Austen's Guide to Happiness

Wendy Squires in today’s The Saturday Age  (Even pregnant women are only human 09/02/13) answers this question. In response to the Chrissie Swan controversy, (she got caught smoking while pregnant) she discusses the time so called friends, dumped on another friend for a minor misdemeanor rather than showing compassion and empathy.  Intrinsic in Squire’s article is the belief that we all have flaws and should not judge others too harshly. Are you thinking of the proverb, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones? So what does Austen show us about friendship? Positive friendships survive even when a change in circumstances might make them a bit more challenging. In the Austen Six a variety of characters, and they are all the heroes or heroines, show they value friendship.  Virtuous-but-Undervalued-Anne Elliot shows us what friendship is. She craves not only a lover but a different lifestyle away from the suffocating superficiality of her family. She wants to be friends with people because of their qualities and character not because of their position in the world. It is not unusual to be at odds with one’s family’s values. In Bath, she meets up with an old school friend who has fallen on difficult times:  Continue reading →