ANNE RICHARDSIowa State University and her B.A. in religious studiesGl - PDF document

ANNE RICHARDSIowa State University and her B.A. in religious studiesGlobalization, on faithand agency among women from four world religions. The Passion of The way Austen and her heroines seek to imitate Jesus is by learning the necessity ofloving their enemies, turning their other cheek, denying themselves, Þxing their faceson the heavenly Jerusalem, taking up their cross, and making the journey to the place oftheir metaphorical cruciÞxion. That place is the place oftheir atonement, their passion,their Òdeath,Ótheir resurrection, and their triumph over the fallenness ofÒthe world.ÓÑJane Austen and Religion, Michael Gi
  
     the question ofwhether Christian ideol-ogy plays a major role in Jane AustenÕs novels, this essay concludes, alongJane Austen and Religion: Salvation and Society in Geor-gian England, that Austen Òconducts her critique [ofGeorgian society] as adevout Christian believerÓ(2). Critics sympathetic to this view include GaryKelly, who writes that ÒAustenÕs novels can be read as representing the protag-onistÕs destiny according to an Anglican view ofthe human conditionÓ(166),and Marilyn Butler, who labels Austen a Òconservative Christian moralistÓ(164).To many readers it may seem self-evident that Austen is a Christianwriter. But Gin observes that historical research and textual criticism in theTwentieth Century illuminated the religious turn ofAustenÕs novels only 141 The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in i 142 after the retreat ofthe academic study ofEnglish literature. Such study was,nÕs view, Òexplicitly or implicitly hostile to what one can looselydescribe as the traditional western and Christian world-viewÓ(2), and aca-demic critics tended to accuse Òthose who did try to read [AustenÕs] novelsfrom a philosophical or theological perspective . . . ofeither over-reading ormisreading.ÓHis observation echoes that ofMary Augusta Austen-Leigh,AustenÕs great niece, who bemoaned the propensity ofcritics unsympathetictowards Anglicanism to misunderstand AustenÕs character and especially herreligious sensibility. Austen-Leigh noted, for instance, that one French criticcharacterized AustenÕs temperament in a way Òso mistaken as to be in somerespects exactly the reverse ofthe truthÓ(93); in fact, Austen possessed aÒpiety which ruled her in life and supported her in deathÓ(94). Among themany readers who missed this point was G. K. Chesterton, who believedAusten to be Òsupremely irreligiousÓ(503; cited in Mudrick 150).Such a claim suggests a profound ignorance ofAustenÕs life, at least.AustenÕs father, a Òscholarly country vicarÓ(Brown 5), considered it his dutyto inculcate in his children an appreciation ofAnglicanism. Two ofhis sonsbecame clergymen, and Ò[u]nder [his] guidance, Jane learnt to regard Chris-tianity as a reasonable and practical doctrine which made sense in this worldas well as oering hope for the nextÓ(Collins xviii). Her life and thoughtswere guided by the religious principles he had instilled in her, and the manyprayers she composed for her family bespeak a humble devotion, e.g.,May we now, and on each return ofnight, consider how the past dayhas been spent by us, what have been our prevailing thoughts, wordsand actions during it, and how far we can acquit ourselves ofevil.Have we . . . disobeyed the commandments, have we neglected anyknown duty, or willingly given pain to any human being? Inclineour hearts to ask these questions oh! God, and save us fromdeceiving ourselves by pride or vanity. (Minor WorksBy the standards ofthis century, AustenÕs every day was overfull ofreligiousduties and rituals, and she developed, not surprisingly, Òinto an assiduousreader ofsermons and a sharp critic ofthose she heard delivered from the pul-pitÓ(Collins 52). Valerie Grosvenor Myer, who, like other biographers,believes that AustenÕs Christianity was ÒsincereÓ(236; see also James Austen-Leigh, Cecil, and Collins), notes that Austen especially approved ofBishopSherlockÕs sermons, which Òemphasized selfknowledge.