Is marriage as an attainable object depicted to intentionally conflict with the reader’s ideas, or does Austen truly advocate such beliefs? Charlotte’s marriage exemplifies this dilemma. Does Austen believe, that marriage “was the only honorable provision for well-educated women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want” (93)? She certainly writes her characters to believe so.
As I indulge in this seemingly pre-historic chick-flick, I question myself: Do the character’s opinions reflect Austen’s?
Certainly, Austen couldn’t have written such a novel, and expected readers to agree with the opinions it expressed. Maybe Austen decided pose intentional dissonance for an unknown purpose. Maybe she wanted to challenge the reader’s beliefs. Maybe she enjoys causing readers to cringe with disagreement. This highly disputable question defines my overall opinion of the work.
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