The Eternal Relevance of Jane
It continues to amaze me while reading Jane Austen’s novels how applicable they are to today’s life, although it makes sense because they are still so beloved in our society. I was particularly struck by this while listening to Chapter 10 of Northanger Abbey on my way in to work this morning. First, Austen points out that while Catherine, in preparing for the cotillion (and Mrs. Allen, always), is so focused on what she is going to wear that she has trouble sleeping, the man she is hoping to impress with her fashion will not notice her because of her dress, as all men do not notice a woman because of their fashion. Women choose their dresses and earrings and shoes to please themselves, to make themselves feel confident. Austen asserts (correctly, in my opinion) that any woman who is choosing what she wears based on what she thinks will impress a man is doing so fruitlessly, because he is not going to notice that her dress is the spotted muslin versus the tamboured muslin it might have been. This is not only a brilliant observation, but a feminist one. Women should choose what they wear based on what will make them feel comfortable and confident, because it is the ease and confidence that men will notice.
Austen also describes, in this this chapter, the annoyance of being pursued by a man you have no interest in, while seeking the man with whom you truly wish to spend your time. This is an experience so many of us have felt, and it drives home the idea that while societal expectations, fashionable clothes, and dance etiquette may change with the times, humans and their experiences are strikingly the same.