“Entertaining as it is to be immersed in a sea of Regency-attired Janeites, the true highlight of the week is the gathering of Austen scholars and their presentations on the political, social, and economic realities of the era as well as the genius of the author.
“Jane Austen was not a writer of romances (as they were then understood), but a keenly intelligent observer of relationships—not just between men and women, but between family members, friends, and casual acquaintances. From her we learn (in the wittiest of language) how we truly behave, and the mistakes we so often make in judging ourselves and others. “Despite the impression so many people have of her today, she did not believe that the goal of a young woman’s life should be to marry—she famously turned down a proposal from a wealthy young man herself—but sought to expose the indignities and limited choices with which she and her contemporaries were faced. Women of her time had few options outside of marriage. The vast majority of jobs were not open to females. Women who remained single (whether through choice or lack of opportunity) could only hope to be sheltered and fed by working as a governess or companion, or by remaining entirely reliant on the generosity of their fathers or brothers.
“Life wasn’t all bonnets and balls, and neither are her novels.”