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WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 18 TH CENTURY

• "Single women have a dreadfulpropensity for being poor, which is onevery strong argument in favour ofmatrimony"

 Jane Austen, letter of March 13, 181

• !omens possibilities# $overness orlive%in teacher&

• Single women could not live bythemselves, even if they happen to be aheiress 'e&g& (ueen )ictoria*

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• Marriage# the only possible route to+nancial security, mainly for women

• Money matters no only for greedy andshallow matterialist characters, it was

a matter of surviving

WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 18 TH CENTURY AND CLASS ISSUES

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• he social status was very relevant when choosinga partner#

“Perhaps it was !t "air t! e#pe$t hi% t! "ee& h!w %'$h hewas her i"eri!r i ta&et( a) a&& the e&e*a$ies !" %i)+

 The ,er- wat !" s'$h e.'a&it- %i*ht pre,et hisper$epti! !" it/ 0't he %'st !w that i "!rt'e a)$!se.'e$e she was *reat&- s'peri!r+ He %'st !w thatthe W!!)h!'ses ha) 0ee sett&e) "!r se,era& *eerati!sat Hart2e&)( the -!'*er 0ra$h !" a ,er- a$iet "a%i&- 3

a) that the E&t!s were !0!)-4 5A'ste( 677( p+ 19:;+

• Marriage for life# the laws on divorce were reallystrict and e-pensive

WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 18 TH CENTURY AND CLASS ISSUES

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• !omens money became theirhusbands after marriage#

“The $har%i* A'*'sta Hawis( i

a))iti! t! a&& the 's'a& a),ata*es !"per"e$t 0ea't- a) %erit( was ip!ssessi! !" a i)epe)et "!rt'e( !"s! %a- th!'sa)s as w!'&) a&wa-s 0e$a&&e) te/ a p!it !" s!%e )i*it-( as we&&

as s!%e $!,eie$e< the st!r- t!&) we&&/he ha) !t thr!w hi%se&" awa- 3 he ha)*aie) a w!%a !" 17(777l. !rtherea0!'ts5=;4+ 5AUSTEN, 677( p+18>;+

WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 18 TH CENTURY AND CLASS ISSUES

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• .Settlements/# is a legal documentensuring that the property the wifebrings to the marriage ultimately belongsto her, and will revert to her or her

children 'though she does not necessarilyhave personal control over it during hermarriage*0 otherwise it would basicallybelong entirely to her husband&

• Male primogeniture succession# theoldest men in the family inherited&!omen were heirs only if there werentmen in the family 'mmas case*

WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 18 TH CENTURY AND CLASS ISSUES

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 ?ANE AUSTEN’S WOMEN•

 Jane Austens heroines have no one torely on, to help them decide %2 mma!oodhouse 'and liabeth from Pride andPrejudice* # moral autonomy 'AS4567,9::;*&

•  Jane Austen also ma<es a positivestatement by having liabeth =ennetinsist on being treated as a "rationalcreature", rather than as an "elegant

female", when trying to ma<e her ">o" beunderstood as ">o" to Mr& ?ollins&

• @ntelligent and serious women# mma has• aws, but she is not silly&

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• mma has a sense of independence thatwas unusual for women at Jane Austenstime, even the wealthy ones&

“5=; a w!%a is !t t! %arr- a %a %ere&-0e$a'se she is ase)( !r 0e$a'se he is atta$he)t! her( a) $a write a t!&era0&e &etter4 5AUSTEN(677( p+ @1;+

“5=; it is a&wa-s a i$!%prehesi0&e t! a %a that

a w!%a sh!'&) e,er re"'se a !er !" %arria*e+A %a a&wa-s i%a*ies a w!%a t! 0e rea)- "!ra-0!)- wh! ass her4 5AUSTEN( 677( p+ 18;+

 ?ANE AUSTEN’S WOMEN

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• Marriage B ?lass issues C

“A si*&e w!%a( with a ,er- arr!w i$!%e(%'st 0e a ri)i$'&!'s( )isa*reea0&e( !&)%ai)B the pr!per sp!rt !" 0!-s a) *ir&s/ 0'ta si*&e w!%a !" *!!) "!rt'e( is a&wa-s

respe$ta0&e( a) %a- 0e as sesi0&e a)p&easat as a-0!)- e&se+ 5=; a ,er- arr!wi$!%e has a te)e$- t! $!tra$t the %i)a) s!'r the te%per4 5AUSTEN( 677( p+8@;+

?lass issues are bigger than marriage %2mma ending&

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Re"ere$es• ASHORD( + Was ?ae A'ste a e%iist

677@(http<FFwww+s'ite171+$!%Farti$&e+$"%FGaea'steF11916 1@F7:F6717( $he$e) at 16<>:p+%+

• AUSTEN( ?+ Emma+ New Y!r< ita*e !!s(677+

• LOOM( H+ 5!r*+; Jane Austen’s Emma. New

 Y!r< &!!%’s Literar- Criti$is%( 6717+• http<FFwww+pe%0er&e-+$!%FGaei"!Fppt!pi$6

+ht%&Jpr!t!"e%9