Austen Heroines, Yesteryears Traits

I recently came across a blog titled “Elegance of Fashion” as I made an attempt to further understand Jane Austen’s heroine classification and the blog’s author proceeds to identify those character traits shared by Austen’s heroines throughout the author’s various novels. Characteristics such as “A strong sense of morality,” “Honesty,” and “A good nature” are specifically identified by the blogger and subsequently proceeds to cite specific scenes within the novels in which these character traits are displayed by each of Austen’s heroines.

What is a novice reader, such as myself, to make of such an observation? Why do Austen admirers view these character traits as heroic? To what degree are such traits required as elements of Austen’s female characters?

Unless I, as a reader, am either well versed as to the element of heroism inherent with Austen’s characters, the simple acts of morality, honesty, and good nature are simply that. I fear that Austen’s novels lack a sense of modernity and have merely become academic material used to cite specific literary elements or to be used as examples of a specific genre’s historical significance.

More importantly however, if Austen’s admirers identify such traits as heroic as presented in the novels, via female protagonists, then it appears the admiration is geared towards the historical nature and positions in which the characters have been exposed to and the possible ridicule to follow. Due to social expectations of the female role within society during the time period presented, shame to both self and family appear inherent and I therefore accept the heroism title. If the admiration is simply viewed as a societal element absent from today’s modern woman, I would be rather displeased with such an archaic point of view.  

Austen’s characters appear to share these “heroic” traits as a unified voice. It is a unity and constant message from Austen to reader, regardless of sex, of Austen’s desire to advance the voice of women. Their outspokenness and characters must have been presented as morale and honest protagonists while maintaining a well-mannered nature about them to ensure their civility. Thus ensuring that the author’s message was not lost along the way.   

Although the anonymous blogger in no way attempts to present an argument either supporting or opposing Austen’s heroine traits as a societal imperative, it appears from her statement that there is an admiration and closes her blog entry by identifying the heroines as the “role models” Austen intended.

Unfortunately I only have my recent exposure to “Northanger Abbey” to rely upon as reference as I attempt to piece together a fuller picture of Austen’s motivation. What I have gathered however is that such traits, although antiquated in its definition of heroic by modern equivalency, are traits all should aspire to achieve regardless of sex.