About the reception of woman within romances and novels. Examines female views by Jane Austen by looking at the perspective of (1) ‘Thomas Gisborne ’ (was a poet who wrote about the role of Women in An Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex in 1797; which supports the fact that women shouldn’t be forced into marriage, and should embrace their intellectual ability but should still uphold their domestic duties) Jane Austen interested in his views, writes of his and her perspective within N.A. As she attempts to evoke humour through their contrasting opinions. This extract suggests how Austen’s portrayal of the concept of fiction in N.A. is expressed by using factual information from her context about gender status and propriety.

“Gisborne does not include novels among the improving works woman should read” This is suggestive of Austen's deliberate choice to pursue her narrative in a novel form In N.A. she references the importance, role and power of novels. She includes his point of view in N.A. through the characterisation of Catherine through her ignorance and gullible traits, that places her in detrimental situations suggesting how demeaning, harmful and misleading a novel can be towards women.  Suggests how woman who read seem illogical as they get caught up in fantasy rather than reality. “How little young ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp” (Pride and Prejudice, Mr Collins) Even the best novels are “liable to disgraceful discharge of being contaminated “ (Gisborne)  This is deliberately used as a means of Austen exploring thematic concerns of her time about men being superior to woman. However ironically, as a female novelist and a woman who reads, she challenges this through her successful works (although not recognised immediately upon publication).  So while Gisborne may prohibit female reading, she affirms female writing.  She therefore challenges his undervalue of the labour of a novelist.

Novels are unfit for women because of the idea that “a practise of reading romances is... Liable to produce mischievous effects...secret corruption”  Causal for why people behave unlady-like e.g. Catherine in N.A. Who dances with both Thorpe and Tilney. He suggest that female reading causes “a susceptibility of impression and premature warmth of tender emotions.”  Makes women victim to their emotions and become easily vulnerable to corruption by others e.g. Isabella torn between men (lust and love) “Austen mocks Catherine for being a stereotypical kind of female reader” This is reinforced through Austen's authorial intrusion in N.A. “provided that nothing like useful knowledge could be gained from them, provided they were all story and no reflection, she had never any objection to books at all”

Austen again reinforces these ideas through her ‘unique’ representation of love as a confession of affection e.g. Tilney’s feelings for Catherine, “originated in nothing better than gratitude, or, in other words, that a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her serious thought.” This suggests that he only fell for her because she firstly fell for his story and in a sense he saw a weak woman that needed to be tendered, after being flattered that she fell so interested in his believable storytelling abilities.

Her representation of a heroine is therefore based on ‘tender emotions’  Suggests that Tilney could easily pursue an intimate relationship with Catherine because she was easily persuaded and could be taken advantage of.  Austen however focuses on the angle that Tilney fell for her because he saw a need to fulfil her interest in supporting or filtering her wild imagination.  Austen therefore to challenges perceptions of love 1. it is seen as domestic duty that needs to be fulfilled 2.Suggests the idea that if a person can be easily played and sucked into novels to follow a deliberate emotional experience about love, than how can life be any different in understanding if they are truly in love or think they are because they are easily manipulated and tied by their emotions. “Novels are apt to give a romantic Turn of the Mind, that is often productive of great Errors in Judgement.”

 The security of ‘living happily ever after’ between Catherine and Tilney’s is therefore challenged through Austen’s authorial intrusion at the conclusion of the novel, “I fear, to the bosom of my readers, who will see in the tell- tale compression of the pages before them, that we are all hastening together to perfect felicity.” Then she continues to find the flaws in their relationships upon the General, and issues about wealth, reminding readers that every story, although may have happy ending elements, does have negative – in her attempt to prevent readers from falling weak to their emotional imagination. “Woman are imitative readers who, evidentually, tend to repeat in life what they read in fiction”, becoming susceptible to their sensibility.”  Evident through Gothic conventions of Catherine repeating elements of Tilney’s story when she resigns at their family’s lodging.

(2) Austen was also influenced by Mary Wollstonecraft’s views in Thoughts on The Education of Daughters (1787) ‘She observes that many novels “give a wrong account of the human passions”, and then describes how the imitative female reader is affected by such misrepresentations.’ Wollstonecraft’s opinion of using romances and novels “to make woman creatures of sensation” (3) Also influenced by Maria Edgeworth who lists regulations about woman, “...her mind must be enlarged, yet the delicacy of her manners must be preserved; her knowledge must be various, and her powers of reasoning unawed by authority; yet she must habitually feel that nice sense of propriety... Caution in the choice of the books which are put into the hands of girls, a mother, or a preceptress may fully occupy, and entertain their pupils, and excite in their minds a taste for propriety, as well as a taste for literature.”  Austen hopes to inform audiences through N.A. about the social parameters and expectations of her time. This is achieved through Tilney’s ‘contenance, voice and manner’ towards Catherine, who lures her with his charm, causing her only to respond in contrast to her expected ‘gallantry’ and ‘elegance’.

Austen in her own opinion aims to present woman as “moral beings” rather than “moral objects of decorum” (Decorum: being a comical subject, often mocking because they are limited socially), evident through female reading and writing in N.A. (4) She challenges Lord Lyttelton’s opinion addressed to woman, “Seek to be good, but aim not to be great:/A woman’s noblest station is retreat.” (5) Also interested in Juliana-Susannah Seymour who writes “There is only one Path by which a married Woman can arrive at Happiness, and this is by conforming herself to the Sentiments of her Husband.”  Austen therefore discusses conformity in N.A., suggesting that without marriage woman are regarded as invaluable in society.  Austen challenges this by suggesting that whilst Catherine was not married to Tilney, she was still able to develop ‘moral character’.  She therefore awards ‘single rebuffed or abandoned’ woman by suggesting a level of hope for them in society.

Robert W. Uphaus concludes by stating that ‘Austin undermines the stereotypes of previous female reading by exercising “generous” moral actions.’ And that, “Women in fiction lack moral strength.”