Jane Austen Use Of Virtue Essay

Words: 1052
Pages: 5
Open Document
Harriet’s situation seems to suggest that virtue leads to suffering and not happiness. Obviously, Austen most likely did not intend to convey such an uncomfortable concept to readers. As Margaret Tate notes, however, Austen probably did subscribe to Aristotelian virtue theory. Simply put, Aristotle’s theory states that virtue is a necessary but insufficient condition for happiness. Harriet exemplifies this idea well – although she appears remarkably virtuous to the reader, her lack of parentage (combined with her deferential demeanor) threatens her happiness. Yet characters like Emma also show how virtue may not necessarily “promote human [emotional] flourishing.” Although stubborn and far from perfect, Emma does have some virtues that Harriet …show more content…
Of course, Jane certainly experiences great emotional turmoil during her clandestine romance, as stated previously. Similarly, Austen probably does not recommend her readers elope, no matter their love for a significant other. If Jane had really eloped with Frank, after all, she would have undoubtedly experienced some severe social repercussions. But Jane did not actually elope with Frank, permitting the reserved girl to retain the virtue needed to escape any lasting ramifications. Readers must also remember not to think merely of the negative repercussions of Jane’s affair. If Jane in fact did not agree to a hidden romance with Frank, she could have very conceivably failed in her search for a husband and ended up as an unfortunate governess. Jane’s furtive affair may have caused the unfortunate girl much short-term anxiety, but breaking social norms also enables Jane to achieve her long-term goal of marriage – no small feat for a girl of limited parentage. Jane clearly recognizes the significance of achieving such a goal – why else would the shy girl exude happiness even after her veil of perfection
Show More

Related Documents: Jane Austen Use Of Virtue Essay

Essay about Elizabeth says nah

Flynn 1 Meghan Flynn Hayes AP English February 26, 2015 Pride and Prejudice In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth makes the strong choice to wait for love even though it may never come. Disregarding a class system and rejecting her family’s ideas of her social duty, Elizabeth questions the society she was born into where marrying for wealth and social status is more common than marrying for love and suitability. Elizabeth tries very hard to create a life for herself instead of…

Words 2020 - Pages 9

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 1. The author’s background Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England. She was born seventh out of eight children into a family of a modest income. Her father, George Austen, was a reverend and her mother, Cassandra Leigh taught her children at the family home. When Jane was eight years old, she and her eldest sister, Cassandra, were sent to a boarding school for a proper education. Austen was always intrigued with English and…

Words 5483 - Pages 22

Department of English Spring 2014 Course Descriptions Essays

animals, whether we understand each other better than we think, and how we are to live with each other. We shall begin by considering man as opposed to animal. From the ancient Greeks through the Enlightenment, Western culture defined human beings by virtue of their differences from members of the animal kingdom. Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and some eighteenth-century political philosophy will help us understand what it means to think within this framework. Next, we will explore the Age of…

Words 9501 - Pages 39

God Help Me I Was on Ly 19 Essay

READING COMPREHENSION PRACTICE TEST PRACTICE QUESTIONS The front page of this booklet provides practice examples to show you what the questions on the real test are like. Your test administrator or teacher will now take you through these. Practice Example 1 The clown pulled silly faces to make the children laugh. The word silly in this sentence means: A: funny B: bad C: tricky D: scary E: None of these The sentence below does not have any punctuation. Choose the option with the correct punctuation…

Words 6693 - Pages 27