Personality and Austen

Our book club has been meeting - first virtually, now in person while socially distancing - for read-alongs. It's been a fun way to go thru Austen's novels, adding an option to reading alone or listening to the audiobooks. Several readers are quite excellent at it, changing their voices and inflection depending on the character. I've enjoyed being a silent observer (technically I read one chapter of Pride and Prejudice aloud, but details). 

Last Monday we discussed introvert vs extrovert personalities in Austen's books. The conversation stemmed from whether or not Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility was an introvert or an extrovert. While fascinated by personality types, I admit I frequently fail in my initial assessments, assuming introverts are extroverts. I make the mistake of either judging them against my own feelings/behavior or, in Marianne's case, against someone else's (Elinor). This is unwise, since there are many kinds of introverts, just as there many types of extroverts.

I'm still on the fence about Marianne, though leaning more toward considering her an introvert. While she's willing to share her opinion with anyone (one of the reasons I considered her an extrovert, for not limiting her thoughts/feelings to an "inner circle"), she doesn't seem to require the company of others to "recharge her batteries." Gaining energy from either solitude or engaging with other people seems to be the main difference between introverts and extroverts.

While satisfying my curiosity, I ran across a post about introverts and extroverts in Austen novels. It noted there are an interesting number of I-E pairings, either as romantic partners or rivals, potentially demonstrating that Austen believed opposites attract...or repel, in the case of rivalries.

Some example:

- Emma (E) and Mr. Knightley (I) are attracted to each other, vs Emma (E) and Jane (I) as "rivals." Introvert Jane ends up with Frank Churchill, who is quite extroverted.

- In Pride and Prejudice, Jane (I)-Bingley (E) and Elizabeth (E)-Mr. Darcy (all of the I, lol) are romantic pairings, while Wickham (E) and Darcy (I) are rivals.

- There's also the friend pairings in P&P, with Bingley (E) and Darcy (I) & Elizabeth (E) and Charlotte or Jane (both I).
- A notable exception would be in Sense and Sensibility - Elinor and Edward are both introverts. If we go with the supposition that Marianne is an introvert, then she was initially attracted to an extrovert (Willoughby), but ends up with introverted Colonel Brandon. However, the rivalries are among opposites, with Willoughby (E)-Colonel Brandon (I) and Elinor (I)-Lucy (E).

It's an interesting perspective I hadn't thought about before.

This conversation sparked a discussion (another night) as to who was the worst character/villain in Austen's novels. I've narrowed it down to Willoughby from Sense and Sensibility, Wickham from Pride and Prejudice and Henry Crawford from Mansfield Park for the men, and Mary Crawford from Mansfield Park, Lucy Steele from Sense and Sensibility and Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice for the women. 

- John Willoughby: while in love with Marianne (which I think was genuine and thus his only redeeming quality...though more on that), he seduced Eliza Williams and abandoned her when she was expecting his child. His weak character also caused him to abandon Marianne in favor of marrying £50,000 Miss Grey. I can't decide if it's better or worse that he actually loved Marianne. It showed his good taste in a life partner and ability to love, but also makes his choosing someone else worse, since money clearly mattered more than love. 

- George Wickham: money seems to be the heart of many villainous characters in Austen's novels. For her £30,000 fortune, Wickham gets fifteen year old Georgiana Darcy to agree to elope with him. His attentions to Miss King were also completely mercenary. He then seduced fifteen year old Lydia Bennet, who he ends up marrying only after being paid off. All flattery and charm, Wickham cares only for himself and maintaining his dissolute lifestyle. 

- Henry Crawford: a grade A tool, Crawford originally tried to seduce Fanny Price because of her indifference to him. He then falls for her, proposes and gets turned down (which led to Edmund being condescending and rude to Fanny...like a jerk). His flirtations with Maria Bertram (now Mrs. Rushworth) lead to her running away with him, ruining her marriage and absolutely ending Crawford's admittedly infinitesimal chances with Fanny.

- Mary Crawford: her greatest crime was being a terrible friend to Fanny. Mary knew her brother was pursuing Fanny on a whim, and yet she didn't warn her. Had Fanny fallen for his advances, she would have been heartbroken when Henry grew tired of her. She also lied to cover for Henry and Maria Bertram-Rushford's adulterous affair. Other than those two things, she was generally self-centered and thoughtless, which can be blamed on her lack of good examples growing up (ditto for Henry), though she did know enough to move out of her uncle's house when he moved in his mistress (just saying). 

- Lucy Steele: secretly becoming engaged to Edward Ferrars at a young age, Lucy goes out of her way to entangle herself with Elinor Dashwood, jealously rubbing Elinor's face in their betrothal. She takes Elinor into her confidence in order to constantly remind Elinor of her prior claim on Edward, pretending to take comfort in their friendship. This causes Elinor a great deal of pain, both for the presumed loss or non-existence of Edward's affection and because she's forced to keep secrets for her rival. Lucy then abandons Edward for his brother, Robert, when their mother irrevocably settles her estate on Robert. Devious and manipulative, Lucy's sweetness and charm are only skin deep. 

- Caroline Bingley: petty and arrogant, Caroline looks down on the neighborhood surrounding Netherfield Park, as well as nearly all its inhabitants.  She befriends Jane Bennet, cultivating a friendship until it no longer benefits her and openly belittle's Elizabeth Bennet whenever possible, particularly to Mr. Darcy, whom Caroline is hoping to marry. She also contributes to Jane's unhappiness, all but outright saying her brother wasn't interested/in love with her. While condescending and occasionally rude, Caroline is more pathetic than nefarious. 

Intention holds a lot of weight with me, so my finalists for Austen villains are George Wickham and Lucy Steele. They both made deliberate, selfish decisions that hurt those around them. The others had weak or malicious characters, but don't wreak as much havoc or cause as much pain as George Wickham and Lucy Steele. 

I also ranked Austenian (Austonian?) love interests at the bottom of this post.


Thoughts, comments, questions, concerns?

~ Katie Q. 🐧