Óselfprofoundly indebted to her own religious upbringing (Collins 236), asindicated by a prayer she composed which implored God Òabove all other blessings . . . to quicken our sense ofthe value ofthat holy religion in whichwe have been brought up, that we may not, by our own neglect, throw awaythe salvation thou hast given usÓ(Minor Works454). Like her life, her deathwas, for the time, an unremarkably pious one. According to Cecil, during thelast stages ofwhat probably was AddisonÕs disease, Òshe fortiÞed her spiritwith frequent prayers and regular religious reading. One or other ofher twoclergymen brothers, James and Henry, used to read the service with her as anaid to devotionÓ(196). When informed late in July 1817 that she did not havelong to live, she Òtook the news calmly but asked ifshe might have the Sacramentadministered to her while she was still able to realize its full signiÞcanceÓ(198). Her sister-in-law Mary, who nursed the invalid faithfully, reported to arelative that Austen was Òresigned and composed, a believing ChristianÓ(Myer 235). Her Þnal words, delivered to Cassandra, were ÒPray for me, ohpray for me!Ó(Cecil 198). At AustenÕs request, she was buried in WinchesterCathedral. In short, it is consistent with the evidence ofher life and death toassert that Austen was Òa devout Anglican who [accepted] the canonicaltruths presented in Jewish and Christian scripture, and who [assented] to thetheological truths presented in the Book ofCommon PrayerÓ(GiMany twentieth-century scholars, however, have Òquestioned the rele-vance ofAustenÕs religion to her Þctional artÓ(Kelly 154). For instance, in anexchange ofletters in the Times Literary SupplementofJanuary and February1944, Q. D. Leavis argues that ÒAustenÕs personal beliefs could only interestthe literary critic ifthey were manifested in the novels.ÓIn the same vein,Laurence Lerner (1967) states that Òhowever pious Austen the person mayhave been, Austen the novelist did not believe in God, because Ôa beliefor avalue only matters artistically ifit is artistically presentÕ in the writerÕs workÓ(20, cited in Kelly). As the current essay will attempt to demonstrate, AustenÕsconÞdence in the spiritual hope cherished by her parents, and her admirationfor behavior reßecting Christian morality, are evident in the themes, imagery,and narrative structure ofWayne Booth attributes to the character ÒJane AustenÓgenerosity, pen-etrating judgment, tenderness, impartiality, an ability to see into the heart,morality, and wisdom (265)Ñall qualities associated with the Christian God.Indeed, Booth considers ÒJane AustenÓa ÒperfectÓcharacter:When we read [] we accept [Austen] as representing every-thing we admire most. She is as generous as Knightley; in fact, sheis a shade more penetrating in her judgment. She is as subtle andwitty as Emma would like to think herself. Without being senti- 143 The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in 144 mental she is in favor oftenderness. She is able to put an adequatebut not excessive value on wealth and rank. She recognizes a foolwhen she sees one, but unlike Emma she knows that it is bothimmoral and foolish to be rude to fools. She is, in short, a perfecthuman being, within the concept ofperfection established by thebooks she writes. (265)Christian ideology provides a foundation on which Austen constructs this ethosand is qualiÞed to mete punishment, to bestow reward, and to survey theworld with a conÞdent detachment unlooked for in an impoverished, depen-dent second daughter ofa country parson. In this regard, Austen follows thetradition ofMargaret Fell and may be seen as a forerunner ofwriters such asCharlotte and Anne Bront‘, and Margaret Fuller and Louisa May Alcott. Kelly writes that the plots ofAustenÕs novels are Òconsistent with anAnglican reading ofhuman history as a form ofromance journey in which anomniscient yet benevolent deity presides over a historical plot ofhuman error,fall, and redemption by both free will and grace, and which instructs thereader to hope for and aspire to redemptionÓ(165). In the absence ofAustenÕsstaunch faith, there would have been no Òbenevolent dietyÓofthe novels asKelly intuits it and no ÒperfectÓÒJane AustenÓas Booth constructs her. Herspiritual conÞdence sets her narratives apart from those ofModern novelistssuch as Henry James (The Rhetoric ofFictionpassim) and certainly helpsaccount for her enduring popularity. In addition to being a sublime stylist,ironist, and dramatist, Austen deftly conveys the certitude ÒGodÕs in Hisheaven: AllÕs right with the world.