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Jane Austen’s notorious Lady Susan is a little known story published in 1871, 54 years after her death.1 Written almost entirely in letters, it narrates one woman’s attempt to show herself in a good light by portraying herself in different ways. Lady Susan is continually apprehensive about her representation in society, as revealed through her narcissistic behavior; her forward-thinking feminine wiles are met with male resistance. Jane Austen was an author before her time, describing strong, mold-breaking heroines who do not conform to the social norm. Jane Austen never gave into social expectations herself, for she never married and penned multiple novels instead.2 In general, she wrote to challenge society’s view on the woman’s role in the community. Lady Susan reveals Jane Austen’s irritation of high society, especially in Bath, which was an extravagant city where she forcibly lived during her twenties. 3 Austen often utilized a satirical tone in her novels to convey what she believed to be society’s faults. Lady Susan is a book that revolves around the Regency period and a main character who is a controlling, self-centered widow.4 Lady Susan is progressively introduced through letters to her dear friend Mrs. Johnson, with whom she is frank. Throughout these letters, Lady Susan exposes herself differently, depending on who she is trying to impress. As events begin to unfold, the reader learns of an arranged marriage between Sir James Martin and Lady Susan’s reluctant daughter. Behind this prearranged marriage, Lady Susan struggles to gain approval and acceptance of society after rumors surface of a flirtation she had with a married man. She avoids these allegations by staying with her brother-in-law, Mr. Vernon, and his curious new wife Catherine. This plan to stay out of trouble backfires when Lady Susan instigates another flirtation with Catherine’s brother, Reginald De Courcy, and learns of her daughter’s withdrawal from boarding school. Reginald’s father, Sir Reginald De Courcy, receives news of his son’s infatuation with Lady Susan, which prompts him to dissuade Reginald from such an engagement because it would demolish the family’s honor. Frederica, Lady Susan’s daughter, relocates to the Vernon household so her juvenile actions can be controlled, but this goes awry when Frederica discovers her newfound love for Reginald which irritates Lady Susan considerably. Lady Susan gets even 1

Scott-Kilvert,Ian. “Jane Austen.” In British Writers Vol. IV, 101-121. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1981. Macksey, Joan and Macksey, Kenneth. The Book of Women’s Achievements. New York: Stein and Day, 1975. 3 Commire, Anne and Kiezmer, Deborah. “Jane Austen.” Women In World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. 516-521. Waterford: Yorkin Publication, 1999. 4 Scott-Kilvert, 105. 2

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with her daughter when Sir James drops in “unexpectedly” for dinner, wanting to claim his disgruntled bride. The entire Vernon family rushes to Frederica’s aid when they learn of the prearranged union and her aversion to it. Lady Susan’s true character is exposed to everyone in that instant. Lady Susan is promptly ostracized and quickly flees to London sans her daughter, upon the request of Catherine. She is then forced to juggle three men: Reginald, who thinks he is her betrothed; Mr. Mainwaring, a married man with whom she had the infamous flirtation; and Sir James, her daughter’s ex-fiancé. Her antics and conduct in London reveal her true character to these men. The result is a disgruntled Reginald, a brokenhearted Mr. Mainwaring, and Lady Susan’s new husband, Sir James Martin. Nonetheless, Frederica remains with the nurturing Vernons and Mrs. Johnson’s husband forbids her to correspond with her closest friend, severing all of Lady Susan’s ties to her friends and family. Consequentially, Lady Susan finds herself on the outskirts of society, stuck with her odious husband. Lady Susan’s conduct is the ultimate key to her undoing and unhappiness, which Jane Austen used to exhibit the irrationality and silliness of high society’s values. Lady Susan reveals the absurdity of society and how one must be conniving to abide by its rules. All the major characters in this novel subject themselves to English societal law, which is an unspoken and taught rule, passed from mother to daughter and father to son, except for Lady Susan. She is consciously aware of her surroundings and continues to undermine her relatives’ cunning. Through her behavior, one can see the embodiment of societal contradictions and convictions. After reading Lady Susan, there was a noticeable association of various ideas of wealth, the relationship with one’s children, and Lady Susan’s character, which emulate past lectures and readings from this class. The concept of wealth is necessary and abundant to a woman within this dramatized satire of conforming Romantic and Victorian societies’ expectations.5 The only way for a woman to attain financial security in this book is through marriage, which was a standard coming-of-age event that all citizens had to achieve during that era.6 Parents decided and slowly pursued an appropriate suitor for their children for primarily monetary reasons. This is portrayed soundly when Lady Susan believes Sir James 5

