Morality and Ethics in Jane Austen's, Emma

Jane Austen's novels at first glance tell a story of romance set primarily within the landowning society amidst country estates, and their cultivation of tea parties, social outings, and extravagant balls; ladies sashaying in flowing gowns through precisely decorated rooms, and men deliberating over their game of whist. The storybook romance usually unfolds in these familiar settings, and inevitably involves the conflict of two lovers separated by differences in social class, and the resulting influence of the diverse societies they revolve in. Although these superficial aspects of Austen's stories are protruding at the seams, underneath the skin of these well-clothed dramas lie serious moral issues afflicting the culture of England during Austen's life. 

 

 

 Jane Austen seems to have been disheartened by the decay of England's aristocratic society. The exploration of the innocent protagonist of each novel further into her core ethics, and the relation of these to the imposing culture of her immediate family and surrounding social class gives the reader a fresh taste of the prominence of class distinction and the apparent emptiness of the aristocratic society that in reality existed in Austen's own life. A close examination of the evolution of Austen's ideals through her novels will reveal the essence of the protagonist's relationship to her family, and its direct relationship to the family's moral stance, as well as conclusive evidence regarding Austen's own values.

Austen's first completed novel, and most popular novel to date, Pride and Prejudice, tells the story of Elizabeth Bennett, the daughter of a gentleman who lives in the country with her four sisters. Due to the laws of England, their closest male relative will inherit the Bennett estate therefore the young women are counseled by their parents to make a profitable match to secure their fortune. The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennett, being unlike her sisters, does not entertain the thought of pursuing a gentleman. When the rich bachelor, Mr. Darcy comes to visit his wealthy friend Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth's guarded curiosity is overshadowed by a humiliating comment from the seemingly arrogant Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth overhears him speak of her as not being beautiful enough to tempt him to dance at a party, and in effect, she becomes prejudiced against his character. After further contact with Elizabeth, their families living in neighboring estates, he realizes that she is the most intelligent, discerning, and virtuous woman he has ever met. He begins to fall in love with her, but his pride prevents him, at first, from lowering himself to her social class. Therefore, his admiration of her, stifled by his high-class society grows into an obsession until he can bear it no longer. He proceeds to inform her of his affliction of affection for her, and then somewhat remorsefully proposes marriage. Elizabeth is shocked, and wholeheartedly rejects him where any other woman would jump at the chance to make such a profitable match, thereby securing a very wealthy future. Elizabeth's strong sense of moral integrity and overwhelming sense of self ultimately causes Mr. Darcy after overcoming his wounded pride, to truly love her, and he sets out to prove his love publicly to the dismay of his high society and royal connections.

The "Cinderella" like story shows that at the early age of Austen's writing career-she was 21-22 years old when she wrote the first draft of Pride and Prejudice-she was well able to write from a sense outside the realm of the woman's role in society and the social ladder so eagerly ascended by women wanting to achieve success in the conventional fashion of that era (Lewis 359).

At the publishing of Mansfield Park, however, there is a prominent shift in focus of how the varying classes are viewed. The upper class or landed gentry sustains a more focused attack. The conflict that exists in the novel lies in the condescension of the rich to the poor, as the main character Fanny Price is emotionally tormented and broken down by her wealthy Aunt and Uncle, and their snobbish class of people. Austen's illustration of the cold reality of wealth, and its impenetrable corruption is evident in the Bertram's reliance on the slave trade as the primary support of their decadent lifestyle. They, in turn, raise and support Fanny Price as more of a servant than a niece. Fanny is sent to live with them due to her family's impoverished situation. Throughout her life at the Bertram's, she remains a stranger to the family's affection, except in the relationship with her cousin Edmund who nourishes her starved appetite for companionship and acceptance.

This obvious lack of family bond to the central character is first evident in Mansfield Park. Fanny exists without parents present in her life. She matures through her childhood, and early adulthood relying on her own character and inherent powers of wisdom and discernment, without the reliance on direction that Austen's previous heroines display. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth had her father to instill values of her character, as well as her sister Jane to act as her support in the perils of high society they were both more or less learning to acquire. In Emma, Emma Woodhouse has the unconditional love of her father that provides the foundation for her desire to love and care for others throughout the story, such as the unfortunate Harriet Westbrook, and to a much greater contrast, the destitute immigrant family who lived in dire economic conditions.

