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Examples Of Masculinity In Jane Austen

1746 Words7 Pages

Basit Qureshi
HIS-383 World of Jane Austen
4/20/18

George “the Man” Austen

There are many different topics that can be found in Jane Austen’s novel Emma. Indeed, feminism is an easy choice for a subject when discussing this particular novel. However, my focus with this essay will be on the ‘new masculinity’ that emerged during the beginning of the 19th century and its application to the characters in the novel. I will explore the meaning and nature of this new concept of masculinity and the historical causes behind it. How this topic is applied in the novel Emma and how it would be portrayed in everyday lives of elite Britons will also be discussed in length. Jane Austen is writing this novel during a very interesting time in Britain’s history, a time of war and industrial revolution. It is also fair to say that she was affected by the French revolution and the aftermath of it. Britain had declared war on France in 1803 and we know that Austen’s brothers were active in the military during this time. The Enlightenment of Europe had also begun and we can see the influence of this environment on her writings, especially in Emma and particularly with the characters of George Knightley and Frank Churchill. George Knightley embodies the new construct of British masculinity by Austen and in contrast, Frank …show more content…

This masculinity preserves the individuality of Emma. Mr. Knightley retains her power through his acceptance of leaving his house to take care of Mr. Woodhouse. Moreover, his conversational style with Emma indicates a belief in woman as moral and intellectual equals that strongly contrasted with the masculine behavior of the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Jane Austen wants no dominance either for the man or the woman. This is what happens at the end of Emma. Mr. Knightley is the icon of such constructed masculinity by Jane

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