Drabble, Margaret. “Introduction to Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sandition.” In Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sandition, ed. Margaret Drabble, 7-31. London: Penguin Books, 2003. 6 Letter II.

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will be the perfect husband for her daughter because “he is a man of fortune so it was easy to see that her views extended to marriage.”7 A well natured woman was expected to leave her family and live off her husband’s revenue, and inheritance, after signing a marriage license, legalizing the sanction.8 Marriages were not based on affection, they were based on greed, alike the marriages in Mesopotamian culture. In prehistoric Mesopotamian society, wealth motivated hard work and work ethic so that men could marry suitable women, start a family, and become well-established in society.9 In Mesopotamia, wealthy families arranged marriages with other wealthy families, in hopes of increasing their salaries and approval in society.10 The newlyweds were obligated to sign a marriage contract as well, which solidified the marriage and the amalgamation of their funds.11 Once a married couple had a son, all of their saved funds would go directly to him, leaving his mother penniless if her husband should die before her.12 As forthcoming civilizations interpreted the importance of fretting over wealth, it allowed society to diminish the importance of the caring, prototypical mother, which caused an apparent obstruction in the universal relationship between mother and child. Lady Susan adheres to society’s beliefs by distancing herself from her daughter through insults, manipulation, and an arranged marriage. Lady Susan openly shows disdain for her daughter by calling her “the torment of my life.”13 She creates a cold, detached relationship with Frederica, predominantly because Frederica is the key to her undoing. Frederica has similar qualities alike her mother’s, which Lady Susan becomes intensively aware of. Society is also conscious of this as Catherine notices that Frederica has a little of her mother’s attractiveness and ability to capture a man’s attention.14 By insulting her and reinforcing the idea that she is worthless, Lady Susan extinguishes the possible threat of being overthrown by her daughter and taking her “rightful” place in society. Showing sympathy and emotion were signs of weakness, which was a common belief when the Reformation engulfed the European 7

Letter XIV. Scott-Kilver,105. 9 9/9 Lecture. 10 Craig, Albert M., et al. The Heritage of World Civilizations Volume One:To 1700 Seventh Edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. 11 Craig I, 17. 12 9/9 Lecture. 13 Letter I. 14 Letter XVII. 8

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countries between the sixteenth and seventh centuries.15 Along with major changes in religion, politics, and traditions, the Reformation boasted radical alterations of the ideal relationship between mothers and their children.16 Upper-class women hired “wet nurses” to feed and to care for their newborn children, days after giving birth.17 Women implemented this because it reflected their vanity of their social status in society, and it was convenient. As time progressed, both parents had formed a relationship with their older offspring that was “cold, distant, and contained limited affection.”18 The young men were solicited into apprenticeships and the young women were commanded to marry, which removed their presence from their parents’ houses entirely.19 Lady Susan believes in similar morals as she coerces her daughter into a distant, girls-only boarding school, which illuminates Lady Susan’s dynamic personality and scandalous nature.20 Lady Susan is a sly character who preys on her weak family members and associates with devious techniques that demonstrates the true qualities and emotions of her character. Lady Susan is a remarkable character because she has no redeeming qualities and when she finds herself trapped in her schemes’ catastrophic results, the reader is empathetic towards her. Jane Austen calls her “the most accomplished coquette in England,” which generates the belief that Mrs. Elizabeth Craven was presumably the archetype for the character of Lady Susan.21 Austen knew of Mrs. Craven through her friends; Martha, Eliza, and Mary Lloyd, who were Mrs. Craven’s grandchildren.22 Mrs. Craven was a courteous woman who was constantly out and about in society, but in the household she possessed a stern, domineering temper. This provoked her to raise her six children in fear, not love.23 In her later life, her antics mirror those of Lady Susan, as they both were motivated by vanity and greed to arrange defective marriages and marry a second husband in order to gain respect in society. Lady Susan’s conduct resembles attitudes and literary concepts that derived from the Italian Renaissance. 15

