Musings-on-Jane-Austen

Mostly Jane Austen, favourite is Mansfield Park. Also JAFF. This is what happens when a very bored Cognitive Neuroscientist gets super into 19th century British literature? she/her Canadian

[bethanydelleman]

Welcome to my blog

I write about Jane Austen because I love her works, but also because I write JAFF (Jane Austen Fan Fiction). I also really enjoy Anne Brontë, especially The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, George Eliot, and Elizabeth Gaskell, specifically Wives & Daughters.

I have two self-published novels, Prideful & Persuaded: A Jane Austen Crossover Romance and Unfairly Caught: A Mansfield Park Variation. You can find my free stories and other stuff here. I also write on AHA and AO3 under this same username. If you want a comprehensive list of every named character in Jane Austen’s six novels: here. (for Regency names in real life here), Mansfield Park probably isn't about slavery and Regency-ish household budgets

My Northanger Abbey readthrough can be found here My Lady Susan readthrough can be found here Link to my AITA Jane Austen posts Link to find all my Jane Austen Charted posts Link to find all my Why You Should Read This Jane Austen Novel posts Objective (lol) hotness ratings for Jane Austen's heroes, heroines, and dubious men

Some of my favourite posts: Estimated Sexual Abilities of Austen Men First Kiss for each Austen Heroine Couple Who would each Jane Austen Heroine stab? The sluttiest thing a (Jane Austen) man can say Each Jane Austen Hero Writes a “Wentworth Letter” Fighting ability of Austen Men

If you want to learn more about my other life in science, check out this post.

My Asian drama sideblog Fake Married my Dead Fiance is here (this does not work on phones? just search fake-married-my-dead-fiance)

[oh-good]

Young Cathy and Heathcliff find a half staved unconscious Jane Eyre on the moors and poked her with a stick to see if she's dead. She isn't roused by their proding and they don't care enough to try and help her so it isn't mentioned in either book.

[bethanydelleman]

headcanon accepted!

[shitpostinguniverse]

[hypnoticwinter]

[slashercatz]

[lixiesbabyhands]

how does it feel to be the funniest person on earth

[bethanydelleman]

Jane Austen's most unassuming character finally gets her moment. Watch The Other Bennet Sister, a BritBox Original drama.

Okay, let us consult a dictionary:

unassuming (adjective): not assuming : not having or showing a desire to be noticed : modest

Okay, let us consult Jane Austen's novels:

That is Fanny Price. The most unassuming character in Jane Austen's novels is Fanny Price not "Push My Way to the Front of the Line to Play Piano" Mary Bennet!

False advertising

Note: This is not an attack on TOBS, this is a comment on the advertising. Also, they kept Mary pushing herself forward to sing, which Fanny would never

[bethanydelleman]

Comment from Facebook about The Other Bennet Sister:

I must say there are some changes from the book (I’m about three quarters in, so I’m not finished yet) and some of my fav scenes in the book didn’t make it into the series! and my poor husband was scared for life (his words, not mine lol) during a scene showing the sisters getting ready for the Netherfield ball where we see Mary wash her underarms and she has some impressive arm hair! I know it’s time period accurate but a little jarring to see (and to be honest I don’t know if I can ever watch a period piece again without thinks “all the women have arms hair!”) and must’ve taken some commitment on the actress’s part! That’s dedication to the role and accuracy! And as warning for viewers with younger children, I could’ve done without the intro portion that heavily alluded to Mr. & Mrs. Bennet’s early matrimonial relations… Nothing was really shown, but heavily implied. Wished I had know so I could’ve skipped that bit

I actually took screenshots of the absolute HORROR that is a woman with body hair and I would like to note that I didn't even notice her un-shaved armpits because I was being happy about the lack of torture lace-ups on her stays.

Oh no! A woman with mild body hair! I can never look at the world the same way again!