ÓSome have ascribed to AustenÕs novels an overarching irony underwhich no ideology should be taken seriously. Prefacing A Rhetoric ofIronywith an anecdote illustrating this misapprehension, Booth relates a discussionhe has had with a student who is certain that Pride and Prejudicethrough and through. Assertions ofthis type Òraise something ofa problem,ÓBooth explains, for they indicate Òa world in which many critics insist on thevalue ofmultiple readings, on the Ôopen-endednessÕ ofall ironic literature, andon the insecurity, or even relativity, ofall critical viewsÓ(3). Eschewing thisassumption ofradical postmodern critique, Booth argues that although anauthor uses irony episodically within a novel, that novel may yet contain aÒsincereÓmessage that ultimately prevails over irony. Having sketched the likelihood that Austen was a devout Anglican, thisessay will examine the subtle ways in which Austen infuses with Christian ideology by manipulating theme, imagery, and plot. The main characters ofare believable admixtures ofthose traits named in the novelÕs title. Yet there is one place in which individ-uals are either ÒsenseÓor ÒsensibilityÓcharactersÑand that is the mind ofMarianne Dashwood. Marianne denies as a matter ofcourse the sensibility,and thus the humanity, ofany person who is not a convert to her Romanticcult, who does not feel about feeling precisely as she does. The novelÕs title,then, depicts MarianneÕs Weltanschauung. By separating herselfemotionallyfrom the vast majority ofher family and acquaintances, whom she believescannot feel, Marianne disregards the foundational Christian commandmentÑlove ofneighbor, or charity.For their lack ofsensibility, Marianne harshly judges nearly everyoneshe knows. She tells her mother that she does not believe Edward Ferrarscapable ofemotion and states, ÒÔIt would have broke my heart to hear him readwith so little sensibility. Mama, the more I know ofthe world, the more I amconvinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!ÕÓ(18). She Þnds fault with EdwardÕs personal appearance insofar asshe believes it reßects insensitivity: ÒÔHis eyes want all that spirit, that Þre,which at once announce virtue and intelligence. And besides this; I am afraid,Mama, he has no real taste . . .ÕÓ(17). She repeats the accusation ofColonelBrandon: ÒÔHe has neither genius, taste nor spirit,ÕÓshe pronounces. ÒÔHisunderstanding has no brilliancy, his feelings no ardour, and his voice noexpressionÕÓ(51). Mrs. Jennings, according to Marianne, ÒÔcannot feel. Herkindness is not sympathy; her good nature is not tendernessÕÓ(201). Marianneeven suggests that her sister lacks emotional depth: ÒÔElinor has not my feel-ings,ÕÓshe tells her mother, and ÒÔtherefore she may overlook [EdwardÕs dull-ness], and be happy with himÕÓ(18). For Marianne, Marianne is the measureofall things:With excellent abilities and an excellent disposition, [she] was nei-reasonable nor candid. She expected from other people the sameopinions and feelings as her own, and she judged oftheir motivesby the immediate eect oftheir actions on herself. (201Ð02)On Þrst glance, Marianne loves and respects only her mother andWilloughby, but actually, Marianne loves and respects only herself. ÒTheresemblance between her and her mother was strikingly greatÓ(6), and in theÞnal analysis any compliment Marianne pays her motherÕs sensibility or 145 The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in 146 nobility ofspirit has its source in what she admires most in herself. Mari-anneÕs egocentrism is clear in her creation ofthe fantasy ofWilloughby, ulti-mately an extension ofher self-love. ÒÔI could not be happy,ÕÓsays Marianne,ÒÔWith a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own. Hemust enter into all my feelings; the same books, the same music must charmus bothÕÓ(17). The two young people have a Ògeneral conformity ofjudge-ment in all that related to eitherÓ(47), but it is clear that this conformity isnot authentic: Marianne demands compliance, and Willoughby is enamored[MarianneÕs] favorite authors were brought forward and dweltupon with so rapturous a delight, that any young man ofÞve andtwenty must have been insensible indeed, not to become an imme-diate convert to the excellence ofsuch works, however disre-garded before. Their taste was strikingly alike. The same books,the same passages were idolized by eachÑor, ifany diappeared, it lasted no longer than till the force ofher argumentsand the brightness ofher eyes could be displayed. He acquiescedin all her decisions [and] caught all her enthusiasms. (47)Although Marianne has ÒÔscarcely allowed sorrow