| presentation_for_jasna_and_mothers.pdf |
| mothers_in_jane_austen_novels.pdf |
| notes_for_jan_12th_jasna_discussion_on_mothers_in_jane_austen’s_novels_4_.pdf |
Mothers in Jane Austen’s Novels
Discussion Leaders: Dula Baker and Stephanie Fleming
Hostesses: Joanne Graham and Sylvia Foster
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
Once again our January meeting took place at the majestic Hillsboro Public Library. Joanne Graham and Sylvia Foster graciously hosted the event. There, we dined on a delicious buffet spread of savory cranberry cheese pull-apart bread; scones with clotted cream and preserves; and cute Santa Hats of brownies and walnuts topped with strawberries. We also had fresh mandarin oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, and blackberries; a variety of crackers and cheeses; an assortment of cookies; meat wraps; olives; ambrosia fruit cocktail salad; fingertip sandwiches of cucumber or egg; and a vegetable platter of carrots, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and salary. Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut chocolate completed our buffet.
On a separate table, we placed our collection of teapots and cozies with teacups, including an assortment of tea: Oolong White Peach, English Breakfast, Jasmin Silver Tip, Cranberry Blood Orange, Blackberry Sage, St Crispin Day, and Breakfast in Paris with cream, sugar, and honey.
Long time members, Dula Baker and her daughter, Stephanie Fleming led a lively and thought provoking discussion on Mothers in Jane Austen’s novels where they gave extensive forethought and insight on nearly every conceivable subject on motherhood, complete with references to conduct advice books of the period. They also distributed informative handouts to accompany their discussion. See PDF versions of their handouts below.
Pictures of Jane Austen were passed around along with the article, “Are We Ready for New Directions? Jane Austen’s The History of England & Cassandra’s Portraits” by Annette Upfal and Christine Alexander. We learned that science looked at Jane Austen’s portraits and her sister, Cassandra’s pictures and found startling resemblances. Dula looked into the depth of how Jane Austen developed her characters and personalities and noted that Jane was a phenomenal observer of human character, including herself.
Dula and Stephanie then asked the group the following question: Since none of the mothers seems to be adequate, what is Jane Austen telling us about mothers? And about herself?
We learned that we don’t know what Jane’s relationship was like with her mother. Maybe Jane’s childhood wasn’t as happy as we thought. We know that Jane’s mother was in poor health and that Jane took on a lot of the responsibilities from her mother and that her father supported her extensive reading/writing. However, we don’t know if her mother did. Most of what we know is from her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh’s A Memoir of Jane Austen. He had limited knowledge and he glorified their lives. The letters shows that Jane has a lack of empathy for her mother and that there’s also an emotional distance between the two. In one of the letters, Jane writes, “I supposed my mother will like to have me write to her. I shall try at least.” Obviously, Jane didn’t want to write to her mother although Jane was a letter writer. This begs the question: Why didn’t Jane want to write to her mother? Scholars have questioned Jane’s early years. Maybe the early years were more stressful than we know because of how Jane has written about mothers in her novels.
The mother-daughter duo then asked, What Were Mothers Like During the Regency Era? What were the expectations/norms at the time? What were their roles?
Dula and Stephanie noted that the mistress of an estate is similar to a manager of a small hotel/CEO and thus responsible for the finances, for hiring staff, for charitable contributions, she assisted their husband in the overall estate business, and managed all food/supplies for the home. What was raised/grown in the summer was preserved for the off season. Mrs.Rundell’s Domestic Cookery was considered a period conduct guide on how to manage finances and estates.
The mistress of an estate also supervised the domestic servants. Often, the servants were in short term situations and thus had a high turnover. The mistress of an estate saw to the servants needs (i.e. clothing, medical, education).
She also hosted dinners, gatherings, and provided local entertainment. She provided advice to the sick (especially when there weren’t doctors available). She visited the poor, gave advice to them, and listened to their complaints.
