The concept of female friendship has long confused researchers, philosophers, scientists and novelists. Friendships between women often confuse, even intimidate, cultures built on power hierarchies centered on the logical prowess of men. This cautious uncertainty extends to the writings of Jane Austen, whose often female protagonists also struggle with the looming confusion of female friendships. In novels like Emma and Wuthering Heights, Austen's young heroines often end up trading their female relationships for the ultimate friendship of the Gregorian period: marriage. To understand the early English literary trend of women abandoning friendships for the sake of marital bliss, one can turn to philosophical understandings of reason and sensitivity in friendship, as well as the cultural implications of gender in these two lines. Next, we can examine one of the exceptions to Austen's model in her posthumously published novel Lady Susan. The novel introduces a strange predicament into the friendship of Lady Susan Vernon and Alicia Johnson, which this article will identify as a literary device conceivable only through the masculinized behavior of the two women. Through these assessments, it becomes clear that Lady Susan is one of Austen's only novels in which she allows gender in friendships to function in an egalitarian manner. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayFor Gregorian England, ideas of meaning and sensibility were understood in strongly gendered ways. Sense, referring to the ability to think logically, clearly and objectively, was primarily a masculine quality. Sensitivity, which refers to the use of emotions, feelings, and intuition, was considered inherently feminine. This cultural perception is not much of a surprise to avid Austen readers, given the interaction that many of Austen's female characters have with their male counterparts. For example, in Austen's Emma, ​​Emma's extravagant and impulsive behavior is explained by her hyper-feminized identity as "Princess Supreme", while Mr. Knightly's calm line of thinking is clearly indicative of his masculine identity. and of his position as an older, wiser man in the world. Emma's life. This situation repeats itself in Austen's novels, such as with Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, or even to some extent Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney in Northanger Abbey. Reason is characterized by Austen as a masculine pursuit, while emotion belongs to the domain of women. This dichotomy makes relationships between the two sexes logical, combining both the head and the heart into an androgynous social unit that perfectly balances the halves. Relationships in Austen's novels operate under the understanding that relationships work best when they weave together the concepts of meaning and sensibility, which translates in a cultural sense, literally, to mean that women and men are the only parts of a functional friendship in Gregorian England. has been the subject of philosophical discussion for eons, earning the label of being "one of the most indispensable requirements of life" by Aristotle as part of Nicomachean Ethics, 20 centuries before the complex web of the Bennet fraternity is even a wink in Austen's eyes. However, the specific topic of female friendship is historically excluded from this philosophical debate. Women and their cohorts are instead examined “asan example of unequal friendships: the friendship between husband and wife is comparable to that between father and son, between older and younger men, between rulers and the ruled. The possibility of friendship between two women and their potential equality is never considered” (Jefferson 139). Female friendships are expected to be fundamentally flawed, emotional, and meaningless in ways that lead to no mutual growth or pleasure. Because sense and sensibility are presented as complete opposites but desperately needing each other to create harmony, it follows that women and men are equally opposed but simultaneously the only means of creating harmony. truly balanced friendship. The dichotomy of meaning and sensitivity regarding gender is recognized by many feminist researchers. , including Mary Wollstonecraft, who discusses its social significance in A Vindication of the Rights of Women, published in 1792. Wollstonecraft asserts that philosophers “have labored to prove, with chivalrous generosity, that the sexes should not be compared; man was made to reason, woman to feel: and that together, flesh and spirit, they form the most perfect whole, happily blending reason and sensibility in a single character” (Todd 30). It therefore follows that a relationship between two women would be devoid of reason and too full of feelings to function well. Fictitious friendships between women would end up meaningless and far too loaded with sensitivities. Often, Austen presents female friendships in her novels during the formative period of her young heroine's life, and the friendship eventually dissolves to pave the way for a stronger, deeper marriage relationship. . This is easily seen in the friendship of Catherine Morland and Isabella Thorpe of Northanger Abbey. Even when Isabella is replaced by the more rational Eleanor