To Hold Your Peace

            In the literary work Why Write? by Mark Edmundson, there is a chapter called “To Hold Your Peace.” To begin, Edmundson questions if the world has always been over-populated by individuals who like to hear their own voice. The chapter briefly mentions two writers who question the same thing: Alexander Pope and Plutarch. However, Edmundson begins to answer his own question, stating that people start to become “yackers” due to the new era. People want to be heard whether it is by one’s friends, family, or strangers. In social gatherings, there are individuals who are fighting for the spotlight, to be heard by everyone. Edmundson begins to state that men tend to be more vocal than women, at least at the “dinner-table.” In the new era, everyone wants to be vocal, to have individuals listen to what one has to say. When writing, any individual is given the opportunity to hold the microphone, to be the center of attention at the “dinner-table.” The chapter is concluded by mentioning Jane Austen and one of her novels- Pride and Prejudice. Writers might not be vocal in social gatherings, but if they are anything like Jane Austen, the last word will be their own. (146-152)

            Mark Edmundson captures men in a positive light when discussing the vocal gender roles at the “dinner-table”; the statement is made that “a woman may do it from time to time, but it seems often a political gesture, a drive for equality, or an object lesson to show the males around the watering hole exactly what it’s like” (147). It can easily be assumed that Edmundson states women are less likely to have an intellectual conversation, or have the capacity to keep up with certain conversational topics that men have. The rebuttal against his statement can be identified dating back to the eighteenth century, at least, when a group of intellectual women organized the Bluestockings. The Bluestockings was a social club for individuals, primarily women, who discussed literature whether it be something they wrote or written by an outsider. According to Pohl and Schellenburg, “the term “bluestockings” thus began to refer to learned women in general” (5). Women who were part of the Bluestockings were known for being well-educated, well-rounded individuals; a few women that participated in the organization were Francis Burney, Hannah More, Hester Chapone, and Hester Thrale (Pohl 5). Also, some established men, like Samuel Johnson, were impressed with this organization and the group of participating women. Johnson, a vocal, published writer, became well-acquainted with the Bluestockings, to the point that he became a member himself. The Bluestockings is a prime example of how women can, in fact, have an intellectual conversation, even at the “dinner-table”, that is not mundane.

            Throughout time, women were not given the same opportunity to vocalize their thoughts and opinions as men were. Dating back to the eighteenth century, women were not allowed to speak at a social even unless the husband gave his consent. The role of a woman, at a social gathering during this time, was to stand and listen to men converse; this is one of the many reasons as to why women began to write. A pen and paper allowed women to speak from the heart, whether it be in the format of a diary, letter, or novel.

            Jane Austen is a prime example of a female who expressed her opinions through writing. This can be seen in her letters and novels. Her seven published novels, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion, contain at least one vocal female character. For example, within the novel Emma, Jane Fairfax strongly vocalizes her hatred about her future “career” as a governess. In one particular scene, Jane is comparing the role of a governess to a slave (Austen 207). The conversational piece concerning slavery exemplifies Jane Austen’s personal opinion about slavery in the eighteenth century. One can witness that Austen did not encourage slavery and expressed her distaste for it through writing.

            In Austen’s time, there were strict guidelines that a woman must follow if she wished to obtain a husband. Women were not allowed to vocalize their emotional feelings for a man that was not their husband. In Sense and Sensibility, one of the protagonists, Marianne Dashwood, vocalized her romantic feelings toward a man she believed reciprocated her feelings. In fact, in one chapter Marianne attends a social gathering where she stumbles upon her possible suitor and becomes vocal in a way that was not appropriate for a woman during this time (Austen 125). In this instance, Austen allowed her readers to visualize what it was like for women during this time. Why is it that a woman was not allowed to speak from the heart but a man could? Austen was able to express her opinion on the matter through her characters. The other female protagonist, Elinor Dashwood, exemplifies a woman who wanted to obey the notion that females should lock their emotions deep inside their soul. Austen was able to show both sides of the spectrum through these two characters. It is noticed that both females wanted to vocalize their thoughts but only one was brave enough to do so. Austen believed that women should be treated equally to men; she was able to vocalize this notion through her characters by writing Sense and Sensibility.

            Jane Austen is an inspiration among numerous individuals today. Austen is able to stand in the spotlight, with a microphone in hand, for the entire world to see, through her writing. In fact, people were so heavily influenced by her writing, that there is an organization focused solely on her- The Jane Austen Society of North America, also known as JASNA. According to the JASNA website, it is a “nonprofit organization staffed by volunteers, with over 4,500 members and more than 70 regional groups in the United States and Canada. Its members, who are of all ages and from diverse walks of life, share an enjoyment of Austen’s fiction and the company of the like-minded readers.” Individuals who become a member of this organization participate in group discussions about Austen’s novels (JASNA). One of the many possible topics can easily be Austen’s vocalization through her characters. In fact, this organization allows individuals, including females, to express their own thoughts and opinions. The society willingly allows females to have intellectual conversations amongst other people, including men. The JASNA organization is a prime example of how men and women have intelligent conversations together.

            The goal of the JASNA website “is to foster among the widest numbers of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius” (JASNA). Every year there is an Annual General Meeting for the Jane Austen Society of North America. In this meeting, a literary conference takes place, where there are “dozens of lectures by Austen scholars and JASNA members, as well as special exhibits, entertainment, workshops, tours of the local area, and a banquet and Regency ball” (JASNA). During this conference, there are women who “grab the microphone” and vocalize their opinion. Being a big supporter of Jane Austen myself, I firmly believe that she allows her readers to subtly appreciate her notions about the social issues during her time. She is able to vocalize her opinion, through her characters, without forcing her readers to believe in the same things she did.

            Mark Edmundson wrote “To Hold Your Peace” with the intention of educating individuals on the importance of speaking your mind. Although the world is filled with people who like to hear their own voice, it is not a bad thing. As stated before, individuals at one point in time, particularly women, were not able to speak their own mind; therefore, the advancement the world has made to allow people to speak today, is significant. One does not have to write to be heard; however, many individuals, including myself, still find enjoyment in doing so. Writing will always be an easy route for me to speak my mind whether it be in a journal or essay. When writing in a journal, I focus on vocalizing my opinion and emotions for myself. In an essay, I write to vocalize my opinion for other individuals to hear. For example, in one particular English class I took in college, I was instructed to write an essay on one of the novels discussed in class. I knew what I wanted to write about the moment the instructions were given to me. I focused my paper on a discussion we had on a particular character in one of the novels. Everyone in the class, including the professor, agreed that a certain character was poorly written and did not deserve to be in the novel. I was too afraid to voice my opinion, which was the opposite of theirs. The paper allowed me to vocalize my opinion to an audience without having to orally speak. And just like Jane Austen, I was able to have the last word.

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Emma. Edited by George Justice, Norton, 2012.

Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility. Edited by Claudia L. Johnson, Norton, 2002.

Edmundson, Mark. Why Write?. Bloomsbury, 2016.

Jasna: Jane Austen Society of North America. The Jane Austen Society of North America Inc, 2016, jasna.org, Accessed 23 Apr.  2017.

Pohl, Nicole, and Betty A. Schellenberg. “Introduction: A Bluestocking Historiography.” Huntington Library Quarterly, vol. 65, no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 1–19., www.jstor.org/stable/3817727