossidentify: The act of identifying with a character of a different gender than oneself, a point raised in the text regarding the common experience of female readers engaging with male literary protagonists.

Briefing Document: “A Jane Austen Education” by William Deresiewicz

Source: Excerpts from “0031-A Jane Austen Education_ How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter ( PDFDrive ) (1).pdf” by William Deresiewicz.

Date: October 26, 2023

Prepared For: [Intended Audience – e.g., Personal Review, Literary Discussion Group]

Prepared By: [Your Name/AI Assistant]

Overview:

This briefing document summarizes the main themes and important ideas presented in the provided excerpts from William Deresiewicz’s “A Jane Austen Education.” The excerpts detail the author’s personal journey of engaging with Jane Austen’s six major novels and how these literary encounters led to significant insights and transformations in his understanding of love, friendship, morality, and the complexities of human relationships. Initially dismissive of Austen, the author comes to appreciate the profound wisdom embedded within her seemingly simple narratives of domestic life.

Main Themes and Important Ideas:

1. Transformation Through Austen:

• The book chronicles the author’s evolution from a self-absorbed, intellectually arrogant young man to someone more empathetic and attuned to the nuances of everyday life. He initially favored modernist literature, viewing Austen as “silly romantic fairy tales” that made him “sleepy.”
• His engagement with Austen, starting with Emma, becomes a catalyst for self-reflection and personal growth. He realizes his own shortcomings, such as his obliviousness to the feelings of others and his need to constantly assert intellectual superiority.
• Quote: “Like so many guys, I thought that a good conversation meant holding forth about all the supposedly important things I knew: books, history, politics, whatever. But I wasn’t just aggressively certain of myself—though of course I never let anyone finish a sentence and delivered my opinions as if they’d come direct from Sinai. I was also oblivious to the feelings of the people around me, a bulldozer stuck in overdrive, because it had never occurred to me to imagine how things might look from someone else’s point of view.”

2. The Significance of “Everyday Matters” (Theme of Emma):

• Deresiewicz highlights how Austen elevates the “gossipy texture of daily life” to the level of serious artistic concern. He contrasts his previous focus on grand, abstract ideas with Austen’s meticulous portrayal of “little affairs, arrangements, perplexities, and pleasures.”
• He initially finds Austen’s language plain and unremarkable (“No metaphors, no images, no flights of lyricism. This hardly seemed like writing at all.”), but later appreciates her subtle mastery in revealing character and power dynamics through seemingly simple descriptions.
• Quote: “While she plotted her schemes and dreamed her dreams, her ‘daily happiness’ was right there in front of her, in ‘affairs, arrangements, perplexities, and pleasures’—the hourly ordinary, in all its granular specificity.”
• He notes Austen’s ability to reveal character through seemingly insignificant details, such as Mr. Woodhouse’s controlling nature subtly conveyed through pronoun usage.
• He acknowledges the historical and contemporary undervaluing of “women’s language” and “minute particulars,” which form the core of Austen’s narrative focus. He sees Austen’s work as a triumph in making these “long histories of private matters” compelling and insightful.
• Quote: “‘Your friend Harriet will make a much longer history when you see her,’ he said. ‘She will give you all the minute particulars, which only woman’s language can make interesting.—In our communications we deal only in the great.’”

3. The Process of “Growing Up” Through Humiliation (Theme of Pride and Prejudice):

• His reading of Pride and Prejudice coincides with his own academic and personal challenges. He identifies with Elizabeth Bennet’s wit and initial resistance to societal expectations.
• He emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes and the role of humiliation in achieving maturity in Austen’s novels. The heroines don’t grow up until they face the consequences of their actions and are forced to confront their flawed perceptions.
• Quote: “Austen’s heroines, I discovered that summer, had their mistakes pointed out to them over and over again, only it never did them any good. They didn’t grow up until something terrible finally happened. When maturity came to them, it came through suffering: through loss, through pain, above all, through humiliation.”
• He reflects on his own tendency to be condescending and how Austen’s characters helped him recognize this flaw.