Letter XVI and Lecture 10/6. Lecture 10/6. 17 Craig I, 458. 18 Craig I, 459. 19 Craig I, 459 and Lecture 11/11. 20 Letter II. 21 Tucker, George Holbert. Jane Austen The Woman: Some Biographical Insights. New York: Palgrove Macmillian, 1995. 22 Drabble, 12. 23 Drabble, 12. 16

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The Italian Renaissance produced numerous accomplished philosophers, one of them being Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote a book that describes Jane Austen’s Lady Susan flawlessly. There are numerous ways one could try to summarize Lady Susan’s impractical behavior, but the greatest condensation of her character is in one little word, Machiavellian.”24 This notable term represents Niccolò Machiavelli, an esteemed philosopher, who wrote The Prince, which was a highly influential work that describes how to become the perfect ruler.25 The ideal prince is feared more than loved, more resourceful than generous, and respected primarily for their demeanor.26 The ideal prince mirrors that of Lady Susan, who demonstrates all these characteristics when coaxing Frederica and Reginald De Courcy into her devilish plots. Lady Susan contains comparable concepts that were presented in past cultures of Europe and Mesopotamia, which is one thing that is interesting about Jane Austen’s Lady Susan. Lady Susan is an amusing, stimulating and surprising read, which contains several likeable, disagreeable, and unusual characters and events. This book is primarily unusual because it is essentially a collection of letters that describe Lady Susan’s potent character and each chapter acts as a chapter in the book. This allows the reader to hear the thoughts of all the major and minor characters, which allows the reader to interpret their motives throughout this concentrated plot. Jane Austen also constructed the character of Lady Susan so that the reader would love to hate her. Austen purposely illustrated Lady Susan’s ability to manipulate and corrupt the minds of those around her. The story is extremely entertaining and the reader is constantly engaged in the story from start to finish. It is obvious that Lady Susan’s character is wretched, especially her behavior towards her daughter and how she attempts to uphold her good name in society by trying to marry, both her and her daughter, into it. Lady Susan’s most infuriating act is when she abruptly marries Sir James Martin. The reader becomes taken aback by this because her actions all point to this coming about, but it is still a surprise when she sells out and marries him. Jane Austen wrote this to point out the somewhat likable, mostly disagreeable, and unusual characteristics of high society’s lifestyle. This book highlights the social flaws of the Regency and Victorian eras, where people where hell24

Drabble, 13. Craig I, 427. 26 Craig I, 427. 25

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bent on climbing the social ladder and attaining power thorough whatever means possible. In the 19th century, you were perceived solely based upon your social standing, wealth, and reputation, which is what all these characters seem to care about. The purpose of this book in to bring light to the flaws of society during Jane Austen’s time and openly mock them. Although there are remnants and elements of Jane Austen’s irritable culture in today’s culture, it has steadily become less prevalent. This book is a timeless and necessary read, which teaches the reader about the insanity and vanity during the Regency period of England. Jane Austen clearly reveals her stylistic differences in literature through this book, introducing the concepts of irony and satire. Even if the reader does not appreciate Jane Austen’s rebellious stylistic writing, the book is a quick read that maintains a steady pace and engages the reader to the end. This is a read that continues to be an underground classic that teaches the reader about culture in the nineteenth century England. Lady Susan is an irreplaceable classic that should be lectured to high school students so that they may learn more in depth about tradition and changes in the Renaissance, since they are personified throughout the book. With the Renaissance, every tradition, every rule, and every ruler were critiqued and examined. This was a period of questioning that brought about many changes, such as “what is the ideal person?” Lady Susan is an example of one who truly views herself as an individual. She personifies one who pursues being the ideal person, at least in the eyes of the public.27 She believes she can control her life through willpower and innovation. This is exemplified when she creates situations that aim men in her direction and influence them to do her bidding. She also advocates improving herself through wealth and discovering artistic pleasures, by attempting to move up in society by marrying into money and status.28 As Lady Susan preoccupies her time with scheming, she briefly displays her ideas of Western European customs. While there is little mention of other cultures in this novel, the small comment Lady Susan makes in passing is an insightful look into her view of other European cultures. She says, “It is throwing time away to be mistress of French, Italian, and German…grace and manner, after all, are of the greatest 27 28

Lecture 11/4. Lecture 11/4.