to exist but with[herself]ÕÓ(346), she awakens morally at the end ofthe novel and no longerimagines herselfseparated from the rest ofhumanity by an extraordinarysensibility. Because she is a character ofÒsenseÓas well as Òsensibility,Óandbecause her ÒÔillness [makes her] thinkÕÓ(345), she is capable ofreform. Oneexample may suce to illustrate the transformation wrought in MarianneÕsattitude towards her own and othersÕ sensibilities after her illness. WhenMarianne learns from Elinor ofWilloughbyÕs arrival at the PalmersÕ and ofhis confession, she does not seek encouragement Òin the violence ofher ationÓ(7), nor does she consider herselfonly, regarding the matter. Rather, sheconsiders Þrst the feelings ofher mother:A thousand inquiries sprung up from her heart, but she dared noturge one. . . . As soon as they entered the house, Marianne, with akiss ofgratitude, and these two words just articulate through hertears, ÒTell Mama,Ówithdrew from her sister and walked slowlyupstairs. Elinor would not attempt to disturb a solitude so rea-sonable as what she now sought. (348)Marianne tells Elinor that ÒÔthe future must be [her] proof. . . . [her] feelingsshall be governed and [her] temper improved. They shall no longer worryothers, not torture [herself]ÕÓ(347). Evidence that MarianneÕs illness and transformation are meant to be understood in terms ofa rebirth in Christappears in AustenÕs use ofreligious imagery and allusion throughout thenovel, especially in narrating the heroineÕs involvement with Willoughby. 
Willoughby personiÞes spiritual ruination, and Austen signiÞes this byher use ofChristian imagery in relating his story. To the extent that self-lovecorrupts him, Willoughby represents one ofthe moral alternatives facingMarianne. Because he is addicted to pleasure, he has chosen his god, and it isMammon. His one distress is his fettered estate; he has no inkling ofhis spir-itual bankruptcy, and he cherishes a faith that ÒÔthe death of[his] old cousin,Mrs. Smith, [is] to set [him] freeÕÓ(320). When this relation does not die, heabandons Marianne, whom he adores, for Miss Grey, whom he despises. Thefact that he has leagued himselfwith the devil is the basis ofthe imagery heÒWhat a sweet Þgure I cut. What an evening ofagony it was! Mar-ianne, beautiful as an angel, on one side, calling me Willoughby insuch a tone!ÑO GodÑholding out her hand to me, asking me foran explanation with those bewitching eyes Þxed in such speakingsolicitude on my face! And Sophia, jealous as the devil, on theother hand looking all that wasÑwell, it does not signify; it isover now.Ó(327)When Elinor sees Willoughby for that last time, she starts Òback with alook ofhorror at the sight ofhim,Óobeying Òthe Þrst impulse ofher heart inturning instantly to quit the roomÓ(317). Willoughby prevails on her to lis-ten and throughout his speech utters the word four times; the devilheartblesseddiaboli-heaven. Like Marianne, Willoughbyhas been called on to make the moral choice, but he chooses darkness. Indeed,the only certain knowledge the reader gains from his confession is that heregrets he is no longer happy and that Marianne is welcome to continue herrelationship with him now that he is married. MarianneÕs moral journey, too, is punctuated by Christian imagery.When Marianne Þrst meets Willoughby, she isÑas the reader learns in anincidental conversationÑon ÒHigh Church DownÓ(60). She is running to herfamilyÕs cottage when she trips and sprains her ankle. ÒÔThere, exactly there,ÕÓshe tells Elinor, ÒÔOn that projecting moundÑthere I fell; and there I Þrstsaw WilloughbyÕÓ(344). As the reader infers from the story ofthe young 147 The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in 148 Eliza, from the moment ofmeeting him, Marianne has been in danger ofslip-ping from her adolescent self-absorption into his hedonism. Her impetuosityplaces her at especial risk.Marianne falls, but she is also resurrected. For AustenÕs active protago-nists, writes Kelly, Òthe turning point is an act ofself-abnegation or humilitythat could be described as Christian and that seems to occur against the runofthe plot and thus to be providential, or the eect ofgraceÓ(163). After Mar-ianne contracts an infection during the Easter season, it seems she will notlive, but despite the failure ofthe doctorÕs medicines and a prolonged fever,she revives. Immediately after WilloughbyÕs exit, Elinor returns to Mari-anneÕs room to