City Of Invention Analysis

Making connections between texts that explore similar values enhances our understanding of the impact a composer’s context has on the way in which they are able to convey ideas to their audience. Through a comparative study of Jane Austen’s classic prose text Pride and Prejudice and Fay Weldon’s epistolary novel, Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen, it becomes clear that each composer’s context significantly affects the way in which they discuss the evolution of social expectations of women and the importance of literature to their audience. Moreover, an analysis of Weldon’s text, which looks back on Austen’s context through a postmodern lens, serves to further develop our understanding of Austen’s milieu and how it impacted her ability

to communicate the inherent values of her time .
Women in the Regency Era were restricted by their patriarchal society and defined by their social and marital status rather than their value as an individual. Austen was critical of this fact and, through her text, implicitly conveys her views to her audience. The ironic observation of the “fact universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife” conveys Austen’s censure of this aspect of her society. Through Austen’s satirical characterisation of the “arrogant and conceited” Lady Catherine and her inordinately rigid values , we can observe how she further criticises those who believe that women should be defined by their status thus condemning the strict social hierarchy of her time. Elizabeth’s high modality when reacting to Lady Catherine’s “wholly unreasonable” disapprobation of her, “I am not to be intimidated...”, challenges traditional expectations of women, allowing us to observe Austen’s personal view of the importance of women defining themselves not just by their social and marital status. Thus, it becomes obvious to modern audiences that Austen used her characters to subtly subvert her society’s traditionally patriarchal mindset. This idea is further enhanced through a comparison of Weldon’s text in which Austen’s life and society are used as a point of reference, allowing the audience to critically reflect on the values being discussed in Austen’s novel.
The late twentieth century marked a period of time in which social expectations of women had dramatically changed and women had begun prioritising their own success and valuing their independence. Weldon’s modern context allows her to communicate her ideas on female autonomy through a comparison and criticism of attitudes toward women in the Regency Era. These ideas are expressed through Weldon’s persona, Aunt Fay, who implores Alice to “think back to Pride and Prejudice”, condescendingly instructing Alice to appreciate her independence as a modern woman by urging her to reflect upon the hardships faced by the women in Austen’s text, “You do not know how lucky you are”. As the text progresses, however, Aunt Fay’s tone alters as she begins to treat Alice as an equal thus emphasising an awareness and appreciation of Alice as a successful and self-determined woman in the modern world, “I am glad to be wrong of so much”. This tonal shift is representative of society’s recognition of the importance of female success and allows Weldon to communicate to her audience the significance of individuality, especially pertaining to women.

Literacy was greatly respected within the upper classes, reflecting the impact of education on social status within the Regency period. Austen, an avid reader and writer, wholly approved of the value of literature in her society and, through her use of hyperbolic exclamation, explicitly states this to her audience, “there is no enjoyment like reading!” a sentiment which Weldon reiterates in her text, “books are wonderful things!” Furthermore, Austen uses reading as a marker of personality for her characters. We, as readers, are more likely to become invested in the characters that are appreciative of literature than those who are not, thus forging a connection through a mutual appreciation. The novel’s protagonists, Elizabeth and Darcy, both have an affinity for literature and value it as a means of self-improvement, consequently echoing Austen’s personal opinion on the matter. This is conveyed through the hyperbolic assessment that an “accomplished woman” should possess the quality of “the improvement of her mind by extensive reading”. Hence, it becomes clear that Austen utilised her prose form to express to her audience the significance of literature in enhancing an individual’s awareness of self and their world. An attitude which Weldon promulgates within her own text, supported by numerous references to canonical literature including Pride and Prejudice.

Though literature is no longer held to such high esteem as in Austen’s time, it still remains an important and influential aspect of our society.

Weldon, like Austen, endorses the power of literature as a tool for undermining social paradigms and enacting change “words are not simple things: they take unto themselves… power and meaning”. Weldon uses the character of Alice as a medium to enlighten her audience as to the importance of literature in enhancing and improving our lives and ourselves, “Truly Alice, books are wonderful things.”. Additionally, Weldon’s motif and extended metaphor of the ‘City of Invention’ serves to further highlight her view of the significance of literature throughout history and its relevance to every aspect of our lives. Weldon compares books to buildings and writer to builders, the “good builders“, like Austen, “carry a vision of the real world and transpose it into the City of Invention”. The detailed description of the “city’ creates an image within the responder’s mind, impressing upon them the sheer magnitude of literary work available to them to explore, including Austen’s work. The endorsement of literature as a vehicle for enlightening individuals and promoting self-improvement by Weldon throughout her epistolary text reflects Austen’s own views and allows the modern responder to better understand the power it has had, and continues to have, in our

society.

Thus, it can be observed that exploring connections between texts that discuss similar values enhances our understanding of the way in which a composer’s context influences their portrayal of values. A comparison of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Fay Weldon’s Letters to Alice on First Reading Jane Austen allows us to gain a greater understanding of the impact of contextual and social pressures on how the respective composers were able to communicate their views on the expectations of women and the value of literature through their work.