Author: Frances

..there is not one in a hundred of either sex who is not taken in when they marry.” – MP

Mary Crawford observed many people marry “in the full expectation and confidence of … advantage …, or accomplishment, or good quality in the person.” Instead of the promised happy marriage, they were “entirely deceived, and … obliged to put up with exactly the reverse” of their expectation.

Charlotte Lucas states that “happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” She argues that however “well known to each other” or similar the couple may be, they “grow sufficiently unlike afterwards.” Is Charlotte correct that “it is better to know as little as possible of the defects” of your partner?

Perhaps Mary and Charlotte are saying the same thing; it is impossible to really know someone before you marry them.

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance” – P&P

Who has happy marriages?

Elizabeth believes that the “charm” of Charlotte’s “home and her housekeeping, her parish and her poultry, and all their dependent concerns” will fade. She believes Charlotte will ultimately be unhappy in her marriage, her earlier thought was that “it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen”.

In the new adaptation The Other Bennet Sister, Mary Bennet tells Charlotte Collins that she learnt from her father that it was possible to be both married and miserable. (Video below) The book has a different fate for the Collins marriage: Mary’s connection with Mr Collins makes Charlotte jealous and prompts her to work on her relationship with him. In the series, Charlotte is jealous of Mary’s life choices, but Mary tells her Mr Collins has hidden depths.

Austen tells us that Mr Bennet, “captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good-humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished for ever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown.” [italics mine] The only “happiness” he “owe(s) to his wife” is amusement at “her ignorance and folly.”

But he appears to have learnt his lesson. He warns Elizabeth that she can never be “happy or respectable” if she were “unable to respect (her) partner in life.” [italics mine] Just as in The Other Bennet Sister, Charlotte learns to make efforts with Mr Collins.

While watching the 1980’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, a friend commented that it sounds like the Bennet’s are into S&M. Lizzy tells Charlotte her father repays “pain with pleasure”, as they watch him out the window head off to visit Mr Bingley, despite telling his wife that he refuses to do such a thing.

It’s a reasonable assumption to make from this adaptation of the novel, but it misses the nuance of the text. Mr Bennet’s “sarcastic humour” leads him to conceal his visit to Mr Bingley, because he “had always intended to visit him”. It is his sarcasm, saying the opposite of what he intends. He enjoys “the astonishment” it produces when he reveals that the visit was paid, but is easily “fatigued with the raptures of his wife.”

Mr Bennet, it is implied, enjoys refusing to provide “any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley” to his family. Additionally, he may have intentionally kept Mr Bingley to himself when the visit was returned, though the visitor “had entertained hopes” of meeting the daughters. As the patriarch, Mr Bennet is doing the opposite of what is expected of him.

One of the first character traits of Mr Bennet we are introduced to is his sarcasm, this is merely an example of it.

He “married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her.” As lovely as it would be to think he intends to give Mrs Bennet pleasure, it is merely that “her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement.” This scene could be a misinterpretation of the novel on the part of the scriptwriter or wishful thinking on the part of Lizzy.

My understanding of S&M (though limited) is that it is always respectful and consensual. This does not describe the relationship between the elder Bennets.

I made a funny little video, pairing the adaptation with music from S&M by Rihanna (stepping away from my Taylor Swift obsession for a brief moment).

Audio: S&M by Rihanna

Audio and Video: Pride and Prejudice 1980

If you’d like to discuss this or other aspects of Austen with me, check out my sessions

Money in Sense and Sensibility: The Dashwoods

…four thousand a-year, in addition to his present income, besides the remaining half of his own mother’s fortune…” Chapter 2

The reader learns the income of Norland Park – four thousand pounds a year – through the thoughts of John Dashwood. His fathers death, which pushes the narrative into action, means he’ll also access the second half his mothers dowry, “half of which (had) devolved on him on his coming of age,” the other half had been supplementing the income of his father.

In the final chapter (50) we discover Fanny brought ten thousand pounds into her marriage (“ten thousand pounds .. had been given with Fanny”) which would have produced five hundred pounds yearly.

Norland Park = 4,000

Fanny’s dowry = 10,000 or 500

John Dashwood’s (known) annual income = 4,500

The amount of John Dashwood’s mother’s dowry is never detailed. John and Fanny wouldn’t marry on less than £1,000 a year so his mothers money must have given them at least 500, matching the 500 from Fanny. If we assume that minimum, the full dowry was at least twenty thousand.

