Is the idea of Jane Austen being the polyamorous friend and Lord Byron being a head on romantic a complete fraud? The two unique souls, Jane Austen and Lord Byron wrote literature in parody of traditional love and youthful vigor in the Romantic era. Austen’s literature leans more towards a criticism of romanticism. In her novel “Love and Friendship”, Austen warns readers of the idea of sensibility and how it can ultimately be dangerous for young individuals. Her perception of love is based on the fear of being with a man who is incapable of loving the way one should. In a sense, Byron plays the role of the “wrong man.” In his day, Byron was referred to as the Byronic Hero, a man who has no respect for authority or what most people would refer to as quite arrogant. Both of the writer’s challenge romanticism in their own unique way.
Jane uses comic relief with portrayal of women in the 18th-century. This is Jane’s way of getting the attention of her readers. Women in Jane’s era were not respected for their knowledge, skills, and ability. They were for taking care of kids at home while the men worked. Jane knew this and got her point across through comedy and also by not using her name on her work. The comedy allows for her message to get across to her readers of her time. Jane found a unique way to get her work recognized and read. Jane highlights social Hypocrisy through irony. She wrote, “The very first moment I held him, my heart was irrevocably gone.” Austen’s readers would understand the humor behind this. However, an average reader who doesn’t understand Austen’s writing style would interpret this as serious or romantic. Jane Austen is known for her comic relief in romance. This is a perfect example because Jane is expressing that women are vulnerable, and they’ll fall head over heels for a man. Of course, she does not believe women are this vulnerable, so she uses this type of comedy to overemphasize stereotypes of woman. Jane Austen was a strong and passionate feminist, but even she disagreed with the way women acted and carried themselves during this particular era in order to obtain their goals of marriage. If she came out as a feminist and wrote about these stereotypes, people would not take her writing seriously.
Save your time!
We can take care of your essay
- Proper editing and formatting
- Free revision, title page, and bibliography
- Flexible prices and money-back guarantee
Love and Friendship, by Jane Austen, is a parody of romances in this early age written as a series of letters. The main idea introduces us to Isabel who is the mother of Marianne and is concerned that her daughter will get caught up in the perception of love. Isabel asks her good friend Laura to write these letters, explaining the dangers of sensibility. This parody examines the first generation who believed in sensibility – however second generation’s beliefs were more critical. She wanted her to daughter to understand the flaws of living a life based on sensitivity. Quote; explain why it relates to this. Laura swooning. This concept was aimed toward women especially in this day because women were likely to get caught up in this fantasy. Her message was a warning: beware of living life ruled by sensibility. The era’s ideology can ultimately be a dangerous temptation. Isabel believed that the conception of sensitivity was overly exaggerated. Her poems may be new to a lot of readers as they were written intentionally for her family and friends to enjoy. Some of the events in her life led up to her creative imagination.
Of the romantics, Byron was the most successful. His work was very well known and often gained public attention. Although he was successful and important, his “charming” and self-absorbed personality was relatively easy to recognize. His character was shown as “moody” which was the reason behind his nickname, the Byronic Hero. It’s obvious that Byron uses himself as a comic relief. His character is exactly what he portrays himself to be. In Byronic Hero, written by Dona Julia, he disrupts the life of himself and also the lives of several woman. He effectively ruins their perception of love, and ultimately gives into their emotions. This allows us to believe the saying, “the heart wants what it wants.” Age limits his capabilities, which allows him to accept this fact but also gives him a sense of regret. He may be stubborn and self-willed which was noticed however he made a huge impact on the era and lives of many, he was referred to as a “polarizing figure”.
Both authors have a unique and creative way of writing literature. Byron was critical of most romantics, in a way this relates to Austen and her critical belief towards sensibility. The two writers have an ideal of romanticism and what it should be. For Jane, the idea of a perfect man didn’t exist. She believed that women’s feelings for a man grew strongly and quickly. But she couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of a man reciprocating that love. The love a man should give and respect and the love a woman deserves. As I stated above, Byron is the perfect character behind Austen’s image of men. Because of this, they both express disapproving judgements toward the idea of romanticism.
The romantic parodies of Jane Austen and Lord Byron allow you to connect with the authors style of writing on a more personal level. The clichés of romance as a comic relief are interpreted by Austen who explains the criticism of romance strictly toward men. Without being said, Byron’s actions prove Austen’s perception to be right. Their writing focuses on the downfall of romance as a comic relief. Although romance is being looked at from a negative stance, both Austen and Byron use their unique imagination to express their viewpoints in a humorous and enjoyable way.
Stuck on your essay?
