Wikipedia:Jane Austen

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Characterizing Jane Austen as a romance writer is at best disputed,[1] and at worst a misconception.[2][3] Austen wrote novels of manners, with some elements of love and relationships that are vehicles for social commentary.

Modern movie adaptations about Austen's books have lead to a misunderstanding of Austen's work.[4] To quote blogger Lauren Herbert (Quora):

Austen’s novels are littered with pragmatism. Characters are frequently “punished” for being too focused on romance and sensibility, and not enough on prudence and sense. For example: Mrs Price marries for love (and to disoblige her family) and it does not turn out well for her. She ends up very poor, with too many children and not enough money.[5]

The premises of these narratives are fundamentally different from the romance genre, where romance is idealized. While it might be appropriate to discuss the love and relationship elements of Austen in articles, that discussion should be clearly contextualized and grounded in Austen's characterization, first and foremost, as a writer of social commentary.

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