Tilney of the League, Catherine's friendship with her during their few independent days at Northanger Abbey is dominated by the intrigue of her marriage to Henry. The pleasure of their friendship does not seem sufficient for the development of Catherine and Eleanor's characters, and although their marriages do not completely destroy their relationship, their friendship is definitely overshadowed by heterosexual romantic relationships. There seems to be a quiet implication on Austen's part that the young women's friendships exist only as a distraction, incapable of the same kind of positive impact that a straight friendship is capable of. This message comes directly from cultural norms dictating what men and women bring to social relationships. Although many of Austen's novels follow this pattern, Lady Susan charts a new and unusual path for female friendships in Austen's writing. To fully analyze the cultural implications of Lady Susan Vernon and Mrs. Johnson's rebellious friendship, one must first analyze the extent to which Austen emphasized their close relationship. Then we can begin to connect their friendship to the way both characters are presented as thugs compared to gender norms, which allows their friendship to flourish. Lady Susan's epistolary format allows her reader to see tangible evidence of the close relationship between Lady Susan and Mrs. Johnson. . One of Austen's most endearing qualities, that of being able to illustrate enduring human nature, shines in her presentation of Lady Susan and Mrs. Johnson as gossipy best friends, a trope recognized decades later. Sharing every piece of the exciting drama that is Lady Susan's lifestyle, the two women's relationship can fully shine through their personal letters. An example inis Lady Susan's request to Mrs. Johnson to detain Sir Reginald at her house on Edward Street and convince him to stop his visit to Bath, which Lady Susan puts in obscure terms, speaking of "convenience and so forth" (Austen 239). This vague wording suggests a tacit recognition for the two women, left unexplained to the reader. Such subtleties in the women's correspondence indicate not only a similarity of mind, but also previous communication about similar things and a comfort in inferring conversations beneath the surface of the letter. It's also worth noting that it appears that Mrs. Johnson is aware of the true parameters of Lady Susan and Mr. Manwaring's relationship, based on how quickly Lady Susan mentions him in letters without much explanation. The formatting of their letters also hints at their closure. friendship. Unlike Lady Susan's rather wordy letters to other characters, such as Sir Reginald, her letters to Mrs. Johnson are rather short and direct. Lady Susan uses full, flowing sentences in her speeches to others, almost in an underhanded effort to influence their reception of her news. With Mrs. Johnson, however, Lady Susan is much more nervous in her choice of punctuation and words. This difference is almost reminiscent of the modern differences between a text sent to a parent and a text sent to a best friend. Arguments are made more quickly, there's far less exposition and filler statements, and Lady Susan seems much more conversational than manipulative. It seems that Austen is trying to make a statement about the two women's comfort with each other, a quality not usually seen in the friendships of Austen's heroine. The tendency of modern readers to identify Mrs. Johnson and Lady Susan's friendship as suspect, or fabricated by Austen. to emphasize Lady Susan's manipulative abilities, is symptomatic of a cultural distrust of female friendships. As Ann Jefferson observes in Female Friendship as a Literary Fact, “Friendship between women tends more generally to be viewed with suspicion, and this suspicion usually centers on sex. Either women are supposed to be plotting together to arrange illicit sexual relations with a man, or… women can actually have sexual relations with each other” (140). Because patriarchal culture has popularized the understanding of friendships as strategic and often "pleasantly useful," Lady Susan and Mrs. Johnson's true friendship appears doubtful to readers (Thomason 228). Despite their constant communication, deep understanding of each other's motivations, and mutual kindness that works against their personalities, there is an inherent desire to distrust their friendship. This is partly a side effect of Austen's literary models. There is no other Austen novel in which two women operate in such synchronization to satisfy each other's desires while putting each other first. Even Elizabeth Bennet manages to avoid directly returning Mr. Bingley to her sister's arms after their separation, despite the girl's mutual desire for the other's nuptial bliss in Pride and Prejudice. Austen did not condition her readers to expect two women to coordinate. Austen particularly avoided women allying in a way that did not center on an innocent hope of trapping a young man for innocent flirting. Supported by this unpretentious literary model, the more conspiratorial behavior of Lady Susan and Mrs. Johnson arouses suspicion. The fact that suspicion of female friendships often focuses on sex reinforces the fact that fear of.