Comments on: Unbecoming Jane http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/ She escaped from the belly of the liberal beast Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:02:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Marguerite http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/#comment-11398 Marguerite Fri, 02 Mar 2007 22:40:22 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=1382#comment-11398 Just an FYI - Jane Austen was 27 when she became engaged to Harris Big Wither on the evening of December 2, 1802, and she retracted her acceptance on the morning of December 3. Thirteen years later she wrote to her niece, Fanny, "Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection." Her heroines don't marry for money, either. Just an FYI - Jane Austen was 27 when she became engaged to Harris Big Wither on the evening of December 2, 1802, and she retracted her acceptance on the morning of December 3. Thirteen years later she wrote to her niece, Fanny, “Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection.” Her heroines don’t marry for money, either.

]]> By: ymarsakar http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/#comment-11399 ymarsakar Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:41:09 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=1382#comment-11399 [whops one of those angle brackets cut my commentoff] JJ, the problem is that it is narcissistic. Meaning, if a person actively seeks out immortality and records their thoughts in letters for posterity... that is kind of grandiose. Which may or may not have impacted Jane Austen's novels. Although the question becomes, if Jane is dead... why would she care about her privacy? Wouldn't it be more logical to think that Cassandra was worried about hearing rumours and gossip about her sister? I mean Jane is dead, she lives on only in her words, written, don't think recordings were available back then. If she didn't want to be remembered, then you'd probably have to erase every book of hers from the continuum. Victorian mores, Weird. Almost anachronistic. Still, it would be interesting to get Jane's perspective on this privacy thing. Meaning, was privacy so important amongst polite society in England that you would wish to destroy sacred and important family heirlooms/records (like letters) simply because of the threat of public exposure? [whops one of those angle brackets cut my commentoff]

JJ, the problem is that it is narcissistic. Meaning, if a person actively seeks out immortality and records their thoughts in letters for posterity… that is kind of grandiose. Which may or may not have impacted Jane Austen’s novels.

Although the question becomes, if Jane is dead… why would she care about her privacy? Wouldn’t it be more logical to think that Cassandra was worried about hearing rumours and gossip about her sister? I mean Jane is dead, she lives on only in her words, written, don’t think recordings were available back then.

If she didn’t want to be remembered, then you’d probably have to erase every book of hers from the continuum.

Victorian mores, Weird. Almost anachronistic. Still, it would be interesting to get Jane’s perspective on this privacy thing. Meaning, was privacy so important amongst polite society in England that you would wish to destroy sacred and important family heirlooms/records (like letters) simply because of the threat of public exposure?

]]> By: ymarsakar http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/#comment-11401 ymarsakar Fri, 02 Mar 2007 18:40:36 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=1382#comment-11401 I like the word twist, Book, very amusing on the title. JJ I like the word twist, Book, very amusing on the title.

JJ

]]> By: JJ http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/#comment-11400 JJ Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:40:04 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=1382#comment-11400 Well, that, of course, leaves an open field for speculation. People have wondered for centuries who her love interest was; who Shakespeare's "dark lady" was; who that was who occasionally earned an oblique mention in Emily Dickinson's few surviving notes - so the lesson for those of you who plan to become famous auteurs is clear: Leave a damn diary behind! NOT with your sister! Well, that, of course, leaves an open field for speculation. People have wondered for centuries who her love interest was; who Shakespeare’s “dark lady” was; who that was who occasionally earned an oblique mention in Emily Dickinson’s few surviving notes - so the lesson for those of you who plan to become famous auteurs is clear:
Leave a damn diary behind! NOT with your sister!

]]> By: Bookworm http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/#comment-11403 Bookworm Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:27:04 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=1382#comment-11403 Privacy. Jane, who predeceased her sister, was famous by the time she died. After her death, Cassandra made damn sure that any secrets Jane had would be buried with her. Privacy. Jane, who predeceased her sister, was famous by the time she died. After her death, Cassandra made damn sure that any secrets Jane had would be buried with her.

]]> By: ymarsakar http://www.bookwormroom.com/2007/03/02/unbecoming-jane/#comment-11402 ymarsakar Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:59:48 +0000 http://proto2.webloggin.com/?p=1382#comment-11402 Why did her sister destroy her letters, do you know? Why did her sister destroy her letters, do you know?

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