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Gender Stereotypes In Jane Austen's Novels

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Gender Stereotypes In Jane Austen's Novels
Graded Paper #1:
An Analysis of “Why men really do not enjoy Jane Austen’s novels”
“It’s a fact that more women read Jane Austen than men”, says Vic, a blogger. One might want to know why, so an individual might research and discover that many men say the real reason they do not like Jane Austen is because, “ the main characters are girls and I am a guy” blaming the reason that they do not like her works on the bases of it not being relatable. In actuality, men do not like Austen because she depicts men as exactly what they are. In her novel Sense and Sensibility, there is John Dashwood who is characterized as an easily tempted man who does not think for himself. There is also, John Willoughby and Edward Farris who start off as good guys
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Edward and John are the desired suitors for Elinor and Marianne. These men start off the in the novel as a breath of fresh air for the women since their brother turned his back on his own family. But these characters are no different than John Dashwood because just like him, these men are deceiving. Edward is deceiving because he shows an interest in Elinor, then becomes standoffish and shifty, and then he is said to be secretly engaged. When the pair first meet Elinor is really not sure about how to feel about Edward but she admits that he is not like his sister Fanny. Then she says to Marianne, “. . . that I think very highly of him -- that I greatly esteem that I like him” (Austen 16). When they move to the Barton Cottage, and he comes to visit them he starts act to shifty and then Marianne sees that he is wearing a ring/locket with some hair in it and she ask him about it and he replies that, “Yes; it is my sister’s hair. The setting always cast a different shade on it you know” (Austen 74). Later, we find out from Lucy -- Edward’s actual suitor -- that they write letters to each other and that the hair in the locket/ ring belongs to her. Once, the reader discovers these things about Edward one can only conclude that Edward, like the other male characters in the novel are untrustworthy he acts like he is interested in Elinor and he comes all the way to visit her in Barton Village , but while he is there he lies to her and then she finds out the truth. John Willoughby is no different from Edward he too shows interest in Marianne and then leaves because he aunt asked him to come to London for some reason and this news leaves Marianne upset. Although, the reader does not know why he leaves all of a sudden one can conclude based on the depiction and the pattern

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