Of course, the mistress of an estate was expected to bear children. She was responsible for the education of her children, whether or not she hired it out. She was also responsible for her children’s moral education. The daughters had to have accomplishments to marry well. Female formal accomplishments included: singing, playing an instrument, dancing, speaking French (possibly Italian), drawing, painting, sewing, decorative needlework, elegant penmanship, mathematics to manage household ledgers, and the ability to conduct polite education that revealed suitable knowledge of history, literature, and poetry.
Next, the mother-daughter duo asked, What Were Thoughts About Motherhood and which influences us today?
We learned that the Romantic Era of the late 1700’s – 1800’s was influenced by the Enlightenment, the individual, and the philosophy that children were born good and can be molded. The philosopher, John Locke said that nurture, not nature makes a difference. Therefore, the Enlightenment philosophers thought that children had the ability to reason. There was an emphasis on educating children because they would be the future citizens of society.
Writers in the period engaged in public debates about motherhood. The philosophy of discipline had a forgiving attitude for good behavior while bad parenting resulted in bad children. It was thought that parents are responsible for the behavior of their children.
Women possessed a biological power because they could bear children. Bearing children was women’s foundational contribution to society and also the threat to the social order. During this time, scientific research was intense. A high infant mortality rate existed since many mothers died in childbirth. Breastfeeding debates became political. If a marriage broke down (usually from domestic violence), men obtained custody of the children according to the 1839 Infant Act. A mother could petition the courts for her children under 7 years of age and get visits for children over the age of 7. However, there was also a rise of infanticide. If a woman was an overly sympathetic mother and in severe poverty, she could become murderous and commit infanticide to protect her child from misery.
Dula and Stephanie also discussed motherhood in Romantic Literature: We learned that there were an abundance of instruction books, essays, and opinion pieces published during this time. Motherhood conduct novels portrayed the dangerously good mother who risked making her children selfish with excessive maternal love. The naturally bad mother operated from her overly emotional constitution. Mary Wollenstonecraft wrote that some mothers didn’t enjoy motherhood and were neglectful. Such a mother lacked the ability to control her own feelings/desires so that she neglected or harmed her children. As an example, Mary Musgrove in Persuasion was a neglectful mother.
If women didn’t get the education they deserved, they became bad mothers. Arnie Perlstein noted and Stephanie agreed that Mary Wollenstonecraft was all about women strengthening their minds so as to lead independent lives with meaning. Mothers supervised a child’s diet/exercise and encouraged their development. Conduct book examples of the period include: An Inquiry into Duties of the Female Sex (1786, read in 1805) by Thomas Gisborn. Also, John Newberry wrote a children’s book with instructions to children. Mary Wollenstonecraft recommended serious reading. Most of Jane Austen’s characters read and Jane herself got her education from reading.
Furthermore, women were victims of injustice because the laws were against them. The grief of the mother could harm the fetus. Therefore, it was recommended to have power over your emotions at all time. But, how would a mother have time to read these books? Dula noted that with all the many duties that a mother had, she probably wouldn’t have time to read these conduct books or many of them.
Next Dula and Stephanie discussed breastfeeding and midwifery.
A wet nurse was dangerous. The virtues of breastfeeding were extoled. So long as a mother could breastfeed, she could postpone having children. Therefore, this was a natural form of birth control.
A lively discussion followed where the membership contributed their own thoughts to the subject of motherhood during the Romantic Era:
Then Dula and Stephanie turned the discussion to Jane Austen’s novels beginning with motherhood in Northanger Abbey:
Next motherhood in Mansfield Park was discussed:
We also had an interesting discussion on children's ages:
Next, our group turned our thoughts to a discussion of motherhood in Pride & Prejudice:
Next, a discussion followed on motherhood in Sense And Sensibility:
Finally, Dula and Stephanie asked, What were the messages on motherhood from Jane Austen:
Thank you, Dula Baker and Stephanie Fleming for researching and leading an insightful discussion on Mothers in Jane Austen’s Novels!
