Jane Austin Research Paper

Jane Austin lived and wrote at the turning point of education in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century, as such, she experienced the shift of educational reform, allowing her to express her views on the topic at the height of the transformation. Her own educational background was advanced for women of her time seeing as her social standing was high enough to warrant an education and she had access to her father’s libraries along with attended school for a brief period (Sutherland). Since women at this point were rarely schooled past pleasantries and literacy Austin would have been highly educated compared to most others of her age and this background is strongly mirrored in the characters that inhabit her books. Elinor and

Traditionally, for the gentry ladies, schooling came less from institutions and more from private tutors or governesses. Even then, education of women focused mostly on their marriage eligibility, they were taught to catch a man’s interest enough to entertain him but not enough to threaten his intelligence; because “making a good marriage was the most important if not only goal of upper-class girls in the 18th century” (Bondy). Therefore, schooling mainly consisted of reading and writing lessons, minimal foreign languages and artistic expression like music or drawing. Education in any amount that fell outside of socializing was either higher levels reserved for gentlemen or trade specific knowledge left to the lower class

In the early eighteenth century status was considered the most valuable title in life, and this ideal shows up in Austin’s side characters. These individuals highly value social rank and view it as an indication of goodness. But as greatly as the social rank aspects of interaction are stressed in Sense and Sensibility, it is not the rank of the other characters that defines the general regard of them but rather their intellect and morality. The biggest show of valuing the wealthy is seen greatly in the actions of the high-ranking John Dashwood, who by all accounts is a gentleman of high standing with a great sum of money. However, his motives in speaking of Ms. Jennings as “a most valuable woman indeed… [a source of] exceeding good income” (Austin 422) and to inquire after Colonel Brandon asking “’is he a man of fortune?’” (Austin 416) was simply to gauge their monetary value and social status. This line of interest would not be odd in England at that time but the negative view of John Dashwood in his wavering spirit and satiric presence in the story shows clearly that Austin opposes this. One can quickly point out the flaws of his weak character as he is “cold hearted and rather selfish” (Austin 6) and his will was quickly turned by his wife pleading further showing his weak character. For a narration as harsh as this on John Dashwood’s character it