Jane Austen has the reputation of only writing about young women whose only interest in life was marriage and is often derided because of it. However, this is not true. She wrote about the relationships between men and women, the problems of women in her day and had some scathing criticisms of society - especially as it affected women.
Was she a feminist then? The answer is, of course, 'No' in today's sense of the word as meaning those who believe that men and women should be considered equal. Jane Austen would be amazed to see women studying at university, joining the workforce, and even being Prime Ministers and Presidents.
However, it can be argued that she was a forerunner of the feminists. Her heroines were not only interested in marriage and children, even though this was the only acceptable career for women. Emma, for example, tells Harriet that she doesn't want to get married at all and that women with their own money are always respectable. Elizabeth, who will be dependent on her family and at the mercy of Mr. Collins who holds the entail to the family house if she never marries, only wants to marry if she can find 'the very deepest love'. Fanny refuses Henry Crawford, a wealthy suitor, in spite of family outrage. Elizabeth actually refuses two proposals - one from the pompous Mr. Collins and one from the very handsome, wealthy Mr. Darcy.
Charlotte, who at 27 is worried about being dependent on her family, settles for Mr. Collins and is given short shrift by Elizabeth and the author seems to have a fairly low opinion of her as well.
Her heroines, apart from Catherine Rose in Northanger Abbey, are all intelligent and serious women, not silly. Catherine Rose is not so bright but exercises good judgment of character by disliking John Thorpe. In fact, Mr. Knightley tells Emma that no man wants a silly wife.
It is possible to also argue that Jane Austen believed that women should have careers - after all she had one herself. Elinor, in Sense and Sensibility, remarks to Edward how much she envies men being able to have careers.
In spite of all this, Jane Austen will still continue to be derided by many feminists and many men as well which is a pity. It is understandable if they don't like her writing (barely!) but deriding her for the wrong reasons is only stupid.
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