Discussion Leaders: Dula Baker and Stephanie Fleming
Hostesses: Joanne Graham and Sylvia Foster
By Vonnie Alto, Secretary
Once again our January meeting took place at the majestic Hillsboro Public Library. Joanne Graham and Sylvia Foster graciously hosted the event. There, we dined on a delicious buffet spread of savory cranberry cheese pull-apart bread; scones with clotted cream and preserves; and cute Santa Hats of brownies and walnuts topped with strawberries. We also had fresh mandarin oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, and blackberries; a variety of crackers and cheeses; an assortment of cookies; meat wraps; olives; ambrosia fruit cocktail salad; fingertip sandwiches of cucumber or egg; and a vegetable platter of carrots, green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and salary. Ferrero Rocher Fine Hazelnut chocolate completed our buffet.
On a separate table, we placed our collection of teapots and cozies with teacups, including an assortment of tea: Oolong White Peach, English Breakfast, Jasmin Silver Tip, Cranberry Blood Orange, Blackberry Sage, St Crispin Day, and Breakfast in Paris with cream, sugar, and honey.
Long time members, Dula Baker and her daughter, Stephanie Fleming led a lively and thought provoking discussion on Mothers in Jane Austen’s novels where they gave extensive forethought and insight on nearly every conceivable subject on motherhood, complete with references to conduct advice books of the period. They also distributed informative handouts to accompany their discussion. See PDF versions of their handouts below.
Pictures of Jane Austen were passed around along with the article, “Are We Ready for New Directions? Jane Austen’s The History of England & Cassandra’s Portraits” by Annette Upfal and Christine Alexander. We learned that science looked at Jane Austen’s portraits and her sister, Cassandra’s pictures and found startling resemblances. Dula looked into the depth of how Jane Austen developed her characters and personalities and noted that Jane was a phenomenal observer of human character, including herself.
Dula and Stephanie then asked the group the following question: Since none of the mothers seems to be adequate, what is Jane Austen telling us about mothers? And about herself?
We learned that we don’t know what Jane’s relationship was like with her mother. Maybe Jane’s childhood wasn’t as happy as we thought. We know that Jane’s mother was in poor health and that Jane took on a lot of the responsibilities from her mother and that her father supported her extensive reading/writing. However, we don’t know if her mother did. Most of what we know is from her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh’s A Memoir of Jane Austen. He had limited knowledge and he glorified their lives. The letters shows that Jane has a lack of empathy for her mother and that there’s also an emotional distance between the two. In one of the letters, Jane writes, “I supposed my mother will like to have me write to her. I shall try at least.” Obviously, Jane didn’t want to write to her mother although Jane was a letter writer. This begs the question: Why didn’t Jane want to write to her mother? Scholars have questioned Jane’s early years. Maybe the early years were more stressful than we know because of how Jane has written about mothers in her novels.
The mother-daughter duo then asked, What Were Mothers Like During the Regency Era? What were the expectations/norms at the time? What were their roles?
Dula and Stephanie noted that the mistress of an estate is similar to a manager of a small hotel/CEO and thus responsible for the finances, for hiring staff, for charitable contributions, she assisted their husband in the overall estate business, and managed all food/supplies for the home. What was raised/grown in the summer was preserved for the off season. Mrs.Rundell’s Domestic Cookery was considered a period conduct guide on how to manage finances and estates.
The mistress of an estate also supervised the domestic servants. Often, the servants were in short term situations and thus had a high turnover. The mistress of an estate saw to the servants needs (i.e. clothing, medical, education).
She also hosted dinners, gatherings, and provided local entertainment. She provided advice to the sick (especially when there weren’t doctors available). She visited the poor, gave advice to them, and listened to their complaints.
Of course, the mistress of an estate was expected to bear children. She was responsible for the education of her children, whether or not she hired it out. She was also responsible for her children’s moral education. The daughters had to have accomplishments to marry well. Female formal accomplishments included: singing, playing an instrument, dancing, speaking French (possibly Italian), drawing, painting, sewing, decorative needlework, elegant penmanship, mathematics to manage household ledgers, and the ability to conduct polite education that revealed suitable knowledge of history, literature, and poetry.
Next, the mother-daughter duo asked, What Were Thoughts About Motherhood and which influences us today?
