jan 1, 1818 - The Damsel in Distress

Description:

During the Romantic Era, Mary Shelley publishes "Frankenstein," in which the primary female character is sidelined and undeveloped. Shelley, in her personal life, broke boundaries, as did her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley's writing, however, did little to challenge the prevailing conception of feminine behavior.

Jane Austen, also writing during the Romantic Era, challenges the "damsel in distress" image of women by peopling her stories with women who gratefully receive help but do not require rescuing: Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, Anne Eliot, and Fanny Price. She contrasts these dignified, mature protagonists with silly or immature characters who are shown to learn through folly and mistakes, if they learn at all: Lydia, Bennet, Catherine Morland, Marianne Dashwood, and Emma Woodhouse.

For reference:
Emma, Jane Austen
Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
Persuasion, Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley