by Jane Austen
21. The reactions of Sir John and Lady Middleton, especially the latter, are also depicted elsewhere in Jane Austen. Many profess great appreciation of music, for such appreciation was a mark of refined taste in this society. Thus when the instrument was unlocked everybody was “prepared to be charmed.” But far from everybody actually enjoyed it sufficiently to listen. At a later musical party in London the narrator will explain there were “a great many people who had real taste for the performance, and a great many more who had none at all” (this page).
22. This is the first indication of a possible affinity between Colonel Brandon and Marianne, though at this stage she recognizes it only slightly.
23. insensibility: indifference. Marianne’s description of this attitude as “horrible” suggests the vehemence of her reaction and her extreme fastidiousness regarding the ordinary run of humanity.
24. exquisite: intense, exalted.
VOLUME I, CHAPTER VIII
1. A jointure was an annual payment made to a widow. It was generally stipulated in the marriage settlement to ensure that the wife, if she outlasted the husband, would have some provision, since her fortune became part of his property upon marriage and that property usually went to his heir on his death. Among the landowning class the jointure was frequently fixed at 10% of the dowry, the idea being that the average wife, who was usually younger than the husband, would outlive him by ten years; thus she would receive back her original contribution. It is not clear if this procedure was followed in Mrs. Jennings’s case, for her husband, a merchant, came from a lower social class, in which marriage settlements were less common. That he left her plenty of money is later shown by her fine house in London.
2. Getting her daughters married, if she had any, was a vital business of a mother in this society. Marriage was a powerful imperative for young women, and mothers were the ones who had principal care of their daughters. Pride and Prejudice centers around a family whose mother’s overwhelming preoccupation is finding husbands for her five daughters. Thus Mrs. Jennings’s current matchmaking is a natural extension of previous habits.
3. It was standard etiquette to return a visit in this manner, and more generally for families to alternate who dined at whose house.
4. ascertained: learned for certain.
5. “Handsome” is often used in Jane Austen to describe women. It had no masculine connotation at this time.
6. wit: teasing; fanciful remarks.
7. rheumatism: term used frequently then for all forms of arthritis and related ailments.
8. For a similar attitude toward life expectancy, see this page.
9. By her late twenties a woman lost her prime marital eligibility in this society. This is why Elinor says, “if there should by any chance happen to be a woman who is single at seven and twenty.” Jane Austen herself had an offer of marriage just before this age, and after turning it down basically resigned herself to remaining single the rest of her life. At the same time, some women did marry at an older age, and few would dismiss the possibility of love for a woman of twenty-seven as sweepingly as Marianne does.
10. offices: duties.
11. Most nursing was performed at home at this time, and usually by women. Since almost all medical care was administered at home as well, most women would become practiced at nursing over the course of their lives.
12. Many marriages then contained this element of exchange and were often acknowledged as such; few had any qualms about discussing the monetary or other practical benefits of marriage. But there was also a general belief in the need for genuine affection, if not necessarily the intense romantic passion that Marianne considers essential.
13. waistcoats: vests. Waistcoats were a basic part of male attire of the time; see picture below for an example.
14. The cult of sensibility often involved a fascination with acute illness, which provoked feelings of compassion and could seem a sign of special spiritual qualities.
A man in contemporary dress.
[From Max von Boehn, Modes & Manners of the Nineteenth Century, Vol. I (London, 1909), p. 132]
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15. She would mean a grate for the fireplace.
16. Marianne will manifest both these tendencies after she experiences a painful separation.
VOLUME I, CHAPTER IX
1. were: had. Forming the past tense with “to be” rather than “to have” was a traditional usage still found on occasion in the language of this time.
2. The author refers to the initial description of Barton on this page.
Howsham Hall: an older country house, such as Allenham is described as being.
[From John Preston Neale, Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen, Vol. V (1822)]
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3. character: reputation.
4. The pencil would be Elinor’s for drawing.
5. penetration: astuteness, discernment (in guessing the weather would stay fair).
6. Southwesterly winds, which are frequent in this part of England, would be especially likely to produce rain because they would be coming from the Atlantic Ocean.
7. This sequence of ecstatic delight followed by sharp disappointment when reality does not fulfill their expectations could be seen as a good allegory of the fate of Marianne’s romantic enthusiasm.
8. It was not considered proper for ladies to run, and running swiftly down a hill could be especially improper because of the likelihood that it would lift their skirts. In one of Jane Austen’s youthful works, “Letter the Third,” an acerbic older lady condemns a young lady as being one of those who “never mind what weather you trudge in, or how the wind shews [sic] your legs.”
9. Pointers were the standard dogs to accompany men out shooting. The task of the pointer, as the name implies, was to locate the birds and then to indicate their location to the shooter by pointing at them. For a picture of pointers, see this page.