We learned that the Romantic Era of the late 1700’s – 1800’s was influenced by the Enlightenment, the individual, and the philosophy that children were born good and can be molded. The philosopher, John Locke said that nurture, not nature makes a difference. Therefore, the Enlightenment philosophers thought that children had the ability to reason. There was an emphasis on educating children because they would be the future citizens of society.
Writers in the period engaged in public debates about motherhood. The philosophy of discipline had a forgiving attitude for good behavior while bad parenting resulted in bad children. It was thought that parents are responsible for the behavior of their children.
Women possessed a biological power because they could bear children. Bearing children was women’s foundational contribution to society and also the threat to the social order. During this time, scientific research was intense. A high infant mortality rate existed since many mothers died in childbirth. Breastfeeding debates became political. If a marriage broke down (usually from domestic violence), men obtained custody of the children according to the 1839 Infant Act. A mother could petition the courts for her children under 7 years of age and get visits for children over the age of 7. However, there was also a rise of infanticide. If a woman was an overly sympathetic mother and in severe poverty, she could become murderous and commit infanticide to protect her child from misery.
Dula and Stephanie also discussed motherhood in Romantic Literature: We learned that there were an abundance of instruction books, essays, and opinion pieces published during this time. Motherhood conduct novels portrayed the dangerously good mother who risked making her children selfish with excessive maternal love. The naturally bad mother operated from her overly emotional constitution. Mary Wollenstonecraft wrote that some mothers didn’t enjoy motherhood and were neglectful. Such a mother lacked the ability to control her own feelings/desires so that she neglected or harmed her children. As an example, Mary Musgrove in Persuasion was a neglectful mother.
If women didn’t get the education they deserved, they became bad mothers. Arnie Perlstein noted and Stephanie agreed that Mary Wollenstonecraft was all about women strengthening their minds so as to lead independent lives with meaning. Mothers supervised a child’s diet/exercise and encouraged their development. Conduct book examples of the period include: An Inquiry into Duties of the Female Sex (1786, read in 1805) by Thomas Gisborn. Also, John Newberry wrote a children’s book with instructions to children. Mary Wollenstonecraft recommended serious reading. Most of Jane Austen’s characters read and Jane herself got her education from reading.
Furthermore, women were victims of injustice because the laws were against them. The grief of the mother could harm the fetus. Therefore, it was recommended to have power over your emotions at all time. But, how would a mother have time to read these books? Dula noted that with all the many duties that a mother had, she probably wouldn’t have time to read these conduct books or many of them.
Next Dula and Stephanie discussed breastfeeding and midwifery.
A wet nurse was dangerous. The virtues of breastfeeding were extoled. So long as a mother could breastfeed, she could postpone having children. Therefore, this was a natural form of birth control.
A lively discussion followed where the membership contributed their own thoughts to the subject of motherhood during the Romantic Era:
- Stephanie Vardavas said that boarding schools affected a child’s upbringing. The boy children had too soft of an upbringing if they went to Eaton vs a rough upbringing at Gorsten boarding schools.
- Lisa Perrine noted that women had no legal rights. Women were pregnant all the time and therefore at risk of death through childbirth. Women lived hard lives with not much medical care or good doctors or many doctors. Jane Austen’s writings provides a window into a woman’s life during the Romantic Era. Girls were not given any education. They had to educate themselves or get into books like Jane Austen. Jane Austen didn’t want to get married but instead write.
- Arnie Perlstein offered his shadow theory on the subject. Arnie asserted that Mrs. Tilney is the symbol of the dead mother. She died in childbirth, not of a fever (a shadow story revealed). In fact, there’s 20 references in Jane Austen’s letters where a woman is pregnant again. Was there such a thing as separate beds? This tells us what Jane Austen thought about pregnancy, birth control, and motherhood. It was a dangerous life for women.
- Joann Graham noted that Jane Austen’s sister-in-law, Fanny (Charles wife) died at the age of 25 with her baby. She had 3 daughters. Later, Charles married her sister and had more children. Queen Victoria was taught needlepoint and played the piano because she was going to get married and have children.
