I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.
Jane Austen, Persuasion
Emma Woodhouse
I don’t know if it’s apocryphal, but Jane Austen is supposed to have said that Emma Woodhouse was a character “whom no one but myself will much like.” She was wrong, because Emma is beloved by readers everywhere. There are more adaptations of Emma than any other Austen novel except for Pride and Prejudice. (If you’re curious, Pride and Prejudice has a whopping twelve film adaptations; Emma has seven. Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion have had four each, Mansfield Park has had three, and poor Northanger Abbey has had only two.)
Emma Woodhouse is such a lovely character because, to use today’s parlance, she begins the novel completely unaware of her own privilege. Granted, she understands that she’s the wealthiest woman in the area and that other people don’t necessarily live as she does. However, the difference that her wealth and position make in her life, and the leeway that people give her because of it, is lost on her for quite a bit of the novel. But her experiences help her grow into a more empathetic, self-aware person. She learns that she’s not always right, that she needs to let her friends make their own decisions, and that she needs to be kinder to the people she considers beneath her.
I think Austen’s real triumph here is writing a character who is “handsome, clever, and rich” but who is also nuanced and likeable. Emma’s character very easily could have become the quintessential “mean girl,” but Austen gave her a heart of gold to balance her out. It’s brilliant character development, and I think Emma will remain a fan favorite for generations to come.
Marianne Dashwood
It’s really astounding to me how well Jane Austen was able to capture different types of personalities. While Marianne’s sister Elinor is stoic and practical, Marianne is nothing if not a flower child, skipping over the hills, reciting poetry, and falling in love at first sight. But, like Emma, Marianne has some growing up to do. She learns that love at first sight is not necessarily love that runs deep. She learns that chemistry doesn’t equal commitment. Most importantly, I think she learns the difference between love and romance. While Willoughby is romantic, he doesn’t love her enough to fight for her. To sacrifice for her. Marianne comes to see more value in Colonel Brandon’s quiet devotion than in all of Willoughby’s flowery words.
Marianne also comes to understand her sister better. I love that scene where she finds out that Edward Ferrars has been secretly engaged and she assumes that Elinor must not feel it very keenly because her grief isn’t demonstrative. The setting down that Marianne gets from Elinor is perfect, and it helps Marianne realize that there is more than one way to feel and show emotion. She comes to understand that still waters run deep. Basically, she learns the same thing about her sister that she does about Colonel Brandon. I think Marianne demonstrates the most growth of all of Austen’s characters.
Anne Elliot
I would argue that Anne Elliot is the most damaged of Austen’s heroines. Like Fanny Price, she’s ignored and ridiculed by her family. But Anne’s also older, a faded beauty who fears that her chance at love has passed her by. Unlike Austen’s other leading ladies, Anne begins the book filled with regret. She allowed herself to be influenced by a family friend who convinced her to break off her engagement to Captain Wentworth, a man who she truly loved, because he wasn’t wealthy. When Captain Wentworth comes back into Anne’s sphere eight years later, Anne hopes to get a second chance with him.
It’s interesting that Persuasion is the last of Austen’s novels, written when Austen herself was almost forty. While her other novels feature women who must make difficult choices, Persuasion’s heroine starts the novel having made her choice many years ago. Anne isn’t the ingenue or the belle of the ball; she’s been all but put on the shelf and has little to do but reflect on her decisions. I think this makes her a compelling character and a welcome contrast to Austen’s previous characters. She’s the kind of character who you relate to more as you age. I love that Austen chose to write about a mature woman and that she chose to make that woman still desirable to the man who loves her. It’s such a testament to the power of true love.
Catherine Morland
Okay, I’ve got to fess up—I’m actually not the biggest fan of Catherine Morland. Some people find her naively charming. I find her stupid. But that said, she’s a realistic character. Who among us hasn’t allowed our imagination to run away with us? Who hasn’t put our faith in a false friend? I think of one the real reasons I don’t like Catherine is that I see some of the worst impulses of my youth reflected in her. I, like her, was pretty easily led for a while. I, like her, read a lot of books and it tended to color my understanding of the real world.
Catherine is interesting in that she’s very ordinary. Her family isn’t poor (like Fanny Price) or rich (like Emma Woodhouse). She’s neither very beautiful nor very plain. She’s not particularly witty. In many ways, Catherine is the everywoman of Austen’s heroines, and so her plight resonates with us.
That said, I still can’t read Northanger Abbey without rolling my eyes at almost everything Catherine does.
Happy Reading!