4. Critique of Romanticism and the Value of Self-Knowledge:

• Deresiewicz touches upon the Romantic movement’s emphasis on feeling and passion, contrasting it with Austen’s more nuanced view. While Austen acknowledges feelings, she doesn’t advocate for their uncritical worship.
• He recounts his own youthful embrace of Romantic ideals of rebellion and individualistic isolation, which he eventually recognizes as foolish.
• Quote: “The most important word in popular music today is not “love,” it’s “I.” And the second most important is “wanna.” Popular music is one giant shout of desire, one great rallying cry for freedom and pleasure. Pop psychology sends us the same signals, and so does advertising. “Trust your feelings,” we are told. “Listen to your heart.” “If it feels good, do it.””
• He notes Brontë’s criticism of Austen for not delving into the “Passions,” but argues that Austen’s focus is on the understanding and management of those passions within a social context.

5. Learning to Learn (Theme of Northanger Abbey):

• The excerpts briefly mention Northanger Abbey in the context of Austen’s defense of the novel as a literary form worthy of respect.
• Austen criticizes the snobbery of those who dismiss novels as trivial and “feminine,” asserting that they can display “the greatest powers of the mind.”
• Quote: “Yes, novels; for I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel-writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure the very performances, to the number of which they are themselves adding…”
• The author also learns about the difference between acquiring knowledge as a status symbol (as exemplified by his father) and truly engaging with and understanding it. He highlights a professor who embodies a genuine love of learning and encourages students to spend time with “extraordinary people.”

6. Being Good (Theme of Mansfield Park):

• The excerpts introduce Mansfield Park and the character of Fanny Price, initially finding her and Edmund “proper and priggish.”
• He explores the theme of hypocrisy through characters like the Crawfords and Edmund’s shifting stance on the play.
• He notes the societal pressures and the marriage market prevalent in Austen’s time, where pragmatic considerations often outweighed love.
• The concept of “usefulness” is highlighted as a key value in Mansfield Park, contrasting with the dilettantism of characters like Henry Crawford.
• Quote: “‘It is everybody’s duty,’ Mary said, ‘to do as well for themselves as they can.’ But the novel’s most important word of all was ‘useful.’”
• The importance of genuine listening and empathy in human connection is emphasized through Edmund’s interactions with Fanny.

7. True Friends (Theme of Persuasion):

• The theme of friendship takes center stage with Persuasion. The author recognizes Austen’s portrayal of friendship as a chosen family and as an essential element within family relationships.
• He discusses the blurring lines between friendship and family in Austen’s world and in his own life experiences.
• He highlights Austen’s progressive view of friendship between men and women, exemplified by the relationships between Anne Elliot and Captain Benwick and Captain Harville. Austen challenges the notion that such friendships are inherently romantic or impossible.
• Quote: “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.” (Anne Elliot’s feminist declaration).
• The author’s personal experiences of navigating friendships, including a difficult but ultimately positive interaction with a friend struggling with alcoholism, are linked to the lessons learned from Persuasion.

8. Falling in Love (Theme of Sense and Sensibility):

• The excerpts touch on the complexities of love and the societal pressures surrounding marriage in Sense and Sensibility.
• Austen critiques the purely transactional view of marriage prevalent in her time, where financial security and social status often overshadowed genuine affection.
• The author notes Austen’s subtle treatment of sexuality and her awareness of the physical aspects of relationships, despite not explicitly depicting them.
• His own journey towards finding love is subtly hinted at, with a reference to meeting someone at a party.
• The importance of mutual vulnerability and the ability to apologize and learn from mistakes within a relationship is highlighted.

Conclusion:

The provided excerpts from “A Jane Austen Education” reveal a compelling account of personal and intellectual growth spurred by a deep engagement with Jane Austen’s novels. Deresiewicz demonstrates how Austen’s focus on seemingly ordinary lives and “minute particulars” can yield profound insights into human nature, morality, love, and friendship. By examining each of her six major novels, he uncovers timeless lessons that challenged his own preconceptions and ultimately led to a more nuanced and empathetic understanding of himself and the world around him. The author’s personal anecdotes effectively illustrate the enduring relevance and transformative power of Austen’s literary genius.

Discovering Austen: A Literary Journey and Personal Reflection

Questions & Answers

# What sparked the author’s initial interest in Jane Austen after a period of literary rebellion?

Initially, the author, a graduate student immersed in modernist literature, viewed Jane Austen as representative of a dull and narrow literary tradition, preferring the complexity and revolutionary spirit of writers like Joyce and Conrad. However, a course requirement forced him to read Austen’s Emma, which unexpectedly captivated him. He found himself drawn into the seemingly ordinary lives and “minute particulars” Austen meticulously depicted, realizing that her work held a depth and insight into human nature that he had previously overlooked.

# How did reading Emma challenge the author’s self-perception and understanding of daily life?

Reading Emma prompted a significant shift in the author’s self-perception. He had previously identified with rebellious, isolated figures in literature, but through Emma, he began to see his own tendencies towards arrogance, obliviousness to others’ feelings, and a focus on grand ideas over the “daily happiness” found in ordinary life. He recognized his similarities to characters like Emma and Miss Bates, realizing he was not an isolated rebel but a regular person whose everyday experiences held value and significance.

# What did the author learn about “moral seriousness” from reading Austen?

Austen taught the author a new understanding of moral seriousness. He had previously equated it with concern for large-scale issues like politics and social justice, often engaging in theoretical debates without genuine emotional investment. Through Austen, he learned that true moral seriousness lies in taking responsibility for one’s own “little world” and for oneself, paying attention to the impact of one’s actions and words on those around them.

# How did the author’s encounter with Pride and Prejudice influence his understanding of personal growth and maturity?

Pride and Prejudice, particularly the character of Elizabeth Bennet, resonated deeply with the author due to her wit, intelligence, and initial resistance to societal expectations. However, the novel also highlighted the importance of acknowledging one’s own mistakes and the painful but necessary process of humiliation in achieving maturity. The author recognized his own tendency to believe in his intellectual superiority, much like Elizabeth’s initial misjudgment of Darcy, and understood that genuine growth comes from recognizing and confronting one’s flaws.

# What does the author identify as a key lesson from Mansfield Park regarding usefulness and self-deception?

Mansfield Park taught the author about the value of being “useful” and the dangers of self-deception, particularly through the contrasting characters of Fanny Price and the Crawfords. Fanny’s quiet integrity and commitment to duty are juxtaposed with the Crawfords’ worldliness and self-serving motivations. The author came to see that true worth lies in contributing meaningfully to the world and to others, rather than in superficial charm or the pursuit of fleeting pleasures, and recognized how easily one can rationalize selfish behavior.

# According to the author’s reading of Austen, what is the true significance of friendship and family?

Austen’s novels emphasized the profound importance of both friendship and family, often blurring the lines between the two. The author learned that friends are the family one chooses, but also that family members can be true friends. Austen depicts communities formed through genuine affection, mutual understanding, and shared experiences, highlighting friendship as a vital source of support, happiness, and moral guidance, and demonstrating that these bonds are essential for navigating life’s challenges.

# What did the author discover about the portrayal of men-women relationships in Austen, particularly in Persuasion, that challenged conventional romantic narratives?

Through Persuasion, the author realized that Austen challenged the conventional romantic narrative that insists on sexual attraction as the primary basis for connection between men and women. The relationships between Anne Elliot and Captain Benwick, and Anne and Captain Harville, demonstrated that men and women could form deep, meaningful friendships built on mutual respect, understanding, and shared intellectual and emotional space, without romantic entanglement. Austen, according to the author, advocated for the possibility of genuine platonic relationships between the sexes.

# How did the author’s personal experiences intertwine with and illuminate his understanding of Austen’s themes of love and relationships in Sense and Sensibility?

Reading Sense and Sensibility while navigating his own evolving relationships helped the author understand Austen’s nuanced portrayal of love and the complexities of romantic choices. He saw how societal pressures and pragmatic considerations could conflict with genuine affection, as depicted in the choices of characters like Charlotte Lucas and Mary Crawford. Moreover, reflecting on his own difficulties in expressing vulnerability and offering sincere apologies mirrored the emotional journeys of Austen’s characters, highlighting the importance of emotional honesty and the willingness to learn and grow within relationships.

The Enduring Influence of Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s influence can be seen in how her novels have been received by readers and critics over time, her impact on the development of the novel as a genre, and the lessons about love, friendship, and personal growth that her works impart.

Initially, Austen’s novels were met with reactions that suggested they were “trifling,” lacking in imagination and narrative, and “too natural to be interesting”. Even Madame de Staël considered her work “vulgaire”. However, despite these early criticisms, Austen garnered a dedicated readership who felt like they had joined a “secret club” by “getting” her work. Some even considered a real appreciation of Emma “the final test of citizenship in her kingdom”. Writers like Rudyard Kipling celebrated this phenomenon. Conversely, some, like Mark Twain, expressed strong dislike for her writing. This divide highlights the powerful and often deeply personal connection that readers have with Austen’s novels.

One of Austen’s significant influences lies in her ability to make readers see themselves in her characters and learn from their experiences. The author recounts his own initial boredom with Emma, only to realize that Austen had deliberately created a heroine whose feelings mirrored his own in order to expose his own “ugly face”. Austen wrote about everyday things not because she lacked other material, but because she wanted to show their true importance. Her “littleness” was an “optical illusion,” a test for the reader to see the deeper meaning in the commonplace. Her language, seemingly simple, worked subtly to establish character and power dynamics. She presented ordinary people with such masterful arrangement and balance that they became vivid and meaningful, mirroring the complexities of real life.

Austen’s influence also extends to the themes and structure of novels. She shifted the focus from grand events to the intricacies of “domestic Life in Country Villages”. She gave a “long history of private matters,” elevating “woman’s friendship and woman’s feelings” as worthy subjects of literature. Unlike the traditional comic plot where external obstacles keep lovers apart, Austen placed the obstacle “on the inside,” arguing that we ourselves are often what stands in the way of our happiness. She championed reason as liberation and personal growth as true freedom.

Furthermore, Austen challenged the Romantic emphasis on unchecked emotion, advocating for the triumph of reason over feeling, as seen in Pride and Prejudice. While she understood and portrayed feelings and passions, she did not believe they should be worshipped. Her works invite readers to question their instincts and intuitions, urging them to engage reason and objectivity. She taught through showing rather than telling, refusing to insert authorial essays or opinions into her narratives.

Austen’s exploration of relationships, particularly love and friendship, has also been highly influential. She presents friends as the family we choose and suggests that family members can also be friends. Her concept of true friendship involves putting a friend’s welfare first, even if it means pointing out their mistakes. She also challenged the notion that men and women can only be interested in each other sexually, portraying deep and meaningful friendships between them. Austen’s definition of true love often begins in friendship and adheres to the principles of friendship, emphasizing esteem, respect, and a shared desire for personal growth. She suggests that love is not a sudden strike but a gradual development.

Finally, Austen’s influence can be seen in her feminist perspective. She gave voice to female experiences and intellect, challenging the societal limitations placed on women. Through characters like Anne Elliot, she asserted the power of women’s perspectives and the equality possible between men and women.

In conclusion, Jane Austen’s influence is multifaceted, impacting how readers engage with literature, shaping the themes and structures of novels, and offering enduring insights into human relationships and personal development. Her ability to weave profound observations into seemingly ordinary narratives has cemented her place as a significant figure in literary history.

Learning, Character, and the Mentoring Mind

The sources discuss learning and education in several key ways, highlighting a shift from a focus on acquiring knowledge to developing character, the importance of questioning and critical thinking, and the role of mentors in guiding this process.

Initially, the author approached literary education with the goal of “fill[ing] the gaps” in his knowledge, focusing on prestigious literature. However, his early encounter with Jane Austen’s Emma challenged his preconceived notions, as the novel seemed to consist of trivial subjects and commonplace characters. Despite his initial repulsion, the author eventually came to appreciate Austen’s work, realizing that her “littleness” was a test to uncover deeper meanings. This personal journey reflects a form of learning that goes beyond simply accumulating information.

The source emphasizes that true growing up and education have “nothing to do with knowledge or skills” but rather “everything to do with character and conduct”. According to Austen, you don’t improve your character by memorizing facts or developing self-confidence alone; instead, “growing up means making mistakes”. This suggests that learning involves personal experience and the development of moral understanding.

The role of teachers and mentors is presented as crucial in the educational process. The author’s experience with a particular professor is highlighted as transformative. This professor taught by asking profound questions that challenged students’ assumptions and forced them to think for themselves. He exemplified a teaching style that encouraged curiosity and humility, rather than professional certainty. This approach contrasts with the author’s initial attempts at teaching, where he tried to force students to arrive at pre-determined answers. The professor, much like Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey, acted as a “surrogate” for Austen, prompting students to reconsider their mental categories and conventions. Austen herself taught without being didactic, preferring to show rather than tell, and allowing her readers to arrive at their own understandings. She valued intelligent conversation and being informed about the world, but she ridiculed the mere acquisition of facts without deeper comprehension, as exemplified by the character of Mary Bennet.

The source also touches upon the idea of “miseducation,” where one’s mind is filled with elaborate theories that bear no relation to reality. True learning involves opening one’s eyes to what is actually in front of them and questioning acquired concepts. This is illustrated by Catherine Morland’s experience with the picturesque, where she learns the theory but misses the actual beauty around her.

Learning is portrayed as a lifelong habit, extending beyond formal education. The author’s professor suggested that just as Catherine could learn to love a hyacinth, individuals can keep learning to love new things throughout their lives. This includes learning to understand and appreciate others by paying attention to their “minute particulars” and listening to their stories. The act of conversing about daily life, seemingly trivial, is actually a way of attaching oneself to life and weaving the fabric of community.

The author contrasts his father’s view of education as the acquisition of facts and a means of cultural pride with the deeper understanding he gained through his literary studies. He learned that real strength lies not in certainty but in the willingness to learn, even from others.

Ultimately, the source suggests that the goal of education is not simply to transfer information but to “incite” students to discover their own potential and to foster critical thinking. A good learning environment is one where both the student and the teacher can learn and be surprised. This requires a shift in the teacher’s role from an authority figure to a facilitator who encourages students to think beyond them. The lessons learned from literature, particularly from Austen, can be applied directly to life, helping individuals to develop character, understand relationships, and engage with the world in a more meaningful way.

A Jane Austen Education: Growing Up

Growing up, or maturation, is a central theme explored in the provided excerpts from “A Jane Austen Education”. The author reflects on his own journey of growth through reading Austen’s novels, highlighting that it is a remarkable process that goes beyond physical development. It involves becoming “fit for human company, let alone capable of love”.

Austen’s perspective, as interpreted by the author, is that growing up has “nothing to do with knowledge or skills,” but rather “everything to do with character and conduct”. It is not about external achievements like “passing tests, gaining admissions, accumulating credentials”, or even developing self-confidence and self-esteem, which Austen views as potential obstacles. Instead, “growing up means making mistakes”. However, simply making mistakes is not enough; like Elizabeth Bennet, one might repeat the same errors. Even having mistakes pointed out is insufficient, as individuals often rationalize their actions.

True maturation, according to Austen, often comes through suffering, including loss, pain, and, above all, humiliation. It occurs when individuals do something “really awful” and are forced to recognize the gravity of their actions, often in front of someone whose opinion they value. Examples from Austen’s novels, such as Emma insulting Miss Bates and Elizabeth making false accusations, illustrate these painful but transformative moments. The author connects this to his own experiences of feeling shame and recognizing his own shortcomings. He learns that it is not enough to know you have done wrong; you must also feel it. Furthermore, maturation involves refusing to forget past mistakes, using the memory of them as a continuous lesson.

A key aspect of growing up is learning to see oneself “from the outside, as one very limited person,” realizing that one is not the center of the universe. This involves a shift from relying solely on feelings to also engaging reason and logic to evaluate one’s impulses. Austen’s Sense and Sensibility illustrates this contrast between feeling and reason. The heroines of Austen’s novels often initially trust their feelings too much and need to learn to doubt themselves. Elizabeth Bennet’s journey in Pride and Prejudice exemplifies this process of learning to put thinking above feeling.

The author also emphasizes that growing up is an ongoing process that “never stops”. There is a danger in becoming complacent and self-satisfied, as seen in the character of Elizabeth’s father. To continue growing, one needs to “stay on [their] toes”.

