The Sense of Humor of Jane Austen

Jane Austen was a prolific writer for a number of reasons, but one element of her writing that set her apart from her contemporaries was that the lady had laughs! Whether it was bumbling rich folk, men obsessed with their social status, or women desperately searching for a marriable man, Austen let ’em have it. Let’s get into just what made Jane Austen’s humor so sensibly funny.

Looking From the Outside In

Austen herself decided not to marry and instead devote her life to her work and her family. Without the hassle of trying to find a man, Austen got a rare gaze into just how ridiculous many women in her society were.

A prime example of this is Mrs. Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice.” The woman was a little cuckoo about getting her daughters married, and her over-the-top nature exemplified what Austen felt was almost an epidemic at that point.

Eat the Rich!

One thing that was pervasive in Jane Austen’s society was the eternal and fruitless search for social status. Nothing was ever enough, and people didn’t care if they were intelligent or giving so long as they were rich. A sad sight, to be sure, and Austen felt the same. That’s why she subtly shaded all of them in many of her books. Crack open “Pride and Prejudice” and just marvel at how out-of-touch many of the characters seem. That isn’t you as a 21st-century reader not connecting to the time period of the book, they are just totally unrelatable.

Shady Queen

It wasn’t just in her books that Austen’s quick wit shone, you could see it in her personal correspondence, too. She called people who didn’t read books idiots, she bemoaned the existence of men, and she constantly mocked silly little girls who fawned over boys.

The best part is that she did this all in the 1800s, so she sounded real fancy doing it.