Þnd her sister Òjust awaking [from unconsciousness],refreshed by so long and sweet a sleep to the extent of[ElinorÕs] hopesÓ(333). What follows is the unveiling ofa remarkable change in Marianne. Heremotions have become Òtoo natural . . . to raise anything less tender than pityÓin Elinor. Marianne has ÒÔscarcely allowed sorrow to exist but with [herself]Ó(346), but her ÒÔillness has made [her] thinkÕÓ(345), and she repents ofherformer behavior:ÒLong before I was enough recovered to talk, I was perfectly ableto reßect. I considered the past: I saw in my own behavior, sincethe beginning ofour acquaintance with him last autumn, nothingbut a series ofimprudences towards myselfand want ofkindnessto others. I saw that my own feeling had prepared my suerings,and that my want offortitude under them had almost led me to thegrave. . . . I wonder at my recoveryÑwonder that the very eager-ness ofmy desire to live, to have time for atonement to my God,and to you all, did not kill me at once.Ó(345Ð46)The language Marianne uses to describe how she envisions her new life withElinor is, like WilloughbyÕs speech to Elinor, noteworthy for the denseness ofits Christian imagery:ÒWhen the weather is settled, and I have recovered my strength,Óshe said, Òwe will take long walks together every day. We will walkto the farm at the edge ofthe [High Church] down, and see howthe children go on; we will walk to Sir JohnÕs new plantation andBarton Cross, and the Abbeyland; and we will often go to the ruinsofthe Priory, and try to trace its foundations as far as we are toldthey once reached. I know we shall be happy.Ó(343)Marianne vows that henceforth WilloughbyÕs memory ÒÔshall be regulated, it shall be checked by religion, by reason, by constant employmentÕÓ(347), andthat she will ÒÔlive solely for [her] familyÕÓ(347). MarianneÕs illness is muchmore than a physical episode: it is a spiritual rebirth. In addition to the general theme ofthe need to cultivate charity, and thereligious imagery used in conjunction with MarianneÕs illness and her rela-tionship with Willoughby, there is at least one other aspect ofthat points to the centrality ofMarianneÕs Christian journey. Theaction ofthe novel can be seen as conforming to one pattern; and this pattern,as having its point ofreference in her ÒrebirthÓ(see Figure).The two sets ofrelationships mapped in Figure One mirror each other.Willoughby and Lucy Steele (A) are both avaricious: Willoughby is unusuallyhandsome, and RobertÕs objections aside, the Dashwood sisters must ac-knowledge LucyÕs Òconsiderable beautyÓ(120). Willoughby and Lucy are eager,ectedly open communicators: ÒLong before [WilloughbyÕs Þrst] visit con-cluded [with Marianne], they conversed with the familiarity ofa long-estab-lished acquaintanceÓ(47); similarly, Lucy early singles Elinor out as the targetofan Òeasy and frank communication ofher sentimentsÓ(127). Willoughbycalculates that the death ofhis aunt, and later Miss Grey, will secure his for-tune and freedom; and Lucy, that the death ofMrs. Ferrars, and then the deathofthe incumbent at Norland, will secure hers. Finally, Lucy and Willoughbyare both associated with frivolity during the Christmas holidays. Willoughbydances from eight to four on the previous Christmas, and Lucy and her sisterare Òprevailed on to stay nearly two months at the Park, and assist in the duecelebration ofthat festival which requires a more than ordinary share ofpri-vate balls and large dinners to proclaim its importanceÓ(152).On Þrst glance, Miss Grey and Robert (B) may seem to have little incommon, but in fact they share their most salient characteristic: nondescrip-tion. Miss Grey is Òa very fashionable-looking young womanÓ(176) whomeven Mrs. Jennings has nothing to say about. ÒÔI never heard any harm ofher,ÕÓthat good woman tells Elinor, ÒÔIndeed, I hardly ever heard her men-tionedÕÓ(194). Robert, too, is a person offashion and inconsequence. Whenthe Dashwood sisters are introduced to him, his broad stare Òimprinted onElinor the remembrance ofa person ofstrong, natural, sterling insigni-Þcance, though adorned in the Þrst style offashionÓ(220, 221).The similarities between Colonel Brandon and Elinor (D) are clear. Nei- 149 The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in 150 ther character ever entertains high hopes ofmarrying the beloved. Evenbefore EdwardÕs engagement to Lucy is generally known, Elinor is Òfar fromdepending on that result