THE STOCK WOMEN

When we start off the book we are introduced to four young women who represent the four common stereotypical women chanters that we see in all of Jane Austin’s writings such as Pride and Prejudice. We have Jo who reminds us of Pride and Prejudices Elizabeth Bennet. These women are both strong women who reject marriages that lead to some one they care about marrying their rejected men. They are strong and determined. They make sure that the family is safe and cared for. Elizabeth and Jo are a stock protagonist who’s growth, is always connected to the author by critics and who like the authors value the written word. Meg’s counter part is Jane in this play. They are both sweet beautiful women who take a while to finally openly discuss who they are in love with. They are also the women who are loved by society and assumed to be the most successful in marriage, which ends up being false because both characters have sisters who out marry them.  But in the end no matter what happens the both marry for love no matter the struggle they both had to overcome to get there.  Beth is the twin of Lydia. They both have a great love of the piano and are socially awkward. They are both loved by there second sister and they tend to be over looked as a character expect to add drama and mini storylines to the book. Kitty and Amy are basically the same person, both are selfish and ignorant.  Both marry men that have once love Jo (Elizabeth) and both end up causing the family much stress and anxiety. Amy like Kitty is hated by the Jo (Elizabeth) character because of their childish character.

So what does that mean to us, what does this commonality mean to us the reader? Well I feel that the common characters make us as an older audience see that the women represent what was expected and common for women of the books time period and show us that you needed to fit into a category. So which character are you?