10. Being picked up by a man would be considered completely improper, which is why Marianne’s modesty prevents her from asking, or even signaling, him to do that. According to some contemporary conduct guides, a woman should avoid even touching the hand of a man who is not a family member.
11. Margaret is presumably about to ask for assistance.
12. She would be blushing and confused because of the immodesty involved in being lifted up.
13. air: outward character, manner.
A man going out shooting.
[From William Henry Scott, British Field Sports (London, 1818), p. 53]
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14. In addition, the dramatic rescue itself—though not that unlikely an event, since she is often out walking and he, as soon revealed, is often out hunting—fits the manner in which such storybook heroes appear, as does the suddenness and mysteriousness of his appearance and departure. Since much of Marianne’s Romanticism has been formed by books, it is appropriate that her first meeting with an eligible young man should correspond to what she has read.
15. His rapidity, and her approval of it, cause them both to form a complete contrast with Edward and Elinor.
16. interesting: likely to arouse curiosity or emotion. The term had a stronger connotation at this time than it does today.
17. dresses: costumes, garb.
18. A shooting jacket was an informal jacket used for outdoor sport. Standard men’s jackets or coats were fairly stiff and formal, making them less practicable for such activity.
19. country: county.
20. This praise is of limited value, for Sir John expresses similar enthusiasm about almost everyone.
21. Several outdoor sports, including foxhunting, involved following on horseback a fleet of swift running dogs and their prey. A bold rider was someone willing to move quickly despite all obstacles and dangers, the most significant of which were fences and streams that had to be jumped. Serious accidents did occur as part of these hunts, so it would require boldness, if not recklessness at times, t
o advance swiftly. Willoughby will show some similar characteristics in other aspects of his behavior. For a contemporary picture of foxhunting, see this page.
22. manners: general outward conduct and demeanor.
23. genius: natural abilities; quality of mind.
24. Dogs of both sexes were used by sportsmen. For a picture of a black pointer, though a male, see this page.
25. mind: inner character.
26. Elinor has the practical sense to ask Sir John some basic questions nobody else has posed, and they are also ones, unlike Marianne’s, that he can answer.
27. Allenham was identified above as the valley “which issued from that of Barton” (this page), and which contained an ancient mansion inhabited by an elderly lady. Large country houses often had names ending in “Court” or “Park.”
28. It is later revealed that while he has reasonable expectations of inheriting her property, it is not assured to him.
29. Miss Dashwood: Elinor. Sir John would never call her “Elinor” because only family members would use first names. “Miss + Last Name” is always used for the eldest unmarried daughter of a family.
30. Somersetshire: a county immediately northeast of Devonshire. See map.
31. Miss Marianne: younger unmarried daughters were normally called or referred to as “Miss + First Name.” The only exception would be if no elder sister were present, when her last name only could be used. After Willoughby carried Marianne home he referred to her, before Elinor, as “Miss Dashwood,” but he could not know that Marianne was a younger sister.
32. Mrs. Dashwood earlier expressed her indignation at Mrs. John Dashwood’s accusation that Elinor was trying to ensnare Edward (see this page). Her use of “employment” here is appropriate, for finding a husband was a serious business for young ladies in this society, and one that some pursued with great determination and a strong hope for gain.
33. Dances often lasted very late. In a letter Jane Austen describes a ball from which they returned home “before 5” (Nov. 20, 1800), and in Mansfield Park a young man of an enthusiastic and energetic character says at a ball, when it is already three o’clock, “Why, the sport is but just begun. I hope we shall keep it up these [next] two hours.”
Sir John, in saying “hop” for dance, is using slang of the time.
34. He means foxhunting. Coverts were hiding places, usually thickets, for wild animals, and were frequently associated with foxes. Foxhunts traditionally began at the beginning of the day, which would be around eight o’clock in England during the late fall and winter, the normal season for hunting (as well as the most common time of year for dances). Foxes, having fed during the night, would be slowed by their full bellies in the morning and thus be easier to catch.
35. Marianne will proclaim elsewhere her aversion to commonplace phrases (this page), while she often speaks critically of wit, or words meant to be cleverly jesting or teasing. “Setting one’s cap at a man” was a familiar expression referring to a woman’s pursuit of a man; its origin is not certain.
36. gross: unrefined, uncultured.
37. illiberal: sordid.
38. Sir John’s total obliviousness to what Marianne has just said suggests the large gap between her own exalted standards and the majority of humanity. His words, from someone who does not seem particularly mercenary, show the strong presumption in this society that most women were out to “make conquests” of men.
39. His reference to “tumbling about,” echoing one he just made to Elinor, indicates his sense of how much such an action could promote sexual attraction because of the romantic rescue it would inspire, and perhaps also because of the intimate physical contact it would lead to, in a society in which such contact was rare.
Two pointers: in this case, unlike in Willoughby’s, the black pointer is a male, while the white one is female.