Shoot me now

Edit: a screenshot that shows it a bit better

[akajustmerry]

I've recently been doing a lot of reading about what makes the Romance Genre™ the Romance Genre™ and as it turns out the most important thing a story needs to be a romance is that the couple have to be unambiguously happily together in the end. That's it. Apparently, if this isn't true of your couple in the end then your story cannot be of the Romance Genre™, then it's just literary fiction. And this is actually such an insane revelation to me like I can't stop thinking about it because it explains why so often when I've attempted to read Romance™ and 9 times outta 10 I'm annoyed because I feel like these characters get together and it costs them being interesting. I cannae get over that the reason so much romance sucks ass is because the only hard rule is basically "these people MUST be together even if it would be better if they weren't because god forbid the reader is confronted with the notion of impermanence" like....I can't really explain the depths of how silly I find this rule and how much it goes against what I find compelling to read/write about wrt to romance. It's akin to finding out that the Hayes Code is fully enforced in 2026 and everyone agreeing the Hayes Code is how movies should be made because otherwise it doesn't count as a movie. That's how this revelation of "you haven't written a romance story™ unless your characters unambiguously live happily ever after" makes me feel. I personally prefer to think of romance as a method, as means, as a set of knives to cut characters open and go rummaging around for hidden treasure that can't be found any other way, if you will. Who cares if the characters will live "happily ever after"? Here's a better question, are they even yet living?

[bethanydelleman]

I understand your frustration, and I think what you are really annoyed at is books being written poorly, but I also understand why this genre requirement exists and I sympathize with it. When I reach for Romance, it's because I want to know that it will be okay in the end. There is something comforting in knowing that no matter what happens, what trials and tribulations come along on the way, these two people will come out okay, alive, and in love.

Sometimes you just need that? To relax. To have security in a world that feels like it's on fire. To believe in the possibility of true love against all odds, even if you don't believe it in real life. I think there is a beauty in that.

[mistress-elizabeth]

I've started reading the tenant of wildfell hall and yes, i know values change, historical contexts are important, and from what i know about how the plot is going, it's probably also thematically significant...

...but from a modern pov it's so bizarre how everyone in the first few chapters is like 'why won't this crazy helicopter mom let her 5yo drink alcohol????'

[bethanydelleman]

And yet I found that chapter so relatable because it really felt like a conversation about parenting that could happen today. Yes, switch out the alcohol for some other issue, but the talking points were so similar!

[mistress-elizabeth]

yes, i completely agree! and i think this holds true for the whole novel so far, especially with how Mrs Markham's different treatment of her daughter vs her sons mirrors a lot of modern discourse around 'boy moms' (for lack of a better term)

[bethanydelleman]

Yes it does! I picked up this book randomly to spite Charlotte Bronte (I was misinformed) and that chapter is what really hooked me. The way they talk about moving stones out of the path and a girl growing up in a greenhouse and then suddenly being thrown into the world. And the way you get the feeling that Helen knows the darker possibilities...

[tragicromanticss]

When Jane Austen said-

She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older - the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning

Her sister Cassandra in the margins wrote-

'Dear, dear Jane! This deserves to be written in letters of gold'

[bethanydelleman]

hey, what do you know about distances in jane austen's time? if i'm reading it right, in emma it says that mrs weston lives half a mile away from emma. and then when emma is thinking about how nice it is to have harriet, it mentions that emma walked alone to mrs weston's house once and found walking that far alone unpleasant! is that area like, super hilly? muddy? or is this meant to indicate that emma is easily bored?

Firstly, it turns out England used a different set of measurements until 1826, when they changed to Imperial. However, a mile is the same length in both, so 1.61 km. Then I put this into a calculator:

It says about 16 minutes total. I think we can assume it's measured as she walks and not as the bird flies. I set the walk at beginner because it doesn't seem like Emma walks a ton otherwise.

Now is 16 minutes a long walk or is it justified for her to be bored? I don't know. I get bored taking my dog on a 16 minute walk alone so I usually listen to music or a podcast. Let us consult the masses. Keep in mind that it's not like Emma has anyone at home to really talk to, she's managing her father, not chatting with him. Also, this is the same walk every day, probably along lanes of farmland, so it's not a scenic walk or a hike.