Norland Park = 4,000

Fanny’s dowry = 10,000 or 500

John’s mothers dowry (minimum) = 20,000 or 1,000

John Dashwood’s (minimum) annual income = 5,500

---

…ten thousand pounds, including the late legacies, was all that remained for his widow and daughters” Chapter 2

Mrs Henry Dashwood and her daughters (Elinor, Marianne and Margaret) have an annual income of £500 per annum, the amount Fanny Dashwood adds to her husbands income. This is less than one tenth of the assumed income of the John Dashwoods, amongst four people, with the additional burden of losing their home that provided accommodation and food.

Mr Henry Dashwood had “only seven thousand pounds,” which became his wife’s on his death, plus the girls were gifted “a thousand pounds a-piece” on the death of their great uncle.

Henry Dashwood’s fortune = 7,000 or 350

The Dashwood girls (3) money = 3,000 or 150

Mrs Henry Dashwood’s annual income = 500

---

John original plan was to “increase the fortunes of his sisters by the present of a thousand pounds a-piece” (Chapter 1). Had this come from the Norland estate that makes £4,000 a year, at 75% of their income it sounds extreme. But the 4,000 is an annual amount; the 3,000 is a one off payment which would give the Dashwood females an additional 150 per year.

Henry Dashwood’s fortune = 7,000 or 350

The Dashwood girls (3) money = 3,000 or 150

Gift for the Dashwood girls (3) from their brother = 3,000 or 150

Mrs Henry Dashwood’s (proposed) annual income = 650

That extra 150 is 2.7% of the minimum income of John Dashwood’s family but would make up 23% of the income of Mrs Henry Dashwood and her children. It would not have been a significant “loss” for the John Dashwood’s but it would have been a considerable gain for the female branch of his family.

But John Dashwood’s “assistance extended no farther than their maintenance for six months at Norland” (chapter 5), he makes no present to his step mother or sisters.

John Dashwood’s (minimum) annual income = 5,500

Mrs Henry Dashwood’s annual income = 500

The Amateur Austenite’s season of Emma is drawing to a close. For our final episode Rachel and I debated our preferred casting for an adaptation of Emma, based off the adaptations we’d discussed. I won’t build tension by starting with the most insignificant character, here’s my list in descending order.

Emma

The title character was always going to be a challenge. There’s something to enjoy in (almost) every depiction of her. My first Emma, Kate Beckinsale, is perfect, but she wasn’t my choice.
I cast Alicia Silverstone from Clueless (1996) because, amongst the many blonde Emma’s, the excellent facials of Romola Garai and the more subtle ones of Ana Taylor-Joy, Alicia portrays an innocence in Cher’s character that makes you love her and believe any nastiness is unintentional.

Knightley

Who to cast for Emma’s love interest? Perhaps the ageless Paul Rudd to match Alicia Silverstone. When you think about it, the age difference doesn’t seem so bad when the guy never looks any older. On the other end of the spectrum John Carson (Emma 1972) with his grey hair was tempting too.
Instead I took another swing for a modern adaptation and chose Angela Wong Carbone, the lesbian Jordan Knightley, from the webseries The Emma Agenda. I’m a sucker for a masc lesbian, this one is soft masc but I’d love to see her in a suit. There’s something so caring in Knightley allowing Emma to realise her own sexuality, despite instructing her in other areas.

Harriet

It was essential to have a Harriet that’s prettier than Emma, it’s literally in the novel. My choice may be predicated that this Harriet was prettier than her Emma.
I cast Debbie Bowen from the 1972 Emma. She is appropriately beautiful and there’s a simplicity to her Harriet that, with another performer, could have easily tipped into stupidity.

Mr Woodhouse

Emma’s father is an important presence in the novel or any adaptation but I’m not sure whether who plays him makes much of a difference (feel free to argue with me). None of the actors stood out to me.
Again I went off script and chose the Mr Woodhouse from Murder at Donwell Abbey (novel by Vanessa Kelly), because he is engaged to Miss Bates. It makes up for the rude comment in the 1972 version, treated as a joke by everyone, asking if Miss Bates would be the next person to marry.

