ARTICLES,
REVIEWS,
ESSAYS,
&
PRESENTATIONS on TEACHING
ENGLISH |
ARTICLES,
REVIEWS,
ESSAYS,
&
PRESENTATIONS on TEACHING
ENGLISH |
Jane Austen Lite: Jane Austen as Great-Grandmother of Chick Lit
By Tonya K. Schauwecker
When the website Authors on the Web.com conducted a writer’s roundtable with sixteen popular Chick Lit authors, one of the questions was, “What was the first Chick Lit book you read?” The majority of these popular novelists said either Bridget Jones's Diary, or they emphatically claimed anything by Jane Austen (Authorsontheweb.com).
Scores of these fresh, whimsical, witty, trendy, breezy novels quote from a variety of Jane Austen novels, or as the Washington Post claims, even use blurbs on the backs of modern Chick Lit to draw in intelligent readers (Frey). Incredibly, one has gone so far as to retell the story of Pride and Prejudice in the novel Bridget Jones’s Diary – considered the “Grandmother” novel of Chick Lit. Not surprising then, the author of Bridget Jones’s Diary, Helen Fielding and Jane Austen would be compared a hundred times in academia. The reason for this is that both novelists are now the inspiration and foundation of a new genre of teen literature, with scads of new novelists popping up daily.
This list of nouveau novelists includes Louise Rennison, author of the “first” teen Chick Lit novel, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (according to Kit Alderdice of PublishersWeekly.com). Following the success of “Angus,” several teen Chick Lit books hit the shelves of bookstores across American and the United Kingdom. Cecily von Ziegesar, author of the best-selling teen series Gossip Girl, has created a frenzy of new readers waiting to imbibe on her latest edition. Accordingly, Stephanie Davis joins the ranks of teen Chick Lit authors with her read, Who Needs Boys? Stephanie Keller of Blue Kangaroo Books states that these novels have become so popular because of "the realization that girls needed an alternative to the depressing topics they had been reading for a decade. It became acceptable for girls to be goofy, clumsy or, better yet, witty. That is what has really made the change" (Alderdice). Keller may not have read Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (published in 1811), with its goofy, clumsy, and very witty characters Marianne and Elinor, but she does make a very good point. Young Adult Literature has changed dramatically, especially for teen girls.
Between von Ziegesar, Rennison, Davis and Austen, the biggest comparisons are obviously social conformity, acceptance, and the need for affection, but also and possibly the most important, the role mother’s play in the lives of the character’s. When comparing modern-day teen Chick Lit, such as the Gossip Girl series, or Who Needs Boys? and a classic by Jane Austen, such as Sense and Sensibility, what we find is that nineteenth-century female novels are not much different than twenty-first-century female novels. Each with its wit, dry humor, embarrassing scenes, crazy mothers, and of course endings that make you want to read more, these novels give teen readers an escape from reality and a chance to be entertained. Jane Austen is an inspiration to hundreds of modern writers who write specifically for girls. Unfortunately, likely because of the pretty pink covers or the lip-gloss titles, these novels are rarely taken seriously by literary critics.
Lauren Baratz-Logsted, author of the adult Chick Lit novel, The Thin Pink Line, writes in her article entitled, “Plenty of Pride and Prejudice to Go Around” that “if Jane Austen were writing today, she would get labeled as a writer of chick-lit” (Baratz-Logsted). Baratz-Logsted continues,
There is no denying the fact that no matter how far we have come, no matter how far we think we have come, there is still the tendency on the part of the conventional literary press to deem works written by, about, and primarily for women as being automatically less-than. After all, when academics talk about the classic literary greats, they talk about Dickens, they talk about James; they only talk about Austen and Brontë as pretty pink sop to pacify the Women's Lit classes. (Baratz-Logsted)
What Baratz-Logsted says is that the only reason Brontë and Austen are even considered in today’s literature canon is because there is a need to satisfy female readers, gender studies students and women’s literature classes. That really, if it were not for these groups who need to learn more about literature written by women, these classic writers would not even be in the minds of modern readers because they wrote along the same lines as modern writers – there is nothing that sets them apart. She claims that the academic “boys club” chooses what is good writing based merely on sex and not content. Classic female writers such as Brontë and Austen used many of the same themes as modern writers, but because of the flood of novels centered on modern females, with flashy covers and formulaic themes, these novels are not considered literature, but mere books. The difference between the writing of Austen and von Ziegesar is that Sense and Sensibility was written in the nineteenth-century and Gossip Girl was written in the twenty-first-century.
Written in the way of “Sex and the City,” von Ziegesar creates a world of Manhattan’s most elite poor little rich kids, where the only person to know the inside story of all the players is “Gossip Girl.” Seemingly the proverbial fly on everyone’s walls, she posts to her internet column the hip happenings of New York’s richest teens. Concealing the identities of the involved, Gossip Girl uses only initials; however, the detailed “sightings” and information she relays allows all to know who she is really talking about.
The return of Serena van der Woodsen sets this posh teen scene into a frenzy as her perfectly highlighted (naturally, of course) hair saunters into the room where Blair Waldorf hosts a coming out party for her mother’s new beau, the loser. Just as Blair and her Prince Charming, Nate Archibald, begin to descend to virginity-losing, Blair’s mother screams “Serena van der Woodsen!” This is where the story moves into hyper drive. Nate all but forgets about his willing virgin and runs down the hall to see his true love, Serena. Blair and Serena have been best of friends since forever, so you would think Blair would be ecstatic to see her friend who has been away at boarding school for the last two years, but no. The sound of Serena’s name creates a physical chain-reaction in Blair so horrific she begins to vomit - which really is not too unusual as she vomits all the time, but typically only after a large meal. From this point on in the story friends become liars, back-stabbers, and down-right nasty; a true Chick Lit novel, worthy of any reader’s praise no matter what age or gender.
On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God, the second installment from Louise Rennison in the “Angus” series, continues the grueling story of Georgiana, a teen tormented by life in general and especially by her parents. Georgiana finally hooks up with the Sex God! However, much to her dismay, her parents inform her that she is soon to move to New Zealand. Through the tumultuous summer Georgiana attempts to talk her parents into allowing her to stay home, “to watch the house,” so she does not have to leave the Sex God. After a day at the park with her girlfriends when the SG finds her laughing so hard she cannot talk, he breaks up with her saying she is too young. Let the Green Giant get the best of him she decides and she hooks up with David, hoping to bring out jealousy. This of course works and by the end of the novel Georgiana is back snogging with the Sex God. However, as soon as she hears one of her best friends is now snogging David, she begins to have her own feelings of jealousy.
Stephanie Davis creates the fictional world of Allie, a teen girl who is supposed to be heading off to Los Angeles to spend the summer with her detached father. She must turn down the opportunity to work at her teacher, Mr. Novak’s, farm with all of her friends because of this fabulous trip to Celebrityville. Her mother is just as detached as her father, and on Allie’s last night in town, her mother is off with her new boyfriend instead of helping her pack. Just as her friends rescue Allie from a night of loneliness before flying to LA, her father calls to say that his new wife is too sick with her pregnancy for Allie to come for the visit. Despite the seriously tough outer persona Allie puts forth, she finally breaks down crying uncontrollably while on the phone with Mr. Novak as she begs to join her friends working on the farm.
Mr. Novak’s farm is the place of Allie’s transformation. She realizes that she does not want a college man and that she does not need a high school boy either. This is where Allie learns that no matter how much money her mother leaves on the table, it does not take the place of her attention. The produce farm becomes Allie’s new world where she no longer has to be dolled up for people to like her and where she discovers that she is pretty without toenails that match the same pink as her shirt and earrings.
Agreed, many editors, authors, and readers claim that Jane Austen was the original creator of Chick Lit with her first novel published nearly 200 years ago. She is the one who developed all the components of a Chick Lit novel – the strong female protagonist with something missing in her life, romance, family issues, societal relations and status, and even concerns over appearances. Each of these novels has components found in Jane Austen novels, and especially Sense and Sensibility.
One of the most common themes between the novels is the affect mothers have on the lives of their daughters. In Sense and Sensibility, Elinor must be the mother after her own mother, Mrs. Dashwood, turns mad at the death of her husband and Marianne’s loss of Willoughby. Gossip Girl and Who Needs Boys? both have mothers who are completely absent and believe that money is the same thing as love, attention, and proper guidance. Unfortunately, in Gossip Girl and Who Needs Boys? no one else is available to step in and act as the mother. Finally, On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God mirrors the dimwitted motherly figure in Sense and Sensibility as Georgiana’s Muti, her mother, behaves in the same flighty manner as Mrs. Dashwood while she awaits the return of Vati, Georgiana’s father. Each mother from the respective novels loses touch with reality while also losing the ability to care for their children. While Georgiana’s mother only loses her mind for a short time, she is still unable to take care of her children upon hearing of the injury to her husband. This same theme is evident in most adult Chick Lit novels as well.
Every novel discussed here, even Sense and Sensibility has characters overly obsessed with appearances. Marianne feels that if she is pretty enough Willoughby will stay with her. Allie, in Who Needs Boys? assumes she can have any boy SHE wants as long as she keeps up her appearance. This includes wearing fully coordinating outfits to work on the farm – knee deep in mud. By the end of the novels though, each of the girls realize that appearances are not crucial to their social status and especially to their romantic futures. They learn that their inner-selves have much more worth than make up and snazzy sandals can create.
Additionally, the need for love and affection is a huge component of each novel. One focus of Austen’s novel is courtship and the deception that accompanies such relationships. Willoughby and Marianne go through a “whirlwind” affair that ends in tragedy. Elinor is courted by Edward Ferrars, though he claims it was only for friendship. Of course, later they do marry, but not until other relationships are ended and begun. The entire premise of Gossip Girl is deception and lies / love and affection (or, the lack there of). Same for Who Needs Boys? and On the Bright Side I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God the desire for attention and affection rules the pages of each novel. Allie and Georgiana will take whatever form of kindness they are given, expressly due to their lack of affection from their families. This manifests into their need for romantic relationships at a very early age.
Jane Austen, the Great-Grandmother of teen Chick Lit began the genre back in 1811 with the witty and whimsical story of love, deception, lies and family. The same themes continue today, nearly 200 years later. Despite the literary canon’s disapproval of Chick Lit, these books are introducing young readers to books, where before they were only watching television. There is nothing wrong with reading or writing fiction that provides entertainment or thought provoking discussion, no matter what genre the literary press wants to place it in. Jane Austen, the Great-Great Grandmother of teen Chick Lit should be proud that she has inspired so many female writers to make their own station in life and to defy the societal constraints of “good literature” while at the same time turning on millions of young women to reading.