| This dissertation traces the development of six female characters from Jane Austen's novels that fight against their "minorness" within the narrative while they provide the necessary ground from which the figure of the heroine can emerge in a competitive and hostile world. Austen exposes the possible futures her heroines might have faced had circumstances been slightly altered, and she also exposes the difficulties that women faced in her society that could encourage them to enter mercenary marriages, to become speculators, or to fall out of the marriage market and evolve into superfluous women. Austen's novels reflect the conflict between mercenary marriage and affective individualism, depicting a world where each woman may have a market value and a social rank, but each should also be assessed by her character and morality. The heroines are the exceptions since they are able to navigate the marriage market successfully. The minor female characters represent women who find the market more problematic: Maria Bertram's fall reveals the flaws within the social framework, and the conflict in social and moral values that encourage women to make such poor choices. Jane Fairfax's choice between selling herself in the marriage market or the governess trade exposes the lack of options for women who were handsome and clever but not rich even as it emphasizes the minor position of all women. Lucy Steele's story rewards a speculating female and reveals a dark secret of her consumer-driven society: virtue is not enough to secure a prize on the marriage market. Mary Crawford's story exposes conflicts between city and country values while revealing the inherent clash between mercenary marriage and real love. Miss Bates not only facilitates Emma's personal transformation, but she also sheds light on the confining societal structures that create a ridiculous, pitiful spinster. Mrs. Smith's story celebrates the small triumphs available to those with fortitude, while exposing the social and physical confinement of many women who fend themselves widowed and poor. More than merely filling the role of friend or foil, these women reflect a palpable reality for the heroines, thereby grounding their major status. |