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importance.”29 Lady Susan implies, with this statement, that it is cumbersome and unnecessary, especially for young ladies, to bother their little heads with such nonsense as the study of other cultures. Jane Austen reflects the English civilization’s viewpoint of other European cultures through Lady Susan’s thoughtlessness, as well as Austen’s opinions on human rights. Jane Austen mentally developed during the Enlightenment, when human rights were in a process of renovation by philosophers and intellects. This period possessed many scholars, who aided in structuring stronger governments in the United States, France, and England.30 This time of fluctuation influenced everyone’s judgment of human rights, as well as Jane Austen’s. Although Jane Austen never openly spoke out about her opinions on human rights, she incorporated insinuations of her ideal civil liberties within her novels, such as Lady Susan. Jane Austen’s interpretation of human rights was founded on the writings and philosophies of Olympe de Gouges and John Locke. Jane Austen’s vivid opinions, expressed solely through her writings, were partly influenced by Olympe de Gouges, a French radical and pamphleteer who lived during the French Revolution. 31 Olympe de Gouges was a famous feminist, known for rewriting France’s laws, entitled Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, so that it attributed not only to men but to women as well.32 She believed women deserve to be given responsibility, privileges, and security, which men naturally possess.33 She detested arranged marriages, suggesting they were social contracts disguised as marriage vows.34 Jane Austen, a notable feminist, opposed the segregation between men and women, often crediting high society for allowing this problem to escalate, especially when it came to arranged marriages. Jane Austen vividly illustrated this belief within Lady Susan by basing the novel’s plot around Frederica’s problematical arranged marriage to Sir James. Jane Austen ridiculed arranged marriages through Lady Susan’s contradicting thoughts and behavior. Austen makes this explicit in a letter from Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson, her confidante, in which she states: 29

Letter VII. Lecture 11/13. 31 Craig II, 672. 32 Craig II, 672. 33 Ishay, Micheline R. The Human Rights Reader: Major Political Essays, Speeches, and Documents From the Bible to the Present. New York: Routledge, 1997. 34 Craig II, 672. 30

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“Some mothers would have assisted on their daughter’s accepting so great an offer on the first overture, but I could not answer it to myself to force Frederica into a marriage from which her heart revolted; and instead of adopting so harsh a measure, merely purpose to make it her own choice by rendering her life thoroughly uncomfortable till she does accept him.”35 Jane Austen incorporated these types of remarks into the creation of Lady Susan, who is a complex gossiping paradox, to demonstrate her opinion of human rights, as well as women’s rights by parodying English society’s reliance on prearranged marriages. Jane Austen was not only influenced by the viewpoints of Olympe de Gouges but also the viewpoints of John Locke. Jane Austen was inspired by several philosophers’ beliefs on human rights, especially the beliefs of John Locke, whose ideas contributed to the formation of strong, united governments throughout the world. In 1689, Locke wrote the influential The Treatises of Government, which states that all human beings are equal, independent, and possess specific freedoms that cannot be determined by the government.36 The concept of absolutism expired because people believed that they had natural rights given to them, which could never be threatened by rancorous monarchs exercising absolute power.37 Although Austen applied this concept to society and not to the government, she slyly comprised it into Lady Susan. Lady Susan models the essence of absolutism through her manipulative manners and shrewd persuasive techniques. Lady Susan wants to be the most powerful and most fashionable woman in society.38 She happily preys on her weaker acquaintances, Reginald De Courcy and Frederica, to attain what she wants, which is Reginald’s devotion and Frederica to marry Sir James. Jane Austen exemplifies her anger and annoyance with society through Lady Susan, who candidly remarks, “How delightful is was, to watch the variations of his [Reginald De Courcy] countenance while I spoke, to see the struggle between returning tenderness and the remains of displeasure. There is something agreeable in feelings so easily worked on.”39 Austen disliked how society besmirched the human rights of the weaker, less 35

