Michelle Griffin

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

2/13/17

Topic Proposal: How did Jane Austen Influence Early Feminism?

Introduction/Overview

As the topic of Feminism continues to grow in America, the examination of how

Feminism began and developed in various types of mediums is important to note. The

Feminist theory developed through the influences in disciplines such as Literature, Art,

and Psychology. I will be examining Feminism through the lenses of Literary criticism,

focusing on Jane Austen and her works. The question I will pose is How have Austens

heroines influenced the ideals of early Feminism? In addition, I will also discuss the

impact it has had on todays literature.

As I started my research I looked towards essays written by Feminist critics. One

of the long standing arguments that continued to pop up was whether or not Austen

could actually be considered a Feminist. I began to look into the argument scholars

posed towards this question. Edna Steeves and Lloyd Brown are two critics who have

shown stark contrast in their opinions of Austen. Edna Steeves argued that Austen was

not a bold woman as well as saying Marriage is still the one career. [Austen is] not

critical of institutions. On the other hand, Brown compared Austens themes to that of

Mary Wollstonecraft's ideals. Wollstonecraft was an advocate for Womens rights in the

eighteenth century. Brown went on to say that they were comparable because they both

question certain masculine assumptions in society." The disparity in opinions pose

compelling arguments and evidence which makes for an interesting topic. In order to

proceed with my topic, I will have to come up with sufficient evidence to support my

claim of Austen being a Feminist and then furthering that by discussing the impact it had

on Feminism.

Alongside this research, I also used the databases UNC Charlotte offered. The

eBooks online offered more unique publications about Austen. Some discussed the

influences on contemporary takes on Austens works and her take on Feminism, other

articles were reviews dedicated only to Feminism found within the piece. I also talked to

Professor Campbell about my topic, I told him my general idea of connecting Austen to

Feminism and he led me to research about literary criticism and the three waves of

Feminism. By doing this, I was given a way to learn more about background

information.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

My initial inquiry question is How did Austen impact Feminism through her

heroines? This is the main question I want to explore within my paper, however there

are additional questions I need to pose before this. Can Austen truly be considered a

feminist? How did her work affect Feminist ideals in the 17th century? Did it influence

contemporary literature?

My Interest in this Topic

My interest in this topic stems from my love of literature. Originally I had the

Dakota Pipeline as my topic but I didnt really have any connection or interest in it. I

mainly chose it because of its relevance now. I took some time to think about what truly

interests me and how I could connect it to a topic thats relevant today. Ive heard
discussions about feminism and its portrayal through the works of Jane Austen.

Considering the amount of attention feminism has been getting in media, I thought it

would be a good way to discuss literature in a way thats meaningful to todays current

situation.

1. What do you already know?

I know the basic concept of feminism focuses on gaining equal rights in political,

social, economic, and personal spheres. I also know there are branches to the overall

movement of feminism, these differ in priorities based on the individual. A prime

example of this is intersectional feminism. Within the criticism of Jane Austen as a

feminist, scholars argue if she captures the essence of what if it means to be a feminist.

2. What do you hope to learn?

I hope to learn about the differing opinions in what feminism means as well as

learning how to apply these concepts to other aspects of my life.

Next Steps

My next steps including reviewing Jane Austens works such as Emma and Pride

and Prejudice. In doing so, I hope to learn more about how the protagonists show

characteristics of a feminist. I will take note of this and compare all of them to see how

they stand against each other. In this last section, state where you will go next to find

more research on your topic. I will also be looking towards feminist critics who analyze

literature to see how it fits with feminist ideology. Right now I dont have enough

information as to who I should be looking at for specific articles/journals so I will have to

comply a list of critics to look at.