tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4836032513708232334.post6381647290945227456..comments2024-03-12T04:39:29.868+00:00Comments on A Vindication of the Rights of Mary: Lost daughter: Jane Austen, part two (Kirkham and Ascarelli)Roberta Wedgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619847452197496153noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4836032513708232334.post-83818457630543104452012-01-17T16:56:45.300+00:002012-01-17T16:56:45.300+00:00Hello, Debra! Yes, it's true that Jane thought...Hello, Debra! Yes, it's true that Jane thought things through on her own, but nothing comes from nothing: her views were influenced by what was around her. Family, friends, lessons, learning, reading, news, all feed into a developing world view. Wait for episodes three, four, and five!Roberta Wedgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13619847452197496153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4836032513708232334.post-49192302350764370432012-01-17T04:07:36.612+00:002012-01-17T04:07:36.612+00:00While it sounds very likely that Jane knew of Mary...While it sounds very likely that Jane knew of Mary and her views, and very possibly was influenced by them, Jane had a unique ability to think things out on her own. She was able to analyze day to day matters and make astute comments about them (and in a very pretty way!). It is possible that Jane had the same mindset as Mary but expressed it in her way- through her novels. Your posts are something to think about. It could have been the influence of Mary on a brilliant mind, or it could have been that Jane smiled with knowing approval when she heard of Mary's thoughts.Debra Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4836032513708232334.post-83144802513097758382012-01-16T19:30:19.312+00:002012-01-16T19:30:19.312+00:00I know: what was he thinking? It must go down in l...I know: what <i>was</i> he thinking? It must go down in literary history as the most thorough, albeit unintentional, hatchet job ever perpetrated by one loving spouse on another. There were plenty of women, in the pre-suffragette C19, who were in dialogue with Mary, but who dared not commit her name to paper.Roberta Wedgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13619847452197496153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4836032513708232334.post-15719935581466838332012-01-16T16:11:21.860+00:002012-01-16T16:11:21.860+00:00I agree with this completely. It is unfortunate t...I agree with this completely. It is unfortunate that Mr. Godwin's posthumous biography of Mary (his wife) did such a good job of completely trashing her reputation (supposedly well-intentioned but really...). It made it impossible for an author (especially a respectable female) to reference her overtly without being sensational. Jane Austen manages it so subtly yet so thoroughly, especially in her characters.Lauren Gilberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02938146663557663891noreply@blogger.com