Relationships play a significant role in maturation. True friendship, in Austen’s view, involves putting a friend’s welfare first, even if it means pointing out their mistakes. Similarly, love, for Austen, is an agent of socialization, where partners challenge each other to become better people. Choosing a life partner is a crucial aspect of personal growth, and it is suggested that compatibility can develop through shared values and familiarity, a gradual “growing in love” rather than a sudden infatuation. The choice of a partner can significantly impact one’s character and soul.

Despite the seriousness of maturation, Austen also values youth as a time of openness to new experiences. Her novels, while depicting characters growing up, often focus on young people and their concerns. There is a suggestion that one can “get older…but still remain young” by staying open to learning and change. This involves learning to appreciate the beauty of the world and maintaining a capacity for love.

Mentors, like the author’s professor and characters like Henry Tilney, play a vital role in guiding the process of growing up by challenging assumptions and encouraging critical thinking. They teach by example and by prompting individuals to see beyond their current understanding.

Ultimately, the author’s journey through Austen’s novels reveals that growing up is a complex process involving self-awareness, learning from mistakes, balancing emotions with reason, cultivating meaningful relationships, and maintaining a lifelong commitment to personal development. It is about taking responsibility for one’s “little world” and oneself.

Austen’s Insights on Love, Friendship, and Growth

Our sources offer a rich exploration of relationships and love, contrasting the author’s initial immature understandings with the more profound insights he gains from reading Jane Austen. The discussion touches upon both romantic love and friendship, highlighting how Austen views these connections as crucial for personal growth and happiness.

Initially, the author’s approach to relationships was flawed and self-centered. He admits to having a romantic life that was “never been particularly happy”. His relationships were marked by “fights, sulks, head games, tears”. He reveals a period where he pursued a “steady supply of sex, with no strings attached,” driven by a “teenage boy’s idea of paradise”. However, he eventually recognized the emptiness of this approach. His interactions with women were often characterized by a lack of respect and a need to “hold forth as usual,” driven by his sense of intellectual superiority as a graduate student. He lacked insight into himself and others, and even when confronted with a friend’s concerns about intimacy, he was bewildered, demonstrating a profound lack of understanding about meaningful connection.

Through his engagement with Austen’s novels, the author begins to develop a more nuanced understanding of relationships and love. A central theme is the idea that love often begins in friendship. Austen portrays relationships built on mutual respect, esteem, gratitude, and genuine interest in the other person’s welfare. The author initially struggles with this concept, having different notions of what constitutes a romantic relationship.

Austen challenges the purely romantic and passionate ideal of love, often exemplified by the relationship between Marianne and Willoughby in Sense and Sensibility. While such passionate connections are often celebrated, Austen suggests that more enduring love is rooted in qualities like good character, worth, heart, and understanding, akin to the relationship between Elinor and Edward. The author comes to see that Elinor and Edward’s “tepid relationship” is presented as the novel’s idea of true love, validating Elinor’s sensible approach over Marianne’s impulsiveness.

True love, according to Austen, is not simply a feeling but something you have to prepare yourself for. It is not a magical force that transforms you, but rather something that works with who you already are. The author realizes that before one can truly love another, they must come to know themselves and grow up. The development of love is often gradual, a “growing on so gradually” that one hardly knows when it began.

Furthermore, Austen suggests that a healthy relationship involves a degree of challenge and disagreement, contributing to personal growth. A “friction-free relationship” is likened to a desert, implying that conflict, when handled constructively, can lead to deeper understanding and development. This contrasts with the author’s earlier experiences of “fights” that were destructive rather than growth-oriented.

The source also emphasizes the importance of “minute particulars” and listening to each other’s stories in building intimacy and connection. This act of paying attention to the details of someone’s life and valuing their experiences is presented as a high form of caring. The author’s own budding relationship later in the narrative reflects this, with hours spent on the phone “learning about each other, and respecting each other, by listening to each other’s stories”. This “conversation of souls” highlights a deeper level of connection beyond mere physical attraction.

Austen also explores the possibility of genuine friendship between men and women, challenging the prevailing notion that sex will always “get in the way”. The relationships between Anne Elliot and Captain Benwick, and Anne and Captain Harville in Persuasion, demonstrate intellectual and emotional connection without sexual interest.