Walking 16 minutes alone back and forth without music or a cellphone:

Boring, I relate to Emma not wanting to go it alone

Perfectly manageable, Emma is easily bored

Opinion that I will elaborate on in the tags

Remaining time: 5 days 14 hours

[bethanydelleman]

Some more thoughts about this. Including the relevant quote:

As a walking companion, Emma had very early foreseen how useful she might find her. In that respect Mrs. Weston’s loss had been important. Her father never went beyond the shrubbery, where two divisions of the ground sufficed him for his long walk, or his short, as the year varied; and since Mrs. Weston’s marriage her exercise had been too much confined. She had ventured once alone to Randalls, but it was not pleasant; and a Harriet Smith, therefore, one whom she could summon at any time to a walk, would be a valuable addition to her privileges.

Talking to some Jane Austen friends and reading the notes, that term "unpleasant" might mean many things. It may mean she got bored, but it may also mean she feels a little unsafe or out of propriety. We all know how people felt about Elizabeth's three mile walk to Netherfield. Highbury seems pretty safe, but Harriet does have that encounter after the ball. Also, Emma is used to having Miss Taylor around to be her walking companion, probably for as long as she can remember. Maybe that is spoiled of her, but this is a very big change for Emma nonetheless. Also, spoiled is debatable here, Elizabeth B. could always has a sister to walk with, most of the heroines have mothers, but Emma has no one except her father and he cannot walk this distance. If it is a matter of reputation, then it's important to Emma, though I suppose she could bring a servant if she really needed someone.

So, I am only more torn as to if this is a indication of boredom or something else

Edit: It's not reputation, as someone pointed out in the notes:

And then there was such comfort in the very easy distance of Randalls from Hartfield, so convenient for even solitary female walking, and in Mr. Weston’s disposition and circumstances, which would make the approaching season no hindrance to their spending half the evenings in the week together.

[miraculoushedgehog]

I’ve made jokes before about how a high percentage of Mansfield Park adaptations feature arguably homoerotic scenes between Fanny and Mary (rip 2007 you let us down). It’s really interesting to me because there’s no real point in the story where Fanny has anything resembling affection for Mary and, despite Mary’s claims, vice versa. Whether this is borne purely out of jealousy for Edmund’s affections or not, the closest thing we get is a “fascination”.

“An intimacy resulting principally from Miss Crawford’s desire of something new, and which had little reality in Fanny’s feelings. Fanny went to her every two or three days: it seemed a kind of fascination; she could not be easy without going, and yet it was without loving her, without ever thinking like her, without any sense of obligation for being sought after now when nobody else was to be had; and deriving no higher pleasure from her conversation than the occasional amusement, and that often at the expense of her judgement…”

Obviously, I think a lot of readers want Fanny and Mary to find kinship with each other, almost as much as Edmund does.

Mary’s fickle affection for Fanny isn’t that surprising given her treatment of the Bertram girls, though I think she had slightly more respect for Fanny. What’s interesting to me is the fact that Fanny maintains the friendship. It is evident that Mary has little interest in Fanny’s thoughts:

“Mary, untouched and inattentive, had nothing to say; and Fanny, perceiving it, brought back to her own mind what she thought must interest”

Fanny herself had never craved Mary’s companionship. Many lesser other stories would have Fanny try and imitate Mary to catch Edmund’s attention, or try and drive a wedge between them. And yet, she does none of this. Instead, it seems like a friendship borne mostly of mutual boredom, and I don’t believe it could have ever blossomed into much else.

[bethanydelleman]

I don't know, that line about "fascination" is quite intriguing. Why does Fanny keep going? She is the one doing a lot to maintain the friendship, without liking Mary

it seemed a kind of fascination; she could not be easy without going

I think that is what readers latch on to, why does she go? Does she like Mary more than she will acknowledge to herself? Or is it just a sense of obligation and the fact that Fanny has zero female friends. Fanny really does long for letter from Mary in Portsmouth, but again, she's very isolated there so is it Mary or just that?

