Is it sad that Jane Austen never got married?

[@jessicaferreiracoury]

"I don't know what to do with all my Jane Austen thoughts, I don't know where to put them" HAHAHAHA I love it! Always put ALL YOUR thoughts here in this channel, we love it!

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks :D

[@JustAPrayer]

Finally! It's refreshing to hear someone not bemoan her love life for a change, because as you say, we probably wouldn't have had her books otherwise!

[@katiejlumsden]

Exactly!

[@kobeshepard9776]

i know im randomly asking but does someone know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb lost my password. I love any help you can offer me

[@coloraturaElise]

I totally agree, and as a fellow single woman with siblings who have kids, I have more time to do my music and writing and crafts, etc.

[@sarahhall4107]

I love your Jane Austen ramblings!

[@katiejlumsden]

+Sarah Hall Thank you! I greatly enjoy rambling about Jane Austen!

[@CollyoftheWobbles]

LOVE this video, its great to learn more from someone who knows what they're talking about. Austen is a marvel and so are you x

[@katiejlumsden]

+CollyoftheWobbles Aw thank you so much :)

[@melissahouse1296]

I so wholeheartedly agree.. she is a marvel! : )

[@omfug7148]

I am currently on an Austen kick, LOL. I agree with you about marriage and Austen's work, and consider what happened to Charlotte Bronte (pregnancy in essence killed her.) I am pretty sure that Jane was content to observe and write, and like you point out, it isn't as if she didn't have love in her life, companionship can be just as important as Romantic Love.

[@katiejlumsden]

I'm glad you agree :) And she certainly had a lot of family and friends around her.

[@lateralhistory]

Totally agree! I came here from the Jane Austen History video and it's so upsetting to see how many of the women around her died in childbirth, or had their lives utterly consumed by pregnancy and motherhood. All her brothers seemed to end up with eight, ten, eleven children, and then their wives tragically die. The thought that that could have been Jane's life, and that we could have been robbed of her novels while she died completely unknown and unremembered . . . it makes you really angry on behalf of those other women, and really relieved that Jane took the path she did. I think if we were talking about love and marriage as we know it today, then maybe, yeah, it would have been nice to see Jane loved and appreciated in a romantic way. But I think we should be clear-eyed about what marriage would have meant for her in the time she lived in, and what the actual consequences would have been.

[@nedmerrill5705]

"It was in the reign of King George III that the aforementioned personages lived and quarreled; Good or bad, handsome or ugly, rich or poor, they are all equal now." This quote from the film _Barry Lyndon_ applies to the real Jane Austen as well. RIP.

[@nikhil2003able]

I recently came across your channel. And I have to say I love you! Jane Austen is my absolute favourite and you are one of the few who do justice to her complexity and wit.

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks! I love Jane Austen so much.

[@Maria_Efe]

I had NEVER thought of that, but I think you are right, especially considering (as you said) that she completed and published her novels in a more advanced age... The bad thing is that I still can't help being curious about her love life (perhaps her sister was right to destroy her letters after all!). What is definitely sad though is that Jane Austen died so young. (I just discovered your channel by the way, and I love it!)

[@katiejlumsden]

+Maria Potter Thanks :) I certainly think she had an interesting life, and it's so sad that she died so young - many of her brothers lived into the Victorian period, and it would have been fascinating to see how Jane Austen would have interacted with the Victorian literary scene.

[@winonawi1050]

i still remember the reactions of my students when they learned that austen died single. one of my students said that jane austen wrote the best novels about love and marriage but she did experience them in real life. very ironic

[@LiteraryGladiators]

I do not know so much about Jane Austen's background, but I feel that she lived the life she wanted to, even though most of her novels reflect something she never had the opportunity to enjoy. I agree that for both males and females, the fact that love and sex are the greatest route to happiness are overdone and very dangerous. Just about every television show, cartoon, or movie has that element where there needs to be a romantic relationship to drive the plot. In some cases, goals like those Jane Austen had may be more obtainable and much happier. The only person that could ever answer this question is Jane Austen or someone really close to her, but the most important thing is that her legacy is that of a renowned author and not someone who never got married. -Josh

[@katiejlumsden]

+Literary Gladiators Very true! It's such a prominent theme in so many TV programs and films, and I feel it's a bit of a shame that sometimes people focus on that aspect of Jane Austen rather than just her books.

[@LiteraryGladiators]

+Books and Things The people that concentrate on that aspect of her life tend to think in a very mainstream direction. It is immensely unfortunate.

[@melissahouse1296]

Probably the most interesting insightful entertaining enlightening but above all *refreshing* conversation about JA & indeed just being a woman without the need for marriage or children. You're brilliant & thank you : ))) xx

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks so much!

