Jane Austen is known for her wit and sarcasm, and this shines
through especially in Pride and Prejudice. As discussed in Deborah
Yaffe’s Among the Janeites, Austen is very popular in pop-culture and
among readers and this popularity carries over to social media. If you look up
popular quotes from Pride and Prejudice, you will soon realize that much
of the nuance is lost in translation and without context; Austen’s sarcasm is
lost on her audience in favor of an instagrammable quote. For example, one of
the most commonly misconstrued quotes in the novel is when Miss Bingley says,
“How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare, after all,
there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than
of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an
excellent library” (Austen 66). Though this quote is appealing to book-lovers
as an honest sentiment, Miss Bingley says this to impress Mr. Darcy and to
avoid actually reading. Yet this quote is littered across Pinterest with
complete earnestness. It seems the readers of Austen have misunderstood her
words, or opted to ignore the context.
Austen fans on social media like Pinterest and Instagram also spin
Darcy’s first and decidedly unromantic proposal in a more forgiving light than
Austen herself does. Darcy says, as he begins his proposal to Elizabeth, “In
vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You
must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” (207). The
immediately obvious romance of the quote is mottled by Elizabeth’s reception of
the proposal and Darcy’s condemnation of Elizabeth’s family. The quote, taken
with context, no longer retains the initial romance and appeal. Despite this,
the quote is popular among fans and is praised for its romance. Does this mean
Austen's wit and sarcasm is misunderstood, or just ignored? I would argue the latter, as her novels are
still enjoyed for their sharpness. The contrast is stark between Austen’s very
loyal fans and their complete defense of her work and the same fans who ignore
her message in favor of an attractive quote. Austen’s writing is appealing due
to the eloquence of her words, but even more so for her refreshing wit and
sarcasm that is all but ignored by communities on Pinterest and Instagram.
Very interesting! Considering that the target audience of Pride and Prejudice when it was written was the upper-middle class in England from two hundred years ago, its not surprising that it is misrepresented on social media today. It is surprising that it is so popular today. Perhaps the audience with which it is popular today effects how it is interpreted. For example it seems likely that the modern fans of Pride and Prejudice are also more avid readers and book lovers than an average person, and hence more likely to take the quote you cited about enjoying reading at face value.
ReplyDeleteI would argue that Austen’s sarcasm is most likely misunderstood rather than ignored however. We’ve discussed frequently in class how difficult her language can be to understand for a modern reader. I think that the nuances of the story don’t come through for many people, especially if they are reading it on their own. Super-fans may pick up on it when they read it many times, or when they discuss it with other super-fans, but I think many people on Pinterest/Instagram lack this context, and as a result, misunderstand the sarcasm because of the slightly archaic language.