Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Do you think

that Jane Austen had a thing about preachers, i.e. didn't like them at all? I mean all Austen books I've read have horrible preachers (like the one from Emma) or are idiots (like the one from P&P).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

She appears to like Edmund Bertram, the hero of Mansfield Park. Although admittedly he's not ordained throughout much of the book, but it is clear that he is intended for and will go into the Church. And although Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility is a bit weak, he's nowhere near as horrible as Mr. Collins and Mr. Elton. I think Catherine Morland's father in Northanger Abbey is a clergyman, too -- he seems a kind parent. Probably Austen knew several kinds of clergyman and the bad ones made for more memorable characters.

lost clown said...

ah yes...good point.

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