In Austen's final completed novel, Persuasion, which Christopher Clausen describes as "a vast shift in direction from her previous work," the lack of familial love and support received by the protagonist Anne Elliott is not only blatantly evident, but Austen precisely sets out to attack the hypocrisy existing in Anne's surrounding family. The premise of the story evolves around the Elliott family, who live shamelessly absorbed in all aspects of life enveloped in superficial vanity, self indulgence, social status and image, projected wealth, and the snubbing of any person not of equal or higher rank with the exception of the manipulating and deceptive Miss Clay who befriends the eldest, and most pretentious daughter of the narcissistic Sir Walter Elliott. The central conflict involves Anne's "persuasion" to resist Frederick Wentworth-with whom she had fallen in love when she was 19-because he had no title, position, or wealth to recommend him to the family. Eight years later, living unwed and in bitter regret of her decision which she believes could not be changed, she meets the man she is still in love with, now a "self made" wealthy bachelor, and Captain in the navy (Clausen). As Anne finds herself drawn farther from her emotionally empty family into the authentic love and warmth of the lower class family she befriends through the influence of Captain Wentworth in her life, she realizes the fallacies of the decadent and revered landed gentry that she had been surrounded by to the point of suffocation her entire life. 

 

 



As C.S. Lewis writes: 

 

Fanny Price and Anne Elliott are of no consequence. The consciousness of mattering which is necessary even to the humblest woman is denied-Cinderella, Elektra. The heroines stand almost outside, certainly a little apart from the world in which the action of the novel depicts. It is in it, not in them that the self-deception occurs (359-71). 

 

In other words, the solitude of the central characters to the society of their family enables them to witness the "self deception" that exists within the bond of the family. This further enables the illustration of the deluded family Austen created in relating the larger issue of societal corruption or deprecation to be sustained throughout. The impact of this imagery would not have existed if the central characters were accepting of their families, and social situations. 

 

 



This is evident in Emma. If one looks closely at the story, the condescending attitude toward those of the lower society prevails, though quietly below the surface. Emma believes that she is bettering the lives of others by lowering her status to help them, all the while embodying the essence of the wealthy socialite in their presence. In a psychological turning point of the novel, Emma belittles an unfortunate widow who socializes within the family's circle of friends and good graces. She believes herself to possess the power to do and say what she wants, when she wants, to whomever she wants. She has been raised a spoiled child, therefore, she is blinded to her own corrupt personality. 

 

 



In Mansfield Park, Fanny Price is socially repressed by the servile treatment received from the Bertram's, which ultimately causes her not only to witness their corrupt ways, but also to become the strength that holds the fragile family together towards the end of the story. This is evident in the portion of the story that involves the Bertram children, along with their high society cohorts, Henry and Mary Crawford, deciding to build a theater in their absent father's study, and perform a racy production. The Bertram's, bored and hungry for excitement, completely overlook the immoral practice of theater, and the resulting corruption of their reputation in society, not to mention the consequence of destroying their father's study. Even the morally concrete Edmund is finally persuaded by the shameless flirtation of Mary Crawford, whom he secretly lusts for. Fanny, completely devoid of the addictive effects of excessive entertainment, sees with complete animosity the situation and pleads, to no avail, for an end to the affair. She becomes the sole untarnished survivor of the situation when it is finally brought to an end by the returning Sir Thomas Bertram who, needless to say, is furious and ashamed of his family (chapters 16-19). 

 

 



The absence of familial love grows in Persuasion, as Anne Elliott, like Fanny, exists in her own consciousness apart from the identity of her family. The difference in the novel is that for the first time in Austen's work, the lower class is actually superior morally, intellectually, and emotionally to the high society. This novel also blatantly attacks the high ranking social class that had been somewhat upheld to varying degrees by at least one character in all of Austen's previous novels. 