Then Dula and Stephanie turned the discussion to Jane Austen’s novels beginning with motherhood in Northanger Abbey:
- Dula said that Mrs. Morland (mother of Catherine) was pregnant all the time and nursing. However, she was able to teach French or Italian to her kids. How did her type of mothering influence Catherine?
- Pauline Beard answered that she was a negligent mother which gave Catherine independence. Therefore, Catherine is willing to take on new thoughts and adventures.
- Our Region Coordinator, Margaret Christmann’s impression was that the mother was involved with the youngest children until they grew older. Former Region Coordinator, Kim Higgins said that Mrs. Moreland was a fantastic mom because Catherine was well behaved. As Catherine grew older, she took on a mother role.
- Both Marcia Hamley and Stephanie Fleming agreed that Catherine had to find her way home by herself after being told to leave the Tilney’s estate. She did it without being scared. She was independent because of her upbringing.
- Marcia Hamley added that because Catherine had to shift for herself, she was able to do so.
- Dula/Stephanie said that Catherine read novels. She’s also very trusting of John Thorpe, but not the 2nd time because she learned from her mistake. She’s thoughtful, learns a lot and thrives. The Gothic novel is a metaphor for female existence. Catherine needs experience to realize that not everyone has been raised with her high morality.
Next motherhood in Mansfield Park was discussed:
- Dula said that the 3 Ward sisters in Mansfield Park are role models for Fanny at the age of 10 who has left home.
- Pauline Beard added that it’s nature vs nurture in Mansfield Park. Pauline said that the term has been in use since Elizabethan times but research areas began using it in the 19th century. Why are Fanny and William and Susan such good people when the home life is so squalid? Nature (genetics) would suggest that the parents are good (or were) before life let them down. Fanny is lifted out from the home (nurture or lack of it) when she is 10. William leaves for the navy at about age 14 (this is conjecture because there is no mention of his age). Therefore, one could argue that nature determines their lives. Susan remains but is a good child (Nature versus nurture) when Fanny returns and then Susan is also lifted out (and up!) to Mansfield Park. Maria and Julia are neglected by their parents and spoiled by their aunt (nurture). At the end of the novel, Sir Bertram admits that their education should have been better and he should have taken more care of them.
- Margaret Harshbarger said that William and Fanny had good parenting.
We also had an interesting discussion on children's ages:
- Margaret Harshbarger asked, “How long in this era are you considered a child? 12 or 13 years old?” Stephanie Fleming said that the idea of children and play takes shape in this period. Margaret Harshbarger responded by saying that the idea of a child is determined by the social class. Former Region Coordinator, Bill Boyd said that children raised in horrendous circumstances come out OK.
Next, our group turned our thoughts to a discussion of motherhood in Pride & Prejudice:
- Stephanie asked: Why were Jane and her sister, Elizabeth so different? Jane was born the first and got a lot of positive attention from her parent. Elizabeth was beautiful too. Mrs. Bennett becomes more fretful and inattentive as more children arrived, she worried because she wanted to have a boy. By the time Lydia arrives, Mrs. Bennett is off the chart worried because now they have to find husbands for all their daughters.
- Marna Tisdel said that for the Bennetts to have 5 daughters and no sons, the girls need to marry and marry well.
- Stephanie Fleming noted that Jane and Elizabeth act as mothers to each other with Elizabeth as reason.
- Mary Benson said that she herself comes from a large family with 5 brothers. The oldest children are authority figures and do what mother and father want. With a huge family of 8-10 children, parents don’t have time to parent everyone.
- Lauren Bruss asked, “At what point is it the failing/duty of the older sister to mother younger sisters? Therefore, Lydia should have been mothered.
- Kim Higgins offered that Mrs. Bennett gave up mothering by the time Lydia was born since Lydia is like Mrs. Bennett.
- Pauline Beard said that it’s “the luck of the son” which is crucial to keeping an estate. “The luck of being the first son gave a man the benefit of primogeniture: inheriting the land and property of the father...no occupation...but the second son would go to the military and the third to the church...Tom in Mansfield Park thus inherits everything...no occupation and spoiled he is a wastrel. The living that should have been Edmund's is leased to help pay Tom's debts.”
