A room of one’s own or her own

most watched television show on both ITV and PBS, the 1995 Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth as the iconic Mr Darcy, which had 10 million people tuning in to watch the final episode, and also the 1981 TV adaptation of Brideshead Revisited, which won multiple awards, including best drama serial. However, it is clear to see that Bridgerton offers a different atmosphere to the characteristically more decorous and euphemistic one seen in the likes of Austen, being described by Vogue as

‘ a regency romp that seeks to redefine the genre itself’ ‘

What with its diverse cast and far saucier script, it is refreshing take on an otherwise formal type of novel. Yet, traditionalists like myself may still remain more partial to the originals, for Jane Austen has undoubtedly influenced all period pieces after her, her works acting as a template for various future novels.

Conventional Novels-of-Manners are often widely criticised for being ‘dull’ – though they are naturally interesting from a character point-of-view, due to the fact their sole premise relies on social interactions and relationships, in terms of plot, one must admit there is very little action involved. On one hand, while this isn’t ideal for those who love a fast-paced murder mystery for instance, it does allow for an easy, relaxed read. What with the larger amount of time on our hands now, along with rules restricting our regular routines, our lives too can seem dull at times. So, why not read a novel which can immerse one in this world of courtship and love, reminiscent of our own lives, with this newly granted time?

It seems many others also felt the same way, for in the UK, Austen experienced a rise in sales of 20% between 15th June and the 7th

Emma, Released 2020 Photo: Amazon November last year, compared to the same period in 2019. Her huge impact on literature is greatly recognised, such that the 245th anniversary of her birthday, celebrated last December. There is something delightfully clichéd about her writings, which adds to their comforting charm which has lasted beyond the novels’ own era. Austen’s novels are filled with tropes and stereotypes, which are rather predictable by nature. In almost all her novels, the plot revolves around two people realising it was quite literally written for them to be together; in several, the heroine becomes convinced that the man she loves is going to marry someone else even if the reader knows better.

Take Emma, who only after realising her own feelings towards Mr Knightley, worries that he instead intends to marry her friend Harriet Smith, or Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, who exemplify the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Yet instead of making the story boring, the determinateness of the stories adds to their standing as ‘comfort films’, and in this tumultuous year this is especially reassuring; at a time when the future is so uncertain, there is solace to be found in endings one can guess easily. Then again, it is important to recognise that during her contemporary period of writing, her works were not viewed as commonplace. Novels at this time usually featured exaggerated characters and events and were highly sentimental or dramatic in tone. Austen’s focus on everyday life therefore marked a major development in the history of literature, and proves useful from also a historical context, by giving a detailed insight into the various mannerisms and rules adopted by the upper classes of Georgian society. Also, beforehand, novels were written in either first or third person, both of which had limitations: first person narratives allowed one to enter into the mind of a character, but only through what they wished to tell, whereas third person narratives gave the reader a god-like view

of the characters, but prevented one from really seeing their true feelings, shown only through their actions. Austen is known for perfecting free, indirect style (aka. free indirect discourse), which combined the two. For the first time, readers read a novel through a certain character’s perspective, and according to a contemporary review from a Lady Gordon, ‘you actuallylive with them [the characters], you fancy yourself one of the family; & the scenes are so exactly descriptive, so perfectly natural, that there is scarcely an Incident or conversation, or a person that you are not inclined to imagine you have at one time or other in your Life been a witness to, born a part in, & been acquainted with’.