ofhis preference for her, which her mother and sis-ter still considered as certainÓ(22); and even after Willoughby has married,Mrs. Dashwood tells Elinor that Colonel Brandon thinks ÒÔMarianneÕs ation too deeply rooted for any change in it under a great length oftime, andeven supposed her heart again free, is too dident ofhimselfto believe, thaterence ofage, and disposition, he could ever attach herÕÓ(338). Despite ElinorÕs and EdwardÕs realistic appraisals, Elinor cannot keepherselffrom being secretly and painfully in love with Edward, nor canColonel Brandon prevent himselffrom loving Marianne. Most important,both Elinor and Colonel Brandon personify charity, scrupulously performingÒÔwith gentleness and forebearanceÕÓthe virtues that Marianne sets for her-selfupon reformation: ÒÔthe civilities, the lesser duties oflifeÕÓ(347).Marianne and Edward (C) are the only positive characters who are cen-tral to the lives ofthe others and consequently occupy the focal points ofthe dia-grams. Marianne has been mistakenly attached to Willoughby, for she believeshe is a much better man than he is; and Edward has been mistakenly attached,ABABJohnSophiaLucyRobertWilloughbyGreySteeleFerrarsColonelJohnElinorLucyBrandonWilloughbyDashwoodSteeleDEDEMarianneEdward DashwoodFerrars Figure. The centrality ofMarianne and Edward to the plot of as wellÑnot simply because he has made a promise he must keep but because,like Marianne, he has made an egregious error in judging character:Though his eyes had long been opened, even before his acquain-tance with Elinor began, to [LucyÕs] ignorance and a want oflib-erality in some ofher opinions, they had been equally imputed tohim by her want ofeducation; and till her last letter reached himhe had always believed her to be a well-disposed, good-heartedgirl, and thoroughly attached to himself. Nothing but such a per-suasion could have prevented his putting an end to [the] engage-As the plot spins out, the romantic statuses ofEdward and Marianne bothremain secret. Edward is engaged to Lucy although no one realizes this ini-tially, and Marianne is not engaged to Willoughby although no one realizesthis initially, either. The ÒengagementsÓend similarly: Edward and Marianneboth receive callous letters from the persons they once were attached to,informing them that the attachments are either obsolete or Þctitious. WhenWilloughby writes to Marianne, he returns her letters to him and a lock ofher hair; when Lucy writes to Edward, she requests that he burn her lettersto him, ÒÔbut the ring, with my hair, you are very welcome to keepÕÓ(365). Furthermore, Marianne is abandoned for Miss Grey, and Edward isabandoned for Robert (AÐB). The choices are not remarkable: Willoughbyhas chosen Miss Grey for her money, and Lucy has chosen Robert for his.EdwardÕs Þnancial position is as attractive to Lucy as MarianneÕs is toWilloughby, and both replacements are inferior (BÐC). When Lucy abandonsEdward, his conscience is free to choose Elinor; when Willoughby abandonsMarianne, her heart is free to choose Colonel Brandon (CÐD).Willoughby and Colonel Brandon, like Lucy and Elinor, are foils (DÐE).Colonel Brandon and Willoughby are jealous ofeach other, as are Elinor andLucy. Colonel Brandon suers because he knows the truth about Willoughby;and Elinor, because she knows the truth about Lucy. Colonel Brandon revealsthe history ofthe younger Eliza to Elinor, summarizing: ÒÔ[WilloughbyÕs]character is now before youÑexpensive, dissipated and worse than both.Knowing all this, as I have known it many weeks, guess what I must have felton seeing your sister as fond ofhim as everÕÓ(120). Elinor does not believethat Edward can ever be happy with Lucy. ÒCould he, were his aection forherselfout ofthe question, with his integrity, delicacy, and well-informedmind, be satisÞed with a wife like herÑilliterate, artful, and selÞsh?