A Man's Home is His Castle: A Look at the Relationship Between Fathers and Children in the Novels of Jane Austen

In western society, the father is one of, if not the most, significant roles possible for a man. In the 18th C bourgeois family, he was especially crucial. In the novels of Jane Austen, the father, even when absent, is a central figure: Dead fathers influence their children by their lack of planning and absence, while a physically present, but mentally distant father has much the same effect. I will analyze how seemingly peripheral male characters within Jane Austen's novels react to their stations in life and try to manipulate them in a similar way to Austen's much analyzed and lauded female characters. Furthermore, I propose that the hidden restrictions in the different aspects of manhood create a lifestyle that is as constricting as that of the obviously narrow female bourgeois sphere. As men try to negotiate and succeed within the patriarchy, they often find the multiple responsibilities associated with manhood and masculinity to be a burden rather than a badge of honor. Traditionally, our society views the father as the hero of his family: a hero who is strong and silent, intelligent and shrewd, and capable of great passion. If a man fails to measure up to all of these essential qualities, he is unfit for his place within the patriarchal structure. I will discuss how the absence of certain of these qualities leads to difficulties for fathers and their families in the Austen novels.