The role of true friends is presented as crucial for navigating relationships and personal growth. Austen’s idea of true friendship involves putting a friend’s welfare before your own, which includes being willing to point out their mistakes, even at the risk of conflict. The author reflects on how a friend who was “on his case for all those years” was ultimately trying to help him become a better person. This aligns with the idea that growing up often requires having one’s errors acknowledged.

In conclusion, the author’s journey through Austen’s works reveals a shift from a superficial and self-serving view of relationships to an appreciation for connections built on friendship, mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to personal growth. Austen’s novels highlight that true and lasting love is not a sudden, passionate event but a gradual development rooted in character and a willingness to understand and support one another, even through disagreements and challenges.

Jane Austen’s Social Commentary

The excerpts from “A Jane Austen Education” offer significant insights into Jane Austen’s social commentary, as perceived by the author. His journey of understanding Austen’s work involves recognizing that what initially seemed like trivial stories of everyday life were, in fact, subtle yet powerful critiques of the social norms and values of her time.

Initially, the author dismissed Austen’s novels as “silly romantic fairy tales” focused on “who was sick, who had had a card party the night before”. He saw the lives depicted as “trivial” compared to the grand themes of modernism. However, he eventually realized that Austen was writing about these everyday things precisely to show how important they really are. The “trivia” wasn’t just marking time; it was the point, revealing the fabric of their lives and, by extension, the values of their society.

One key aspect of Austen’s social commentary is her portrayal of the marriage market. The novel Sense and Sensibility illustrates how marriage was often viewed as a matter of financial prudence and social standing rather than love. Characters like John Dashwood exemplify this mercenary approach, calculating the financial worth of potential spouses. Austen highlights how deeply ingrained these values were, with young people often acting as if their parents still arranged marriages, despite having a choice. This commentary on societal pressures around marriage connects to our previous discussion on relationships, showing how societal norms could overshadow genuine affection.

Austen also offers a critique of social hierarchies and class consciousness. The author notes his own past adherence to the “oldest myth” that upper-class people are inherently urbane and cultured. However, through Austen’s portrayal of characters like the Bertrams and the Crawfords in Mansfield Park, he recognizes that elegant manners and active minds are distinct, and wealth does not necessarily equate to intellect or virtue. Mary Crawford’s inability to understand priorities outside of London demonstrates a “special kind of provincialism” common among those who consider themselves cosmopolitan. This social commentary relates to the theme of growing up, as the author sheds his own naive assumptions about social status.

Furthermore, Austen critiques the superficiality and moral failings within the upper classes. The discontinuation of daily prayers at the Rushworth estate and Mary Crawford’s flippant attitude towards religion and morality (“How could anyone take words like ‘duty’ and ‘conduct’ and ‘principle’ seriously?”) serve as examples of this critique. This connects to the discussion on maturation, as Austen values “duty” and “usefulness” as important aspects of a well-developed character, contrasting with the self-indulgence of some of her upper-class figures.

Austen’s commentary extends to gender roles and expectations. Mr. Knightley’s remark in Emma that women’s language deals with “minute particulars” while men deal “only in the great” initially seems to reflect a societal view. However, the author realizes that Austen uses this to highlight her own artistic triumph in making these “minute particulars” the very substance of her novels, focusing on “woman’s friendship and woman’s feelings”. Moreover, in Persuasion, Anne Elliot’s powerful assertion that “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything” is seen as Austen’s “crowning declaration as a writer, the feminist flag she planted on the ground of English fiction”. This challenges the societal imbalance in narrative power and connects to the theme of relationships by showing Austen’s advocacy for equality and mutual respect between men and women.

The author also notes Austen’s satire of didacticism and pedantry, as seen in the characters of Mary Bennet and Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice. Austen’s own writing avoids explicit lecturing, allowing her social commentary to emerge through character and plot rather than direct authorial intrusion.

In essence, the author’s evolving understanding reveals that Jane Austen was a keen observer of her society, using her novels to subtly critique its values, particularly concerning marriage, social class, morality, and gender roles. Her focus on the everyday lives of her characters became a powerful tool for social commentary, prompting readers to consider the deeper implications of seemingly ordinary interactions and societal norms. This aligns with the broader theme of the book, where engagement with Austen’s novels leads to personal growth and a more insightful understanding of the world.

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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