Óand sheweeps Òfor him more than for herselfÓ(140).Finally, Willoughby confesses that he had no real love for Marianne 151 The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in 152 when he engaged her regard, and evidently Lucy had no more for Edwardwhen she engaged his honor (CÐE).AustenÕs structuring ofthe main action in this manner is not an artiÞcebut points to the centrality ofthe theme ofMarianneÕs rebirth as Christianpenitent. MarianneÕs conßict with Willoughby is a private battle symbolizinga universal one. The conßict between Edward and Lucy, however, is not inter-nal and has no universal implications. EdwardÕs release from LucyÕs power isthe result ofcircumstance alone. And Austen is remarkably clear about this,giving Edward a mock salvation at the hands ofhis mother, and thereby onceagain referring the reader to the novelÕs true salvation storyÑMarianneÕs.After a proper resistance on the part ofMrs. Ferrars, . . . Edward wasadmitted to her presence, and pronounced again to be her son. . . . . . . For many years ofher life she had two sons, but the crimeand annihilation ofEdward, a few weeks ago, had robbed her ofone; the similar annihilation ofRobert had left her for a fortnightwithout any; and now, by the resuscitation ofEdward, she had oneagain. . . . In spite ofbeing allowed once more to live, however, he didnot feel the continuance ofhis existence secure, till he revealed hispresent engagement; for the publication ofthat circumstance, hefeared might give a sudden turn to his constitution, and carry himas rapidly as before. (373)Edward has never been in danger ofalienating a moral God; he has been indanger only ofoending his mother. That his mother resurrects him isanother circumstance, another exteriority, for which Edward bears noresponsibility and harbors little concern. When told that he should write toher and beg her forgiveness, he refuses, saying, ÒÔI am grown neither humblenor penitent by what has passedÕÓ(372). But MarianneÕs rebirth is deeplyheartfelt: she is painfully eager ÒÔto have time for atonement to [her] GodÕÓ(346). ÒÔMy spirit is humbled,ÕÓshe asserts, ÒÔmy heart amendedÕÓ(347). The actions ofElinor, Robert, and Lucy Þnd their common reference inEdward, just as the actions ofWilloughby, Miss Grey, and Colonel BrandonÞnd theirs in Marianne. But because ofEdwardÕs moral maturity, the novelÕsaction strains for the illumination ofthat struggle taking place in MarianneÕsyoung and passionate heart. is a novel about MarianneDashwoodÑnot for the reasons Romantically inclined readers might like togive, but because MarianneÕs passion is the focus ofthe dramaticaction ofthe novel. This essay has supported GienÕs claim that Austen Òis a Christianhumanist, not a secular humanistÑshe is an Anglican author who writesChristian storiesÓ(27). And, like Gien, I have suggested that ifAustenÕsÒreaders, her biographers, and her literary criticsÑfail to grasp the central-ity ofthat fact and do not rise to the challenge that it presents to reading andbiography and criticism, then we will misunderstand her life and misread hernovels at their most profound level ofinterpretation.ÓA close reading ofindicates that critical interest in AustenÕs religious ideology isappropriate, for MarianneÕs ÒChristian romanceÓprovides the novel its focus.Marianne is the one character whose worldview embraces the false dilemmaofthe novelÕs title, the one character who walks safely through a forest ofreli-gious imagery, and the one character who develops internally and aroundwhose pilgrimage Austen structures her story.
1.Chesterton expounded that AustenÕs Òvery virtues glitter with the cold sunlight ofthe greatsecular epoch between medieval and modern mysticism.ÓPerhaps his conversion to RomanCatholicism left him unsympathetic towards certain Humanist and Enlightenment elements ofthe Anglican worldview.2.JaneÕs familiarity with the ecclesiastical profession extended far beyond her father and theBishop. In Jane Austen: The ParsonÕs Daughter(1998), Irene Collins suggests the substantial rolethat clergymen played in the authorÕs experience. Her maternal grandfather and her great uncle had been clergymen; so were hergodfather, one ofher uncles, two ofher brothers and four ofher cousins. Her sis-ter became engaged to a clergyman and ofthe young men who are known orbelieved to have been JaneÕs suitors three were clergy. She was acquainted with agreat many other clergymen, for they were thick on the ground in rural areas,where the rest ofthe population was small. . . . JaneÕs published correspondencealone mentions over ninety clergymen with whom she was acquainted. (Austen was as knowledgeable about the clerical life as an unmarried woman ofher time waslikely to be. 3.Note that the syllables ofher name, spoken backwards, read Òwould dash and marry.Ó4.The reader, incidentally, Þrst meets Robert in Mr. GrayÕs shop. The Passion ofMarianne Dashwood: Christian Rhetoric in 154  

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