I think there is room for ambiguity.

[bethanydelleman]

hey, what do you know about distances in jane austen's time? if i'm reading it right, in emma it says that mrs weston lives half a mile away from emma. and then when emma is thinking about how nice it is to have harriet, it mentions that emma walked alone to mrs weston's house once and found walking that far alone unpleasant! is that area like, super hilly? muddy? or is this meant to indicate that emma is easily bored?

Firstly, it turns out England used a different set of measurements until 1826, when they changed to Imperial. However, a mile is the same length in both, so 1.61 km. Then I put this into a calculator:

It says about 16 minutes total. I think we can assume it's measured as she walks and not as the bird flies. I set the walk at beginner because it doesn't seem like Emma walks a ton otherwise.

Now is 16 minutes a long walk or is it justified for her to be bored? I don't know. I get bored taking my dog on a 16 minute walk alone so I usually listen to music or a podcast. Let us consult the masses. Keep in mind that it's not like Emma has anyone at home to really talk to, she's managing her father, not chatting with him. Also, this is the same walk every day, probably along lanes of farmland, so it's not a scenic walk or a hike.

Walking 16 minutes alone back and forth without music or a cellphone:

Boring, I relate to Emma not wanting to go it alone

Perfectly manageable, Emma is easily bored

Opinion that I will elaborate on in the tags

Remaining time: 5 days 14 hours

[bethanydelleman]

What are your thoughts and opinions on EMMA. (2020), both as a film and an adaptation?

It's my favourite Emma adaptation. Here is another response about it.

[bethanydelleman]

Happy Pride Month Jane Austen Fans!

[no-where-new-hero]

Aunt Laura threw out her hands and spoke with a sudden passion utterly foreign to her. "But there's only one way of loving." "Oh no, dearest of Victorian aunties," answered Emily gaily. "There are a dozen different ways."

Happy Pride Month L.M. Montgomery Fans!!!

[just-another-cat-blog]

pride month!!!

[lemonsharks]

Is that a miette?

[jeanjauthor]

Pride for you!  Pride for a thousand years!!

[lost-and-cursed]

you COME OUT to miette? you come out to her as queer? oh! oh! pride for mother! pride for mother for One Thousand Years!!!!

[questionableadvice]

~ Modern Dancing, by Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Castle, 1914

Video of Vernon and Irene Castle demonstrating a proper dip (without grotesque attitudes!) starting at 1:09 in the 1915 film The Whirl of Life

[bethanydelleman]

This is probably ridiculous to you but I've just started reading Austen and I do get the feeling that Mr Knightley and Mr Darcy wouldn't like each other.........do you think I'm right or am I wrong?

Oh that is a fascinating question... Mr. Knightley and Mr. Darcy are quite different and I don't know if they'd like each other or not. Then again, Emma Woodhouse is very much a female version of Mr. Darcy, so Mr. Knightley might like him but not vice versa...

I do think they would be cordial and I can't see them hating each other. Mr. Darcy though, he is much more involved in society, has his house in London, visits friends for extended periods, while Mr. Knightley seems perfectly happy as a homebody. Knightley also is kind of old fashioned gentry while Darcy feels more like a person looking forward. They both marry extroverted, social girls, but I think Elizabeth and Emma would be like oil and water. Elizabeth does not have the time of day for snobby women and Emma would look down on Elizabeth, but also wouldn't feel threatened by her because she's not as accomplished as Jane...

Anyway, to the polls!

Would Mr. Knightley (Emma) and Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice) like each other?

No, they would hate each other

No, they would dislike each other

They would have no strong feelings (neutral)

Yes, they would like each other

Yes, they would be particular (best) friends

What a beautiful Likert scale! (show results/nuance)

Voting ended onJun 1

[chocolatepot]

I tend to think they'd respect each other! Mr. Darcy would recognize that Mr. Knightley is a good landlord and employer and a gentleman who behaves well in general, which are aspects he values, and ... I think Mr. Knightley would have a similar initial response, but if he saw the pride on display a lot of the respect would dissipate and we'd get a strong disapproval. Post-canon, though, that wouldn't be so much of an issue.

