How was Jane Austen’s portrayal of women in her books?

I expect my husband to be good-tempered and cheerful and to consult my happiness in all his actions and to love me with constancy and sincerity'- Jane Austen's Three sisters, 3rd letter. This is the view that men and women have of marriage today. However this was not the case in the 18th and 19th century, in the days of Jane Austen. The word 'Marriage' meant financial support and materialistic commitment to most women. Marrying for love was rarely heard of. This is strongly illustrated by Jane Austen in two of her novels, 'The Three Sisters' and 'Pride and Prejudice'. I will compare these with a third novel called 'A Stench of Kerosene' written by Amrita Pritam. I will look closely at how both writers set across corresponding messages but with very diverse methods. The portrayal of marriage is very different in 'A Stench of Kerosene' then that of 'The Three Sisters'. It concerns a Sikh couple, Guleri and Manak, who love each other dear. In 7 years Guleri had not born a child and Manak's mother had made a 'secret resolve'. She would not let it go beyond the 8th year and so she gets Manak a new wife. When Guleri heard of this 'she soaked her clothes in kerosene and set fire to them'. Guleri marries Manak for love, whereas Mary marries Mr. Watts for competitive and materialistic reasons. read less

I expect my husband to be good-tempered and cheerful and to consult my happiness in all his actions and to love me with constancy and sincerity'- Jane Austen's Three sisters, 3rd letter. This is the view that men and women have of marriage today. However this was not the case in the 18th and 19th century, in the days of Jane Austen. The word 'Marriage' meant financial support and materialistic commitment to most women. Marrying for love was rarely heard of. This is strongly illustrated by Jane Austen in two of her novels, 'The Three Sisters' and 'Pride and Prejudice'. I will compare these with a third novel called 'A Stench of Kerosene' written by Amrita Pritam. I will look closely at how both writers set across corresponding messages but with very diverse methods. The portrayal of marriage is very different in 'A Stench of Kerosene' then that of 'The Three Sisters'. It concerns a Sikh couple, Guleri and Manak, who love each other dear. In 7 years Guleri had not born a child and Manak's mother had made a 'secret resolve'. She would not let it go beyond the 8th year and so she gets Manak a new wife. When Guleri heard of this 'she soaked her clothes in kerosene and set fire to them'. Guleri marries Manak for love, whereas Mary marries Mr. Watts for competitive and materialistic reasons. read less