How Jane Austen’s Novels Challenged 18th Century Society

When the name Jane Austen comes up, one does not often think of “revolutionary ideas”. After all, it is difficult to associate the balls, polite society, and passionate romances of many Austen novels with ideas like the ones sparking revolution across Europe about half a century later. However, although it is a massive stretch to argue that Austen’s writings were the predecessor of Marxist thought, liberalism, and similar radical ideas, many of Austen’s novels subtly criticize the British landed gentry through characters and narrative decisions, effectively challenging the dominant class of British society at the time. 

The first aspect of Austen’s literature I will discuss is the criticism of the British landed gentry. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen fills the introductory chapters describing Mrs. Bennet’s almost fanatical obsession with getting her daughters married off. Her end goal to see her daughters in advantageous marriages affects every aspect of her relationship with them, to the point where she chooses her favorite daughter based on the financial status of her suitor. Mrs. Bennet’s bizarre relationship with her daughters accompanies Austen’s wry comments about her nerves and her cartoonish episodes of joy and sadness. These demonstrate the ridiculous effect of putting society and status above family bonds. However, marriages for financial and social status were not uncommon in the 1700s and were encouraged within the British landed gentry families to improve one’s station in life. Thus, Austen’s usage of Mrs. Bennet’s character doesn’t just serve to criticize her or those in real life similar to her but also points out a flawed ideal of the British gentry as a whole.

But Austen’s criticism of the British gentry doesn’t end in a singular character. The character of Mrs. Bennet is a singular example out of many -- Augusta Elton from Emma, Sir Walter Elliot and Mr. Elliot from Persuasion, Mr. Bertram from Mansfield Park, and others. Many of these characters embody ideals of the British gentry that Austen finds fault with, including Augusta Elton’s view that marriage to a wealthy and respected man allows her to act as she pleases among his friends, Sir Walter Elliot’s vanity and tendency to overspend, Mr. Elliot’s conniving nature when it comes to money, and Mr. Bertram’s willingness to overlook the daughter of his wife’s sister because she is of low social status. Particularly in the case of Augusta Elton and Sir Walter Elliot, Austen even insults aspects of their character that make them disagreeable, creating the distinct idea that she disagrees with their ideals. As these characters are portrayed negatively through the main character’s view of them and Austen’s biting remarks about their actions, they reinforce the idea that Austen recognizes and criticizes the opinions they carry that mimic those of the British gentry, ultimately criticizing the habits and ways of that social class. 

Ultimately, even though Austen’s ideas are nowhere near the rebellion-spurring, constitution-rewriting marvels that Marxism, liberalism, and communism were, they were still significant in the value they hold as social commentary. Within Austen’s works, we see that there can still be criticism and challenge within a setting of courtrooms, mansions, and the luxurious lifestyle of the British gentry.