Going the other way, I think Emma would be impressed with Mrs. Darcy, who'd outrank her but wouldn't be a pain in the ass about it like Mrs. Elton; Elizabeth isn't wildly beautiful or very impressive musically either, so she wouldn't provoke the grudge that Emma has for Jane Fairfax. Even pre-canon or peri-canon, I think she'd perceive Elizabeth as Not A Threat, like you say, but maybe even want to have her as a friend that she can be just a bit superior to. Elizabeth, on the other hand, would see Emma's faults in a way that would keep her from actually being her friend and would gravitate toward Mrs. Weston instead. (She would also judge the heck out of Mr. Woodhouse, I think, non-seriously because of his ridiculousness and more seriously because of his effect on the people around him.)

[misscrawfords]

I think they would like each other because they are both men of the same social rank who truly care about their estates and kindness towards those in their care. A lot of landowners didn't. I think that alone would be enough for mutual respect and interest. Mr. Knightley is ten years older than Mr. Darcy so it is unlikely they would become besties, but I think they would certainly have good conversations filled with respect and get on socially.

[bethanydelleman]

Jane Austen Characters That Give Me Some Queer Vibes

This is my personal list and my personal vibes, I am not saying that anyone else is wrong but giving my personal impressions. They are all headcanon. I am very happy to hear your theories and your vibes!

Sir Walter Elliot, Persuasion: Okay, dude totally has a crush on this Colonel Wallis whom he’s been parading around Bath with arm-in-arm. He is most likely pansexual: attracted to anyone who is a 10/10. Unfortunately he sees himself as a 11/10, so maybe not the best partner. 

Emma Woodhouse, Emma: She feels the need to staunchly defend the beauty of Jane Fairfax. Admires the beauty of both Harriet and Jane Fairfax but does not dwell on Mr. Elton or Frank Churchill, whom she does acknowledge are hot. Either she only has eyes for Knightley or she’s actually got some feelings for women. I will also accept some flavour of asexual/aromantic. Emma has vibes of some unspecified sort.

Charlotte Lucas, Pride and Prejudice: She’s on this list because she must be, she doesn’t actually give me queer vibes. I see Charlotte as highly pragmatic. The fact that she doesn’t consider romance doesn’t speak to me of her being a flavour of asexual or aromantic. I think you can account for Charlotte’s behaviour by her being highly loss adverse. This may be because I would probably make the same decision as her and I have extremely high loss aversion and was very anxious to get married as a young person.

Fanny Price, Mansfield Park: I know what you are thinking, don’t I mean Mary Crawford? No. We know exactly why Mary Crawford wants to be friends with Fanny, she’s bored. Fanny is not bored, doesn’t even like Mary, and views her as competition. And yet, Fanny admires her beauty, loves to look at her, and cannot even explain to herself why she keeps visiting (Fanny went to her every two or three days: it seemed a kind of fascination: she could not be easy without going). I can explain, Fanny! (Now do I think Mary Crawford would be down? Absolutely)

Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice: This guy, he’s got vibes. He’s twenty-eight years old and yet has never really been so attracted to a woman before. He talks about what should attract him to a woman as if it’s a list he’s memorised. I read this very persuasive argument that he’s demisexual and I’m all for it.

Anne Steele, Sense and Sensibility: She is obsessed with Marianne Dashwood. Tracking what clothes she wears, calling her beautiful, wanting to barge in to see her in her bedroom despite rules of propriety. Anne has a very obvious crush on the lovely Marianne.

Edit: I forgot about Tom Bertram, Mansfield Park. What speaks to me there is his inability to read social cues in women, like how he can’t tell if they are in or out. He doesn’t seem very concerned with love at all and prefers to hang with his male friends. Gay vibes.