[@LoveMeSomeSarcasm]

Oh this is so refreshing to hear!! I'd love to think of Jane as "choosing not to" because she didn't want to lose her free time to write or because she didn't like the idea of marriage. I think that's why people are so obsessed with her love life; because the books she writes makes it seem as of she is searching for a happy ending (which is marriage apparently duh) and that makes her pitiful. I'd much rather think of her as empowered.

[@katiejlumsden]

+LoveMeSomeSarcasm Agreed! It's nice to think she wasn't necessarily after the life her characters aspire to, but maybe wanted something different.

[@ellie698]

YES!!!! Refusing the drudgery of marriage and pregnancy was not an option many women could choose. Good for Jane that she remained single!

[@BookCravings]

This is the third time I watch this video. Love it =)

[@katiejlumsden]

Thank you :)

[@dreea6446]

I think she was in love with love... You can't write about love without feeling it..

[@whocares8233]

Great video

[@KirstyWardBooks]

This was such an interesting video :) I'm so glad I've stumbled upon your channel. I have only read two Austen books, Northanger Abbey and Pride and Prejudice and must admit that I don't know an awful lot about Austen herself though. Thank you so much for helping to educate me about such a wonderful author :)

[@katiejlumsden]

+Kirsty Ward Thank you :) I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@legoofmybooks6743]

To be honest, I don't know much about Austen's background. But, you are clearly tremendously knowledgeable. Love it. I suspect you are right about her turning down that guy for freedom; marriage would have confined her to a very different life. Lucky for us and hopefully a happier life for her.

[@katiejlumsden]

+Lego of my Books Thank you :) It is a nice thought, isn't it? That she simply chose to write.

[@legoofmybooks6743]

It sure is.

[@ellie698]

@@katiejlumsden And lucky us that she did!

[@aladdino500]

Love this!!! thankyou❤❤❤

[@CarlosGarcia-ld4yl]

very interesting, thank you Katie

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks :)

[@Anna-mc3ll]

Interesting. Which of her characters do you think represents the most her “alter ego”. Thank you.

[@hippolyte90]

Love to hear someone who doesn't try to paint Jane as a complete romantic. I think she turned down the proposal because she couldn't respect the guy (he was reportedly quite foolish).

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks :)

[@kevinrussell1144]

I'm guessing Jane looked at that late-life proposal with the same cool judgement that she describes Charlotte Lucas as having. She weighed the good against the bad (like a military captain) and decided what this unexceptional guy had to offer was not worth giving up what she already had in hand. What would be more curious to know involves hypothetical changes to the Tom Lefroy story. IF he had possessed more money, or Jane had been blessed with a generous dowry, would things have turned out differently? I can only suspect that they may have. Jane obviously liked men and men were attracted to her. She and Tom likely would have had an interesting, intellectually stimulating "dance". Wouldn't that make an interesting story line? As you say, if Jane had married in her 20's it's very unlikely we would have ALL her books, and perhaps none of them. Literary people world wide are happy things happened the way they did. We don't need to feel sorry for Jane, either.

[@maysmallfan]

I looove youuu!!

[@ellie698]

As someone who thinks being pregnant must be one of the ghastliest things imaginable I'm glad she never put herself in a position where she would have to do that. As you say, so many women's lives was completely taken over by continual pregnancies, one after another. That's a terrible toll on the body and mind. Thank goodness Jane Austen didn't have to endure that!

[@kevinrussell1144]

It's nice to think that Jane Austen had the agency to choose. But on a practical level, I'm thankful that all those women and men back in Regency times (there and here in the states) decided in the affirmative to marry and have children. I'd have a very difficult time replying to these boards if they had not. We (my wife and I) only have one son, but he was the best thing to ever come from our union. I think even she would agree, despite the pain of bearing.

[@ellie698]

@@kevinrussell1144 She was fortunate that there was enough family to help them, give them a home and have enough money to live on without having to marry. Three of her brothers lost wives in or near after childbirth, and she would, through her social circle heard of many more women dying because of complications/infection etc of pregnancy and childbirth. She wisely chose not to put herself at such a risk and devoted her energy into what she saw as *her* children, as she referred to her books as. We still value those *children* of Austen now. What a tremendous legacy to leave behind ❤️

[@kevinrussell1144]

@@ellie698 I can't disagree with a thing you've said. Thanks for responding. Jane Austen, introduced through a great teacher in high school, played a big part in making a poor kid from the American west into a lifetime reader. Without that background, I never would have connected with my spouse, nor produced a child who is also a reader of Jane Austen. Even Jane couldn't have imagined a connection like that.