Letter VII. Craig II, 646 and Ishay, 94. 37 Craig II, 646. 38 Letter II. 39 Letter XXV. 36

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fortunate citizens, which she was.40 She made this known by combining Locke’s theories with subtle irony and absurdity to form the temperament of Lady Susan. Jane Austen’s Lady Susan contains several aspects relating to the issues involving class and politics which enlarged during the duration of the Regency era of England. Lady Susan is a prime example of a combination of social problems relating to the expectations and treatment of class and women. Lady Susan, who is an indomitable impoverished widow, takes up temporary residence with her good-natured brother-in-law. While Lady Susan stays at her relative’s chalet, she conspiracies to attain a plethora of wealth so that she will be welcomed back into her upper-class society with open arms. Lady Susan’s plan is simply to arrange a financially secure marriage for Frederica, expecting to monetarily profit from this union and not her daughter. Lady Susan’s persistence in finding a suitable husband reflects greatly upon the social status of women during this paradoxical era. Men held not only complete supremacy in politics, but held the highest “rankings” in class.41 Consequentially, this epistolary novel reveals that although Lady Susan carries little social or political power because she is a woman; she is able to manipulate several others to do what she pleases and when she pleases. For example, Lady Susan’s most important goal throughout the story’s progression is to find a suitable husband, not so it can fulfill her desire to be loved, but because of wealth and power that emerge from successful marriages. Lady Susan’s actions flaunt the ways in which women were able to obtain social stature and wealth within society, and the only way to successfully achieve this was to find a man who possessed valuable assets. Men had absolute authority over economic, domestic, and educational lifestyles over the entire society, prompting social problems with gender and race to be prominent in Jane Austen’s Lady Susan. The majority of Lady Susan’s aggressive actions are motivated by keeping up appearances and asserting her position in society, despite her status as a second class citizen (a woman).42 Mrs. Catherine Vernon discussed her contempt for Lady Susan to her mother before she has even laid her own eyes upon her, 40

Kelly, Gary. “Jane Austen.” In Dictionary of Literary Biography 116: British Romantic Noverlists, 1789-1832, 3-35. Gale Group, 1992. 41 Craig II, 658. 42 Craig II, 749.

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simply saying, “Her display of grief, and professions of regret, and general resolutions of prudence, were sufficient to soften her heart…but as for myself, I am still unconvinced…she will have occasion for all those attractive powers for which she is celebrated.”43 If Lady Susan had not been a woman, her “attractive powers” would not be considered a trap, and her grief would not be considered counterfeit. As a widow, every woman is suspicious of her and her intentions. Will she attempt to capture their husband’s, brother’s, or cousin’s heart? In this case, they are not far off; Lady Susan does want to regain access to her esteemed status through marriage, just not her marriage. As women were mistreated by both men and women because of their appearance and reputation, they were also neglected within the field of education. Women were required to learn the most basic possible skills, like sewing and reading, so that they could make minimal conversation with one another and attract the attention of a wealthy man, which is also Lady Susan’s philosophy. Mrs. Catherine Vernon mentions repeatedly about Frederica’s lack of education by her mother and how that is completely unacceptable in her household. Education, at least the orthodox form of education, was critical to the development of young ladies.44 Lady Susan denotes the importance of education when she states, “I want Frederica to play and sing with some portion of taste…I am without the accomplishments which are now necessary to finish a pretty woman…Frederica’s accomplishments should be [no] more than superficial. I hope to see her the wife of Sir James within a twelvemonth.”45 Lady Susan only wants her daughter to appear to be educated in order to gain a husband. The accomplishments of women were, in fact, all superficial, which could not help them thrive in the existing society. This is all the education women were to receive in Austen’s time but this never stopped Austen from attaining her dream to be an accomplished author. Jane Austen is said to be one of the greatest English novelists that ever lived because she had remarkable wit and brilliant characterization, which was an entirely new technique that introduced paradox and irony to literature. Her novels serve as biting satires of provincial middle and upper-class life. Austen was the seventh of eight children, which gave her plenty of time to create tall tales and fantasy 43

