The Wollstonecraft-Austen connection

Val Perales, Pilar
Royo Grasa, Mª Pilar (dir.)

Universidad de Zaragoza, FFYL, 2023

Graduado en Estudios Ingleses

Resumen: The present study looks at the works titled A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792) and Pride and Prejudice (1813), published by Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen respectively. Both works are analyzed and discussed from a feminist point of view considering the respective historical contexts in which they were written.
The first part of the dissertation, offers an overview of the personal situation and experiences of each author. As my dissertation shows, the socio-historical context in which they lived played a relevant role in the issues they discussed and denounced in their works. Then, the second section provides an analysis and discussion of the main feminist themes discussed in each work: namely, Wollstonecraft and Austen’s critique of women’s education, gender stereotypes and the view of marriage as a social imposition. Finally, the dissertation includes an in-depth comparative analysis of the strategies each author used to raise awareness of women’s precarious situation to criticize the social norms that govern their society, being irony one of the Jane Austen’s most efficient strategy.
By dint of conclusion, it may be argued that Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen were both pioneers in the feminist movement. They were two brave women who, despite the social restrictions, managed to successfully convey the message of freedom and gender esqulity supported by feminism in their literary prodution.

Tipo de Trabajo Académico: Trabajo Fin de Grado