[@ellie698]

@@kevinrussell1144 That's wonderful! 🙏❤️

[@rpaafourever7908]

I see your point of view but it IS kind of sad (and that's ok) not because of the notion that happiness can only be derived from marriage rather it's that Jane probably would've gotten married had she met a suitable match. She likely wished for matrimony AND a writing career, and faced with the prospect of choosing one over another, chose writing. Personally I don't think she regretted it but I do get a feeling she would've wondered about what it might've been like.. her novels touch upon related themes. I imagine having to stay celibate for an otherwise willing and healthy woman, and never having another dimension to life cannot have been easy. But then again, we'll never know!

[@katiejlumsden]

It's true, we never will. I think I just find it sad that so many people think Jane Austen's life wasn't fulfilling because she didn't get married, when she wrote some of the most amazing novels ever!

[@rpaafourever7908]

@@katiejlumsden True. Maybe it was fulfilling, and maybe it wasn't.. Likely, sometimes it must've been and sometimes not really, it's like that for most people I guess. In any case, she's managed to leave a beautiful mark on the world and that's what really matters.

[@dianewalker9154]

Jane stated she didn’t want to get married because it would interfere with her writing. But I’m not so sure she considered that all her relations used her as a babysitter because she was single; that her ever decreasing financial situations and having to move so many times, likely interfered a lot with her writing too. Unintended consequences?

[@katiejlumsden]

It is true that Jane was heavily involved in family life, but I still think she probably had more time to herself and to write than if she had been married.

[@MsChris402]

no, it isnt sad at all!

[@katiejlumsden]

Exactly!

[@MsChris402]

yes-she was an early feminist, like emily dickinson, also.

[@katiejlumsden]

I really like Emily Dickinson too, from what I've read of her.

[@MsChris402]

yes, emily dickinson is a genius, though not formally educated.

[@HOHNancy]

@@MsChris402 So was Louisa May Alcott, who wrote "Little Women". She was a feminist and never married.

[@bighardbooks770]

OMG I'm getting turned on to Austen now; I mean, this is coming after just getting turned on to Charlotte and Emily Brontë (I know!) and even a strong hit of Gravity's Rainbow doesn't do me as good no more ... I need a Kurt Vonnegut chaser to cleanse the palate! You're great, Katie.

[@katiejlumsden]

Thanks :) I really think you ought to read Jane Austen :D

[@bighardbooks770]

@@katiejlumsden I shall. You Light in August? Some Faulkner, next year?

[@belindagarza3958]

Try Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell next.

[@ziyangzhang106]

By the way, have you watched the BBC film Miss Austen Regrets?

[@katiejlumsden]

+Benjamin Reader I have, although not for a long time - I need to rewatch it!

[@omfug7148]

I liked Miss Austen regrets although I think that they portrayed Jane as a little too cynical.

[@bookish.bulletin]

Perhaps the reason people felt Austen was more of an authority on love is partly due to the fact that she's was a female writer, whereas Dickens was male. Maybe they felt that she was better suited to describe the inner workings of a woman's heart than Dickens was.. or they never bothered to pay attention to it in his works. If this is true, it's sad because love is universal and irrespective of gender, I'm sure Dickens and Austen equally did justice to writing about it.

[@katiejlumsden]

I do think there's partly a gender stereotype connected to their works that dates back probably mostly to the late 20th century. It's interesting. Dickens is more 'romantic' in some senses than Austen I think.

[@kevinrussell1144]

@@katiejlumsden Are we not lucky that two such perceptive yet different writers had so much to say (and did so brilliantly) about 19th century domestic life? The canvases they worked on were differently scaled, but both were incredibly observant and clever reporters. Both, too, could write convincingly about the opposite sex. Yeah, I suppose Dickens was more melodramatic and romantic, but he lived a less sheltered life. So much changed during his productive years, while I get the impression Jane was more cloistered. Is this true? You're a scholar of both. What did Dickens have to say about Austen, if anything? It would make a good video.

[@asalane20]

Heck no! Many intellectual and creative women from Georgia O'Keefe to Joni Mitchell actually relish the freedom that comes from remaining unwed.

[@gwillis01]

hello genteel friends

[@tonyausten2168]

No it is NOT sad. Jane Austen refused marriage proposals. From her novels, we know she had standards, or she may have been a lesbian.

[@lilpoppins1001]

Katie! You have been away from the centre for too long clearly, small hiccup, Jane was the 'second' youngest of '8' children ;)

[@katiejlumsden]

+Lauren Thompson OH MY GOODNESS WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! This is quite terrible! In my enthusiasm I forgot poor Charles Austen... I clearly HAVE been away from the centre too long. I'm ashamed of myself. You'd have thought that after telling people that Jane Austen was the seventh of eight children nearly 1000 times I'd remember it...