 |
| (2010 - hardcover - 256 pp.) |
David
Selwyn, the chairman of the Jane Austen Society and a leading authority in his
field (editor of the Annual JAS Report since 2001, and author of numerous works and articles on Austen), does a remarkable job highlighting her relationship with children in her
novels in his 2010 book, “Jane Austen and Children.” Although not a mother
herself, Austen’s works examine the relationships of children and their
parents, as well as the role of children in society, how children function as
models of behavior, and the nature of childhood. Austen understands that
childhood and parenthood are multi-faceted, and Selwyn too knows that in order
to investigate Austen’s interpretation of childhood, he must come at it from a
multi-dimensional perspective. His expansive work highlights the unseen child
as well as the historical background surrounding parenting and the morals of
childrearing in this time.
One of the most effective aspects of Jane Austen and Children is the way in which Selwyn
demonstrates how the unseen child is sometimes just as important as the child
that is explicitly illustrated, as he shows how children who are not present in
the novels are just as important as those who are. In a time when many women
and children died during the arduous process of childbirth, it is significant
to note how important it is that many of the family members who were not alive
had just as important of an impact on the family sphere as those who were. As
far as birth practices go, one of the most fascinating aspects of the novel was
Selwyn's in depth look at the birthing practices of this time, a load of
information that would make any modern mother thankful she was not alive in the
18th century.
