Am I a Jane Austen girl? If yes, who would I be? Would I be the impatient, quite blind in the head, reckless Emma, or the free-spirited, fierce Elizabeth, or the tender, prudent, Anne.
If you are a man and you know these characters, and admire them all for their qualities, I am really sorry I did not get to meet you when I was single. I have always deeply regretted not meeting a man who loves Jane Austen or who could quote a verse or two while he opens his car door and takes my hand as he leads me to a brewery.
I am serious. All my life I have looked for a man, any man, who understood and appreciated the feminine genius that Jane was. Her silent rebellion with words with the least provocation yet most powerful in bringing to life the characters from an era where women were expected to be both “handsome” (If you read her books, you would get it.) and properly provided for. A man who understood the heartbreaking desperation Anne felt at the prime age of eight and twenty, to see her rejected former love do so well in life and she living with the mistake she made at a young age. A man who felt the stinging fire in Elizabeth’s tears when she read Mr. Darcy’s love letter, with the most honest truth and impression of her family and their realities. A man who fell in love with Emma just like Mr. Knightley despite her immature ways and self-confidence grounded on very little life experience. Therein lies a love story that takes you through the sensibilities of a young woman who is impulsive and mildly arrogant to a girl who gracefully learns to accept the consequence of her actions before it is too late. Only someone who reads Jane Austen can experience this transformation love can bring about in someone.
Speaking of love, just look at Elizabeth and her character arc with Mr. Darcy. Passionate, free-spirited, and intelligent – she might be my all-time favorite Jane Austen character of all times. Guys, ( I am speaking to all the men here) – To truly understand Elizabeth you need to go deeper into where comes from, and what makes her character who she is. Her deeply embarrassing mothership and younger sisters, her indifferent father, her kind-hearted sister whom she feels protective about, and the small town that makes her crave for more – all of this makes Elizabeth who she is. Her family may have little means, but her personality and self-worth come from her healthy mind and sense of self. It is a rare thing to see from a woman of that era who had few options as to what they must do with their life. Being free-spirited in a time where society discriminated against you just because you are a woman must have been suffocating as hell, and that’s what Elizabeth goes through. If I were a man, I would fall for her head over heels, because she is indeed a diamond in the rough with infinite possibilities and raw potential.
Sigh! I think it is quite foolish of me to sit and imagine fictitious men who read and appreciate Jane Austen and her girls. I would very well like to meet one and take them out on a long walk through the woods- literature style.
Which Jane Austen character is your favorite? Write to me, or let me know in the comments. : )