 

 



Anne Elliott acts as the sole interpreter of this portrayal as she sees, with somewhat stifled contempt, the ridiculous vanity her family is absorbed in. A perfect example of Anne's moral principles opposing her fathers vain ones occurs when she extends the idea of a high-ranking naval officer renting their estate while they relocate to Bath. An excerpt from the novel follows: 

 

Here Anne spoke,- 

The Navy, I think, who have done so much for us, have at least an equal claim with any other set of men, for all the comforts and privileges which any home can give. Sailors work hard enough for their comforts, we all must allow. 
Yet, Sir Walter's biased and obstinate response to Anne's humble, and accepting one, which follows, illustrates Austen's tactics for expressing her disgust at self-importance. 



It is in two points offensive to me; I have two strong grounds of objections to it. First, as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into undue distinction, and raising men to honours which their fathers and grandfathers never dreamt of; and secondly, as it cuts up a man's youth and vigor most horribly; a sailor grows old sooner than any other man; I have observed it all my life. 

 

 



As Anne journeys through her own feelings of identity, love, and regret, the power of her family's influence or "persuasion" to resist the love or association of anyone of inferior rank lessens until she defies her family outright by befriending a poor, crippled widow with the unfortunate last name of Smith. The last name of an individual in England's society was nearly as important as rank. General last names such as Smith, Johnson, Miller, etc. horrified the upper society due to the fact that they were common (Pool). As she throws off the weight of her family's corrupt influence, she begins to free her soul from the chains holding her captive from the love of Captain Wentworth. A climactic turning point for her maturation into her own state of reasoning lies in the subplot of Anne visiting the seaside of Lyme with her sister Mary. Coincidentally, Captain Wentworth happens to be going with the party as well and makes a point to introduce the group to his dearest friends in Lyme. Though they lived in a tiny cottage overlooking the sea, and possessed neither title, rank, money, or comfortable living, Anne is struck by the warmth they exude towards all, regardless of family background. This marks a change in her values as she remarks that she found a superiority of humanity that did not exist in her own world (87). 

 

 



In the article "Jane Austen Changes Her Mind" Austen scholar Christopher Clausen speculates on the change in values prominent in Persuasion. He argues that Austen had begun to realize the value of making a suitable match based on love, and mutual compatibility rather than a marriage based on the social standards evident in her earlier novels. It is my personal theory, however, that Austen's redefining her stories came from a certain aspect of her life that underwent a transition and consequently altered her views. Through the extraction of her letters written to her family, I have gleaned that Jane Austen herself was viewed in a role in social class, apart sometimes from her talent as a writer. A neighboring friend of the Austen family, Mary Russell Mitford, sparked by a letter written to her from a Miss Hinton, passed along her regard, though somewhat vicious, of Jane Austen's reputation in society to a baronet, Sir William Elford. She wrote: "...she was no more regarded in society than a poker or a fire or a fire screen or any other thin, upright piece of wood or iron that fills its corner in peace and quiet." It was noted that the author of such a remark was sister-in-law to a man who was in a lawsuit with Jane Austen's brother over an inheritance. However, individuals whose only aim is to categorize each person in society had taken its hold on Austen, and its voice is heard through Anne Elliott in Austen's last novel Persuasion. This is possibly the reason for Austen's elusive letter to her sister in which she writes in regards to the character of Anne simply saying "She is almost too good for me" (Chapman 487). 

 

 



Austen's final heroine, Anne Elliott, portrays the evolution Austen underwent to achieve the conclusive statement in Persuasion of social justice, and moreover, individual acceptance of others in a diverse class of people. Anne's initial "persuasion" to at least partially succumb to the influence of the aristocratic society lessens as begins to fully comprehend the value of the emotional wealth of true friends, and moreover, true love. As she reunites with Captain Wentworth, solely of her own desire, and absent of her family's influence blurring her keen sense of moral integrity, she discovers that her high society family is inferior in every vital aspect. The concluding statement of this journey reads: 

 

 



Anne, satisfied at a very early period of Lady Russell's meaning to love Captain Wentworth as she ought, had no other alloy to the happiness of her prospects than what arose from the consciousness of having no relations to bestow on him which a man of sense could value. There she felt her inferiority keenly. 

 

 



The parallel of Anne's growth as a compassionate woman, to Austen's growth as a compassionate writer is felt immensely by the reader. To value virtue over vanity, cultural and class diversity over conformity is to be free from the narrow confines of the ignorant mind. This is ultimately Austen's powerful message.