Love and Friendship
by Jane Austen
'Love and Friendship' Summary
Letter The First
From Isabel to Laura
This presents a glimpse into the life of Laura from Isabel's perspective. Isabel asks Laura to tell the "misfortunes and adventures" of her life to Isabel's daughter Marianne (Austen 516). Isabel argues that because Laura is turning 55, she is past the danger of "disagreeable lovers" and "obstinate fathers" (Austen 516). This initial letter sets up the rest of Austen's narrative through Laura's letters to Marianne.
Letter The Second
Laura to Isabel
This consists of a reply from Laura to Isabel. Laura initially disagrees with Isabel's assessment that she is safe from "misfortunes" simply because of her advanced age (Austen 516). Laura agrees to write to Marianne and detail her life experiences to "satisfy the curiosity of Marianne" and to teach her useful lessons (Poplawski 183). The useful lessons are lessons learned from the misfortunes caused by "disagreeable lovers" and "obstinate fathers" (Poplawski 183). Poplawski highlights the importance of the relationship between females and their lovers and also between females and their fathers as a means through which Austen is able to criticise stereotypical female behaviour. As seen throughout the work, these two relationships are constantly criticised by satirical anecdotes. Janetta's relations with her father and with her lover, Capitan M’Kenzie in the twelfth letter, shows Austen mocking the fickleness of family ties and romantic relationships.
Letter The Third
Laura to Marianne
Laura's narrative to Marianne begins in the third letter and continues through to the 15th letter. In the 3rd, Laura gives a brief overview of the origins of her parents, her birth in Spain, and her education in a convent in France. At 18, Laura returns to her parents’ home in Wales. Laura pauses to describe herself at this age. She emphasises her "accomplishments", which in that period would have been things that made a woman a better companion for her future husband (Austen 516). Laura ends the letter by posing the idea that her misfortunes in life “do not make less impression… than they ever did,” but that her accomplishments have begun to fade (Austen 517). The uncertainty of Laura's memory causes Austen's work to resemble a fairy tale in its qualities of ambiguity.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1790Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Jane Austen
England
Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often...
More on Jane AustenDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books
A Gentleman of Leisure by P. G. Wodehouse
A wealthy, love-sick bachelor, crooks, and card-sharps ensconced in an English castle make for a classic Wodehousian comedy of star-crossed lovers, im...
The Life Everlasting: A Reality of Romance by Marie Corelli
In this thought-provoking novel, Marie Corelli explores the nature of reality and the possibility of an afterlife. "The Life Everlasting: A Reality o...
Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas
The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later is a novel by Alexandre Dumas. It is the third and last of The d'Artagnan Romances, following The Three Mus...
Maria Chapdelaine by Louis Hemon
Maria Chapdelaine is a romance novel written in 1913 by the French writer Louis Hémon, who was then residing in Quebec. Aimed at French and Quebec ado...
Mrs. Armytage, or Female Domination by Catherine Grace Frances Gore
In the heart of Victorian society, where social class and appearances reign supreme, Mrs. Armytage stands as a formidable matriarch, wielding her infl...
The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain
Imagine what it was like to be the first man and woman on Earth. What would you write in your diary? The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain is a h...
Moods by Louisa May Alcott
A story of love, loss, and redemption. Moods is a novel by Louisa May Alcott that tells the story of Sylvia Yule, a young woman who is struggling to...
The Harvester by Gene Stratton-Porter
This is a captivating novel that transports readers to a bygone era of simplicity and natural beauty. Originally published in 1911, this timeless work...
Pearl Maiden by H. Rider Haggard
Pearl-Maiden: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem is a novel by H Rider Haggard.This is the story of Miriam, an orphan Christian woman living in Rome in t...
Wired Love: A Romance of Dots and Dashes by Ella Cheever Thayer
It is a captivating novel that explores the complexities of love and communication in the digital age. Written in 1880, this groundbreaking work delve...
Reviews for Love and Friendship
No reviews posted or approved, yet...