Surrogate Mothers in Jane Austen

Jane Austen created families of varying levels of dysfunction so effectively, that even young readers of today can relate to the story. In some, the mother was either deceased, not present, or just not the right person for the daughter to rely on. For example, Fanny, Emma, Elizabeth and Elinor all struggle because the very people who are supposed to be looking out for them prove to be completely unhelpful. These heroines may not be able to rely on their actual Mother (or Father) but there often are parental figures that they can turn to.

The mother in Pride and Prejudice is sympathetic, but silly, eccentric and irresponsible. Mr. Bennett is contemptuous to his wife and younger daughters; except for Elizabeth (his favorite) he spends the majority of his time in his library.

In Emma, the mother is dead. She must've been clever because where else would Emma get it, but there must have been a lack of discipline of Emma. Mr. Woodhouse is almost a caricature, so he can by no means be accused of giving rational support, but he is "everywhere beloved for the friendliness of his heart and his amiable temper", and to Emma "most affectionate, indulgent father". I would say that Mr. Woodhouse is always concerned and caring, his only fault as father is being too indulgent. Of course, it would be better to have in a father an intellectual companion as well (Like Elizabeth Bennett).

The mother in Mansfield Park , the mother was absent and neglectful having married a poor man who drinks.

In Sense and Sensibility - Mrs. Dashwood is loving, but has too much of a romantic sensibility.

In Persuasion the mother is dead, but is highly praised. She brought up Anne quite respectably. Anne is kind and loyal.

Lady Russell - she really has a good heart and good sense. Lady Russell is not a fool like Mrs. Bennett but she's not an ideal, she gives good advice totally unsuited to Anne's particular situation. I don't think we are supposed to like her - the reader is glad that Anne has her and appreciate her for that reason.

Mrs. Musgrove - simple, warm-hearted, affectionate and unpretentious.

EMMA

The narrator opens the novel by introducing us to Emma Woodhouse, a girl endowed with "some of the best blessings of existence," including good looks, intelligence, riches, and an affectionate father. Emma's only disadvantages are that she is slightly spoiled and that she thinks "a little too well of herself." Emma isn't a brat, but is used to getting her way, she does not always have respect for other people, as her continual teasing of Jane Fairfax with her alleged love for Mr. Dixon and her deliberately cruel remark to Miss Bates at the picnic would indicate. Both her father and Mrs. Weston have over indulged her. Mrs. Weston (nee Miss Taylor) is Emma's governess who has basically become a surrogate mother to Emma after the loss of Mrs. Woodhouse. After Emma's older sister, Isabella, was married and moved to London, Mrs. Weston and Emma became best friends.

Mrs. Weston has a loving heart and is a real friend to Emma and understands that sometimes Emma did not always listen, but she truly believes Emma has a good heart. Mrs. Weston has more involvement than that of a normal governess and stays on with the Woodhouse family long after Emma no longer needs a governess. Emma's interferences are well-meaning, but extremely misguided. Mrs. Weston has done as well as she could with Emma, considering what kind of father she has. Mrs. Weston's role has been as a friend and companion to Emma and she is the one to whom Emma can tell anything. Even though she gets married and leaves, Mrs. Weston is still involved in Emma's life.

At the beginning of Emma, Austen writes that "she loved her father, but he was no companion to her. He could not meet her in conversation, rational or playful". He is much older than she is, and practically an invalid. He is "a nervous man, easily depressed...hating change of any kind". Mr. Woodhouse is like a child that needs to be taken care of and Emma acts like a parent towards her father, rather than the other way around. Mr. Woodhouse, like Mrs. Weston, sees nothing to fault in Emma. Emma loves her father dearly. The only time friction between them is when Emma realizes that she loves Mr. Knightley. Mr. Woodhouse's view of marriage is that he thinks it is a calamity; he would rather not have Emma marry at all. He objects to Emma's marriage for his own selfish reasons - he is so against change that Emma's marriage is going to cause him pain. Mrs. Weston becomes "poor Mrs. Weston" because her marriage disrupts his household. Emma doesn't wish to hurt her father, but she wants to marry Knightley. Emma plays to one of her father's weakest spots (his fear of the outside world) to get what she wants by suggesting to her father that he would feel safer from the chicken thieves if there were a younger man in the house.

Only one person sees Emma for who she really is: Mr. Knightley. At an outing at Box Hill Emma makes an impatient and cruel comment to Miss Bates and Mr. Knightley scolds Emma for doing so, since Miss Bates is a poor woman who deserves Emma's pity and compassion, not her scorn. Without him to tell her how badly she behaves at times, Emma would undoubtedly be worse than she is. Emma feels extreme remorse about the cruelty of her actions. At this moment, Emma understands that her vain pleasure in Frank's attention and her sense of superiority over others have been wrong. She also realizes how much Knightley's opinion means to her. He has been her only source of honesty, and under his authoritative tutelage, she has grown as a person (and wife).

ANNE

Jane Austen describes the late Lady Elliot from Persuasion, "She had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable...though not the happiest person in the world herself had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children, to attach her to life...". She loved all three of her children dearly but was closest to Anne; and thus her death devastates Anne the most. Lady Elliot also instructed her daughters in good principles, which her daughter Elizabeth more or less ignores and becomes almost as vain as her father. Anne, however, learns a great deal from her mother and such lessons provide Anne with the strength to mature despite her father or sister.

Following her mother's death, Anne is left with her father, Sir Walter Elliot who is a pompous man who treats his daughter Anne very poorly. Sir