[From W. B. Daniel, Rural Sports, Vol. 3 (London, 1807), p. 336]
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VOLUME I, CHAPTER X
1. He is later described as not usually rising early (this page), so this indicates some interest in Marianne on his part.
2. Her skin was very brown: she was dark-complexioned.
3. An 1811 book on beauty, The Mirror of the Graces, speaks of “the transparent surface of a clear skin” as one of the finest assets a woman can have.
4. Willoughby’s fondness for music is demonstrated later by his singing, and even more by his writing out music (this page), which requires training and practice. It also establishes a strong link between him and Marianne, for in this society men rarely learned music or developed musical skills. Men also generally show less interest in dancing in Austen novels.
A young woman reading music.
[From The Repository of arts, literature, fashions, manufactures, &c, Vol. X (1813), p. 242]
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5. The paragraph suggests that, except for the initial subjects of dancing and music, the perfect concord they reach is the product of his agreeing to her assertions. Marianne had earlier stated, “I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own” (this page). In this conversation she probably conveys this attitude to Willoughby, along with opinions on specific books, and he, inspired by her beauty and enthusiasm, is happy to present himself as the man she wishes him to be. His real nature is still unclear: it is notable that the narrator has so far only sketched his appearance and said nothing about his character.
6. Cowper was mentioned earlier as one of Marianne’s favorite poets (this page). Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) had published more recently, and his long narrative poems were the greatest literary sellers of the age. The ones that had appeared by the time of this novel were The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805), Marmion (1808), and The Lady of the Lake (1810). The latter two are the subject of a conversation in Persuasion between the heroine and a young man of Romantic tastes similar to Marianne’s, while lines from the first are quoted by the heroine of Mansfield Park, who also shares some of Marianne’s tastes. All three poems are set in sixteenth-century Scotland—the type of remote setting popular in much Romantic literature—and are highly dramatic tales of love and war that also contain a variety of tender songs.
7. Alexander Pope (1688–1744) was the leading poet of his age in England, and one still widely read and respected at the time of this novel. In a letter Jane Austen, with an evident expectation that the recipient will catch the reference, paraphrases a famous line of his and then adds, “There has been one infallible Pope in the World” (Oct. 26, 1813). His poems, both in their form and content, express a restrained and rationalistic spirit that is utterly different from Marianne’s. Thus, while his prestige and genuine skill were strong enough to make her read him and admire him to a degree, she does not rate him too highly or wish others to do so.
8. These are both subjects on which Marianne has strong opinions that will be discussed later.
9. The commonplace notion of decorum she probably means is that limiting introductory visits to fifteen minutes, in which banalities are mostly exchanged (see note 31). But her behavior has also violated more serious principles of contemporary decorum. One is the courtesy to include all in the conversation: the description of her lengthy exchange with Willoughby suggests it was exclusively between them. Another is female modesty and caution. Conduct books of the time frequently warn women against being too forward and encouraging in their behavior toward men, because many men were happy to gain female affections without having honorable intentions toward them.
10. The state of the roads was, along with the weather, a central subject of the ordinary banal conversation that Marianne scorns. Roads in the country, made of dirt and inconsistently maintained by local authorities, were frequently in bad shape, thereby affecting people’s daily travel.
11. Mrs. Dashwood is right about Elinor’s jesting tone—and Marianne’s inability to perceive this is part of her general humorlessness. But Elinor’s words also hint
at important points, ones Mrs. Dashwood fails to perceive, probably because she shares some of the same propensities. Elinor, in speaking ironically of the perfect concord Marianne and Willoughby have achieved in their first talk, is clearly suggesting the difficulty of really achieving such concord and complete knowledge of another person in such a brief span. Elinor herself is consistently shown taking time and care in her evaluations of others, and her judgments usually prove to be more accurate than her sister’s.
12. Marianne’s immediate softening indicates a positive side of her seen at other points: though quick to take offense, she can also easily relent.
13. lively: vivacious, lighthearted, merry. For more on the partially different meaning of the term then, which has an important bearing on Willoughby’s character and behavior, see this page.
14. Once more Willoughby is being shaped by Marianne’s influence. The brief description of Willoughby in this passage represents the last verdict on him presented by the narrator—and it mostly concerns his external features and his effect on Marianne. It will only be much later in the novel that a combination of his actions, the revelations of another person, and, most important, his own confession give a full picture of his character. Until then he remains a man of mystery, seen primarily through the prisms of Marianne’s enthused imagination (in which she will soon be joined by Mrs. Dashwood) and Elinor’s fluctuating and uncertain attempts at evaluation.
15. As mentioned in note 4 above, men in this society did not frequently cultivate music, so his talents and his singing mark him as distinctive.
16. He would be reading aloud, a common activity then (see note 33).
17. His haste in judging others and neglecting them to focus solely on Marianne replicates her procedure toward him in their initial conversation.