- Arnie Perlstein asked, “Who puts in a good word for Mary in Pride and Prejudice?” Elizabeth believes that Mary is stuck and an imbecile. Actually, Mary is smart. Be careful. There’s a loss of virtue here. Mary embodies a narrow subject view but actually is much more sympathetic.
- Arnie has argued since 2010 that Mary Bennet in the shadow story of Pride and Prejudice is actually a combination of Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen, and she only seems like a pedant and fool because Elizabeth thinks Mary is that. Actually, the real fool is Elizabeth because Mary tries to warn Eliza against Darcy. For more information, search his blog, Sharp Elves Society for several posts about Mary Bennet. Arnie noted, “Like Jane Austen, Mary Bennett will be there in the library with Jane Austen’s father and Jane with the books.”
- Arnie further noted that Collen McCullough wrote a sequel novel of Pride and Prejudicefrom the point of view of Mary Bennet titled, The Independence of Mary Bennett. Another member acknowledged that Mary is a bluestocking which means a feminist.
- Arnie pointed out that Mrs. Bennett is only 40 years old, and maybe still fertile. She’s not wanting children since she acts nervous so that maybe her husband will leave her alone. Another form of natural birth control.
- Dula said that there’s an empty headedness of some mothers. What is Jane Austen saying about that?
- Frank McClanahan said that many mothers are absent or not there in Jane Austen’s novels. Therefore, it’s much more interesting for a writer to write of characters without a mother there. It’s a scary growth experience for Catherine Moreland when she’s on her own in Northanger Abbey.
Next, a discussion followed on motherhood in Sense And Sensibility:
- Pauline Beard asserted that in Jane Austen’s there’s no discipline of children and that the children are noisy. They destroy conversation. In one of Jane’s letters, Jane writes of visiting children being very noisy and thinks they should be thumped to keep them disciplined.
- Pauline also said that the more smothering you do, the more you are a bad mother. Lady Middleton in Sense And Sensibility is the worst mother in literature.
- Marcia Hamley noted that Lady Middleton’s daughter is named Anna Marie which is a foreshadowing of Mary Ann.
- Lisa Perrine said that Marianne, her mother, and Mrs. Dashwood are replicas of each other. Both fall in love with Willoughby. Marianne wears her heart on her sleeve. Willoughby jilts her for another and she is never the same again.
- Stephanie Fleming said that the mother, Mrs. Dashwood, experienced a growth journey and realized she didn’t have the emotional continuum of Jane on the Brain by Wendy Jones.
- Pauline Beard says that young men have power over women. Willoughby marries for money and feels regret how he treated Marianne but still married for money.
Finally, Dula and Stephanie asked, What were the messages on motherhood from Jane Austen:
- Dula wondered about the way men try to put women under the control of the government.
- Marcia Hamley noted that the era was patriarchal and that the issue of men taking over women’s bodies comes from a lack of respect and men wanting to have power.
- Stephanie Fleming asked: Is Jane trying to educate her people to take back her power? Arnie Perlstein answered, “Yes. Educate women to take their power from men who hold all the cards. In Jane Austen’s shadow stories, there are always women who appear weak and powerless but who actually use their wits to get others, especially the rich and the powerful, to do what they want.”
- Guest visitor, Shelby West of the Portland Meetup, The Jane Austen Book Club, commented that there’s beautiful images of what fathers and mothers did right and wrong in Jane Austen’s novels.
- Then Kim Higgins offered the final comments. Kim said that she had thought about the mothering of the governesses and the balance of power. Governesses usually are below in society but yet mothered children who will have more power than the governess. Also, kids have an emotional connection to their governess. Stephanie Fleming added that conduct novels reveals that it’s important to pay attention to the emotional connections of your children and who they spend time with. Kim said that the character, Emma went unchecked because Miss Taylor (the governess) was mothering others in society.
Thank you, Dula Baker and Stephanie Fleming for researching and leading an insightful discussion on Mothers in Jane Austen’s Novels!