Summary

The speaker reflects on the contemporary acceptance of Regency-era writer Jane Austen. The speaker finds her work slightly overdone and trite, and yet they can’t deny Austen’s sharp gaze into people. For example, the title character of Emma was once called out for her ingratious behavior. The speaker turns their attention to some of the notorious men of Austen’s novels, whose villainous actions contrast everything marriage is supposed to be. These stories act as a sort of philosophy of religion and spirituality. The speaker admits that malicious gossip is human nature. Returning to the present, the speaker examines a memorial to the author. They think about how Jane Austen would have felt about it, imploring her to teach them the absurdity of their own life. They close by referencing the heroine of one of Austen’s novels, whose philosophy of poetry...