Miss Bates

And what of Mr Woodhouse’s bride to be you ask? Tamsin Greig portrayed a lovely sad Miss Bates which unfortunately is very different to her character in the novel, Miss Bates is invariably happy (which is why Boxhill is such a gut kick). I want her to do more Austen.
My choice for Miss Bates was always going to be Miranda Hart (Emma 2020). How could it not be?? How she manages to not steal every scene is a mystery to me. At the time of recording I’d recently finished her I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You and I think I might be a little obsessed. Rachel and I long ago decided we’d love to see Miranda Hart play almost any Austen character, or indeed every Austen character.

Jane Fairfax

The guiding principle for me in choosing the actress to portray Jane was elegance. It’s mentioned so often in Emma’s description of her, it cannot be avoided. The two actresses I was choosing between are not only beautiful, but have an innate elegance that speaks volumes while their character is silent.
It was the battle of the 1996 Jane’s; Polly Walker and Olivia Williams. Eventually I settled on Polly Walker because she’s almost unrecognisable as Lady Featherington in Bridgerton, a woman who confidently wields her power and wears flashy colours, someone for Jane Fairfax to aspire to. Jane is pushed by the tide of others opinions, not so Lady Featherington.

Frank Churchill

Jane deserves a better man than Frank Churchill for her husband, so I was careful not to select someone who gave manipulative vibes. My Frank just had to be hot and charming.
Prior to recording with Rachel I had whittled it down to two candidates; Rupert Evans (2009) and Raymond Coulthard (1996 ITV). During our conversation I settled on the latter, the scene where Emma imagines him stepping out of the painting cannot be beaten.

Mrs Weston

Franks stepmother and Emma’s friend / governess had to feel motherly.
I cast Samantha Bond (1996 ITV), probably because I struggle to picture the other actresses who played the role so obviously they didn’t leave a lasting impression. Samantha was also Maria Bertram / Rushworth in the 1983 Mansfield Park. What if Miss Taylor were Maria Bertram in disguise, hiding from her torrid past? She deserves a redemption and a man who will truly love her.

Mr Weston

Mr Weston exists like Mr Vernon in Lady Susan; he “lived only to do whatever he was desired.” He is there to give Mrs Weston a home and the love she deserves, to be Frank’s father and throw parties.
To me Mr Weston is an insignificant character, in Sam Brooks Em he never appears on stage and that is how I would have him in my adaptation also.

Mrs Elton

Perhaps Mrs Elton should go further up the list since I bothered to cast her but you could argue she’s not as essential to the story as other characters. There were so many excellent Mrs Elton’s; the looking down her nose-ness of Fiona Walker (1972) and Tanya Reynolds; the annoyance of Juliet Stevenson (1996) and Lucy Robinson (1996 ITV), even the strangely compelling hipster Allie Hawkins (Darcie DeLong) from The Emma Project.
I cast Christina Cole (2009) as my Mrs Elton. She’s Emma’s equal; doesn’t seem older like some of the others, just as attractive, plus the necessary haughty with a side of gaudy. I wonder why this actress was also chosen to play Miss Bingley (a lesbian one!), whether she enjoys portraying those type of characters or it’s something casting directors see in her because I’d also love to see her in Emma’s role.

Mr Elton

Last, and certainly least, we come to Mr Elton. This character can give a lot of ick for the way he behaves; his fawning over Emma, his refusal to hear her no, his dismissal of Harriet and how he parades his wife around. It’s easy to compare him to other slimy clergymen like Mr Collins but the essential fact of the character is that he’s hot. All the girls around Highbury are gagging for him and that’s why he thinks he’s got a shot with Emma. Another hot clergyman is Edmund Bertram from Mansfield Park, so hot that he has Mary Crawford questioning herself and considering marrying a mere clergyman.
I cast Blake Ritson as Mr Elton, it was a lovely coincidence that he stays with his wife from the 2009 Emma. He can sometimes give an ick but we’ve seen him hot as Edmund in the 2007 Mansfield Park (when they deal to his fringe). Let Mr Elton be hot! I amused myself imaging that he was in fact Edmund living under an assumed name. He and Mrs Weston (Maria from a different adaptation) are siblings who are forced to pretend to be strangers, just to add another layer to the story.

If you enjoyed this you might like listening to The Amateur Austenite or perhaps you’d like to debate the casting with me directly?