The Enduring Lessons to be Found in a Jane Austen Novel

The Enduring Lessons to be Found in a Jane Austen Novel

By Melodie Edwards

Why has Jane Austen endured? 

The question is asked so often, as the film industry magics up more adaptations, and the publishing industry burnishes our shelves with more spinoffs and retellings (have you read Death Comes to Pemberly, or seen the television adaptation of Death Comes to Pemberly? So. Good.) Austen fandom is alive and thriving, but how is it that, of all those who have put pen to paper in the past, it is Miss Austen whose works sail forward century after century like this? 

When balls and carriages and courtships are long gone, why are we still turning over her pages?

Well alright, the allure of balls and delicate courtship might be easy enough to explain. When modern dating can be reduced to swipe right or left, there is something entrancing in the idea of flickering candlelight and gentlemen murmuring eloquent compliments; of the handsome Mr. Darcy becoming enraptured with Elizabeth Bennet’s sparkling eyes.

The escapism to be found in these novels and that faded world is incredibly tempting, but it is not escapism alone that holds our attention. The sparkle of the Regency world, so well described in Austen’s works is merely the window-dressing, the powdered sugar on top. The underlying substance of the novels are the characters themselves; so rich in detail, so complex in their psychology, so wholly real, that they can, and do, inhabit our modern world.  

I mean, who amongst us hasn’t been trapped in conversation with a Mr. Collins? And who hasn’t been taken in by the charm and flattery of a Wickham? Not just in romance, but think of that boss who had seemed so great in the interview process, but turned out to be a horror six weeks into the job, or of that new friend who turned out to be not your friend at all. 

When Elizabeth Bennet realizes she has been deceived by Wickham, she reflects back on the clues that were there for her (and us the reader) to have seen all along. She realizes how inappropriate it was for a stranger to single her out in a party and tell her his life story, and how obvious his constructed victim narrative was. She realizes that his actions never matched up with what he said he would do, or said about himself, and that he often ghosted her. She realizes how much he flattered and flirted with her, so that she never looked rationally at his behavior. In contrast, she realizes the awkward Darcy, for all that he always said the wrong thing, in the end always did the right thing. 

There are no pantomime villains in Austen’s world, no cardboard cut-out character of a dashing hero. Considering the birth of psychology as a field of study was still some decades away, Austen’s grasp of reading people is a marvel, and she teaches her reader to do the same.

And how did she come by this knowledge? Her life was so limited, her experience of the world so small. Drawing rooms and visiting neighbors, the occasional trip to London or Bath. But perhaps it was her limitations that gave her such incredible insight, to delve so deeply into her subject matter, to really consider all the minute details and foibles of characters like those neighbors coming to tea, to then create such real people in her novels.

Or maybe it was necessity. 

Women in Austen’s era were directed towards a single avenue by which they could hope to achieve some form of independence, a social position, socio-economic advantage, or create a family, and that avenue was marriage. Choose the wrong fellow, and there was little recourse for a woman. So, one shot to determine if a suitor was a good man, and a partner you could be tied to for life, all while courting under the watchful eye of a chaperone? Reading people was a critical skill indeed. 

But has that changed? Don’t we as individuals need to determine friend from foe, regardless of the century? In a world where we’ve learned to curate our lives for social media, perhaps we need the ability to truly discern a person’s character more than ever. I don’t think we’ll be putting down our Austen novels – or the films, or the retellings – any time soon.

Because Jane Austen doesn’t just give us opportunities to swoon. Jane Austen teaches us to think, and that’s a legacy to last.

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Once Persuaded, Twice Shy: A Modern Reimagining of Persuasion

This modern reimagining of Persuasion is full of witty banter, romantic angst, and compelling characters as it captures the heart of the classic Jane Austen novel.

When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do . . . but now, eight years later, she’s not so sure.

In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful career: filling her late mother’s shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose. But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show—and not nearly as good as the ones put on by her theater company. She’s the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.

So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle, Anne’s world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life—and it’s clear he hasn’t forgiven her for breaking his heart. A joint project between the winery and Anne’s theater forces both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can’t help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.

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Melodie Edwards is the author of Jane & Edward (Mar. 21, 2023) and Once Persuaded, Twice Shy (Feb. 27, 2024). She has a BA in English literature from the University of Toronto, a Master’s degree in communications from McMaster University and Syracuse University and studied comedy writing at the Second City Training Centre.

Her writing has been featured in Writer’s Digest, G160 Theatre Festival, the Austin Film Festival Playwright Competition, and the Hart House Drama Festival.

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Official Website: MelodieEdwards.com
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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing