Feminism in Lady Susan Abi Bacon College

The French philosopher Jacques Rousseau had a great influence upon Romantic writers with his radical yet traditional views on education; where he believed that women’s education was considerably different to that of a man. He famously said; ‘the women’s entire education should be planned in relation to men. To please men, to be useful to them, to win their love and respect, care for them as adults… these are women’s duties in all ages and these are what they should be taught from childhood.’ In actual fact, this essay will question the extent in which Austen challenges social expectations and strays from Rousseau by creating the character of Lady Susan. This is enacted is through strong female connections and a reversal on the typical patriarchal society, and by doing so Austen has written a novel that can arguably be interpreted as a feminist text. Specifically, I will look at letter two, addressed to Mrs Johnson, which provides the reader with a more detailed insight into communication between the female protagonist and her closest friend Alicia. The contact between the two women is significant as the letter comically introduces Lady Susan’s ‘true’ self, as opposed to the way she behaves around other characters in the novel,...