Letter III. Craig II, 746. 45 Letter VII. 44

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stories for her siblings.46 As a child, Jane was educated mostly at home, “voraciously” reading and fervently writing.47 It is stated that Austen produced her earliest work when she was just around the age of twelve years old, which was Lady Susan, which inspired her to write more social satires, such as Pride & Prejudice.48 Jane Austen’s motivation to write stemmed from her small-town upbringing, especially when her family was moved around during 1805, moving to Chawton, Hampshire, and Bath. 49 Jane Austen detested some of these cities, deeming them as “too extravagant” and “overzealous.” Austen sold her incomplete manuscript of Lady Susan to a publishing company, but it never was published, which broke Jane Austen’s heart.50 Why was it not published? The possible answers could be because she was poor, she didn’t fit into high society‘s standards, or because she was a woman. Jane Austen suffered from numerous limitations imposed by her background, but this is one reason why her books provide an accurate, as well as a humorous, historical account of her class in the period to which she belonged.51 Jane Austen’s new social satire genre was intended to draw subtle and sophisticated minds that felt misplaced within English society at this time.52 Jane Austen’s most critically acclaimed novel, Pride & Prejudice, became a huge hit because it was a domestic comedy about the upper-class’s opinion of middle-class manner. This was a relevant topic, which included arranged marriages, standards to maintain by the upper-class citizens, and the overall desperation for wealth, which is what many of the populace could relate to. All of the heroines in Austen’s six books and three novellas expose Austen’s frustration with society dictating women’s fates, allowing readers to experience life through her, a woman’s, pointof-view.53 Although Austen only published four novels during her lifetime, her incredible powers of perception and storytelling abilities have not been wasted.54 Her novels have remained continuously in 46

Scott-Kilvert, 109. “Jane Austen.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008 Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 17 Sep. 2008. . 48 Joyce, Elizabeth. “Austen, Jane.” In British Writers, 67-75. 1989. 49 Commire, 517. 50 Joyce, 68. 51 Macksey, 183-184. 52 Scott-Kilvert, 102. 53 Scott-Kilvert, 119. 54 Commire, 180. 47

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print from the 19th century to present day. This novel was Jane Austen’s first attempt at writing an epistolary novel, which entices readers to examine the numerous letters that reveal intimate details about Lady Susan’s character, English societal culture, and even Jane Austen’s motivations to write this sardonic and wily novel. Lady Susan is a multifaceted character in that she is manipulative, egocentric, and overbearing. She is crafty because she cleverly lures others to see things from her point of view, in order to improve her status in English society. The Regency period fixated on the importance of wealth, status, extravagance, and power, which Lady Susan desperately tries to be welcomed into. Jane Austen openly detested high society values because they promoted absurd wastefulness and gluttonous when the poor classes were barely making ends meet, which is where her family dwelled.55 Jane Austen wrote this novel to openly degrade the lifestyles of the wealthier culture, acknowledging struggles with class, politics, and gender. Jane Austen demonstrated her ideal values and how they contrasted with the dominating high society by encouraging changes within class restriction, politics, and gender, which were all dominated by the overbearing society. Lady Susan tries to breech the class restrictions by acquiring wealth through her daughter’s impractical marriage, which fails immensely. With wealth, Lady Susan can then step into dominant political roles that would allow her to be successfully accepted into society, where she believes she deserves to be. Lady Susan’s plot is foiled partly because she is a woman, a character continually dominated by rich men. Jane Austen wrote about what she saw, adding her own personal bias through sarcasm, which makes for an entertaining read. While this novel may not be well-known, the message it projects is timeless. Jane Austen had strong feelings about society, class, and their infatuation with wealth, which is illustrated within both Lady Susan and its title character.

55

Scott-Kilvert, 106.