Through this technique, readers can follow along with the characters’ journeys – in Austen’s novels, one sees the protagonist’s emotional growth into a better person and the theme of perseverance is shown throughout. For instance, we as readers are practically present when Emma mocks Miss Bates on Box Hill, and afterwards we empathise, feeling her shame along with her. We see her transition into a better person after realising she was wrong about another character - one sees her change from the almost selfish, spoiled person to one who is far kinder and more compassionate, asking herself ‘how could she have been so brutal, so cruel to Miss Bates!’ and resolving so show her remorse the following day. The theme of resilience can be seen in Sense and Sensibility for example – Elinor Dashwood demonstrates great strength of character through her stoic suffering, believing her happiness to be lost forever she tells herself ‘I will be calm, I will be a mistress of myself’, prior to this too at the start of the novel, we see the Dashwood sisters and their mother being forced to leave their home and being stripped of inheritance. This struggle is even more poignant nowadays, with the corona-virus pandemic drastically impacting the economy, resulting in many losing jobs or being furloughed, and it seems Austen too was writing from a place of experience. She spent a period of 8 years travelling between small properties in Bath, homes of relatives and seaside resorts, after her father unconventionally passed the vicarage down to her brother.

From this, the idea of good always triumphing is prevalent; once the characters realise the error of their ways and attempt to rectify their flaws, they are given their happy ending. Take Emma again, who is forced to revaluate her actions, and is consequently rewarded as a result at the end of the novel. This concept is one that especially draws readers to novels of manners today. The promise of good things to come as a remuneration for their hard work is alluring, especially when it seems there is so much grief at present. It is as Lady Russell says in Persuasion: ‘Time will explain’, and there is an apparent calming quality in the way Austen’s novels tend to span a calendar year and her style of writing seems to have a slowing down effect, encouraging leisurely reading; relaxing in an otherwise fast-paced era.

Another feature which is particularly pleasing to readers at present is the refreshing lack of severity of the problems faced. Though extremely important to the characters, their dilemmas revolving around love and friendship are really, in the grand scheme of things, not concerning in the slightest to anyone who is not wrapped up in their stories. This serves as an appealing contrast to the current situation, and it is a pleasant distraction to immerse oneself in a world where the main issue is to do with romances and minor scandals, as opposed to global pandemics.

Seen also not just in Austen’s novels, but in Romantic works in general, is the similar tone – hopeful and jovial, yet mournful too. Austen simultaneously comforts and challenges us, embracing the dark and lonely aspects of life but with a lightness of touch and much-needed humour. Likewise, many pieces of writing in the style of romanticism combine beautiful imagery and lyrical description with underlying themes of loss and remembrance of the old ways pre-industrialisation. Look to the likes of Blake’s London, Shelley’s Ozymandias, or Wordsworth’s epic poem the Prelude, which can all be interpreted as a warning against the further urbanisation and destruction of the natural world, following the period known as the Enlightenment (where we saw a movement away from religion in favour of science and logic). The atmosphere currently is greatly reminiscent of this; we too long for the lives we had pre-Covid, yet we remain hopeful that this too shall pass.

Furthermore, it is not just now that people have turned to Austen in times of great crisis; Austen’s writings have such a sense of solace that she was actually prescribed to soldiers in WWI, suffering from shell-shock, known today as PTSD. In a letter from 1984, author Martin Jarrett-Kerrwrote: ‘My old Oxford tutor, H F Brett-Smith, was exempt from military service; but was employed by hospitals to advise on reading matters for the war-wounded. His job was to rate novels and poetry for the ‘fever chart’. For the severely shell-shocked he selected Jane Austen’. Similarly, writer AA Milne (author of Winnie the Pooh) has stated that he bonded with fellow soldiers over his love of Austen, and that while in the trenches, the men would frequently keep classics in their pockets. Even Winston Churchill depended on her in times of war, who was reportedly consoled during illness by having his daughter read him Pride and Prejudice, after being bedridden in 1943. This all goes to show, if novels-of-manners have been able to help us through one global calamity, they can definitely help us through another.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that period pieces have a universal appeal, though far removed from modern society, everyone will probably be able to find something resonant with their own lives within them. And now, one can even more so, in light of the challenges faced by the world. They provide a welcome distraction and a way of coping with these uncertain times. So now, I recommend that if you are feeling a little out of spirits, you ought to sit down and curl up with a good period drama, their stories being one of the few things remaining constant in an ever-changing world.