Weldon's Letter To Alice
Changes in context and form offer fresh perspectives on the values of texts.
How does Weldon’s Letter to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen reveal her response to the values explored in Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice?
Fay Weldon’s non fiction text, Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen, uses Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, to create connections between the values of the modern world and that of Austen’s. Through a range of literary techniques, Weldon is able to compare the values of the 20th century to that of regency England in the 19th century. The values that Weldon draws upon include, marriage, the social hierarchy and the importance of reading and literature.
The importance of marriage is a concept that is …show more content…
Through didactic language and fragmented sentences, Weldon explains to her fictional niece, Alice, that during Austen’s time “...to marry was a great prize. It was a woman’s aim”. However, the aim of marrying was for economic means and security. Love, on the other hand, was not a considered factor when it came to marriage. Furthermore, Weldon cynically satirises the professions that were available to women during Austen’s time, “Women’s trades – millinery, embroidery, seaming, chimney sweep... or a prostitute... or you could get married”. Weldon uses satire to show that marriage was the only option for women to live a secure and prosperous life. Another comparison that can be made is Weldon’s ongoing encouragement of Alice to pursue Literature and education and to be independent. However in the Pride and Prejudice, Lydia, aged about the same as Alice, is already married and boasts of her situation to Jane as seen when she says, ”Ah! Jane, I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman.” During Austen’s time, at the age of thirty women were considered unmarriageable as they were too old. Weldon expresses great shock at this when she says, “Jane Austen put herself on the cap when she was thirty... Thirty!” Through the repetition of ‘thirty’, Weldon further emphasises the change in values of marriage over the …show more content…
It is evident that literature, reading and knowledge holds great importance during the Regency Era. One character that displays this is Mr Bennet. He uses his library as an escape away from the reality of the world. He even tries to enforce his passion unto his daughter Mary, as he says, “you are a young lady of deep reflection... and great books”. Another character that displays this passion is Mr. Darcy, he says, “It ought to be good, it has been the work of many generations”. The tone in which he speaks indicates his knowledge on the book and possibly the reason for his large collection of
How does Weldon’s Letter to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen reveal her response to the values explored in Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice?
Fay Weldon’s non fiction text, Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen, uses Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice, to create connections between the values of the modern world and that of Austen’s. Through a range of literary techniques, Weldon is able to compare the values of the 20th century to that of regency England in the 19th century. The values that Weldon draws upon include, marriage, the social hierarchy and the importance of reading and literature.
The importance of marriage is a concept that is …show more content…
Through didactic language and fragmented sentences, Weldon explains to her fictional niece, Alice, that during Austen’s time “...to marry was a great prize. It was a woman’s aim”. However, the aim of marrying was for economic means and security. Love, on the other hand, was not a considered factor when it came to marriage. Furthermore, Weldon cynically satirises the professions that were available to women during Austen’s time, “Women’s trades – millinery, embroidery, seaming, chimney sweep... or a prostitute... or you could get married”. Weldon uses satire to show that marriage was the only option for women to live a secure and prosperous life. Another comparison that can be made is Weldon’s ongoing encouragement of Alice to pursue Literature and education and to be independent. However in the Pride and Prejudice, Lydia, aged about the same as Alice, is already married and boasts of her situation to Jane as seen when she says, ”Ah! Jane, I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman.” During Austen’s time, at the age of thirty women were considered unmarriageable as they were too old. Weldon expresses great shock at this when she says, “Jane Austen put herself on the cap when she was thirty... Thirty!” Through the repetition of ‘thirty’, Weldon further emphasises the change in values of marriage over the …show more content…
It is evident that literature, reading and knowledge holds great importance during the Regency Era. One character that displays this is Mr Bennet. He uses his library as an escape away from the reality of the world. He even tries to enforce his passion unto his daughter Mary, as he says, “you are a young lady of deep reflection... and great books”. Another character that displays this passion is Mr. Darcy, he says, “It ought to be good, it has been the work of many generations”. The tone in which he speaks indicates his knowledge on the book and possibly the reason for his large collection of