23 Stoic Self Reflection with Jane Austen | Philosophy and Literature - Female Empowerment - Bluestocking Society - Women's intellectual history.
The Female Stoic | Literature and Philosophy for Bluestockings.
Welcome to the Female Stoic podcast.
My name is Stephanie Poppins and I am an advocate for literary empowerment.
That means I believe the example set by the literary masters can broaden life perspective, create increased self-awareness, and empower us to overcome the obstacles we encounter here in the 21st century.
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By listening and referring what we hear to Stoic philosophy, we can foster a strong sense of self and navigate the world more effectively.
This podcast takes the form of both discussions and meditations, and if you like what you hear, you might consider looking me up on my socials where I post empowering videos every day.
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Or you may like my classic audiobooks and original stories available on my website, newworldbooks.uk.
Happy listening.
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Today on the Female Stoic podcast we will be looking at Stoic reflection, the consideration of past events, behaviours and conduct and how this internal reflection is used as a narrative device in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
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As we draw towards the end of the year, I thought it apartment to look at the use of retrospection.
Retrospection gives readers an access to a character's innermost thoughts, feelings, and motivations, and it's a powerful tool that we can use in our Stoic practice in Pride and Prejudice.
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It serves to build, develop and contain characters and plot, to create suspense, to give us an insight into the protagonist's emotional depth, which of course in turn ramps up the investment we are willing to make in them.
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And why will we comment and look at more closely Austin's Pride and Prejudice?
We will of course be relating this to the Stoic practice of self reflection.
So without such a key narrative device in Pride and Prejudice, I would argue this novel would cease to have the impact that it does.
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This is a societal account, so the very words Pride and Prejudice denote 2 main character flaws and ones we understand when reading or listening to the novel for the first time will be depicted, considered then derided as necessary in order to fulfil the premise.
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Of course here I'll mention my Pride and Prejudice audio book available on Google Play this Christmas.
That perfect last minute seasonal gift that sings authenticity, originality and an all important thoughtfulness that comes when choosing a quality gift.
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So back to the story, let's look at how Jane Austen uses internal reflection, or the lack of it, to help create her three-dimensional relatable characters.
And of course, remember there will be a journal task at the end of this episode.
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So let's start with Missus Bennett.
This humorous character does not have one moment of genuine self reflection or a quote attributed to her to that effect.
Jane Austen does not like her any more than we do, it seems.
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But she's let us in on the joke.
She gives us that omniscience third person narrative which allows her to tell us everything she knows so that we can share in the good laugh.
She describes Missus Bennett of mean understanding, little information and uncertain temper who is unaware of her own foolishness.
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So what Austin is saying here is lack of self reflection leads to a foolish being incapable of personal growth and any acknowledgement of the negative consequences of her actions.
Our life is what our thoughts make it, says Marcus Aurelius, and Austin underlines this by ridiculing Missus Bennett.
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Now let's look at her daughter Elizabeth.
By showing the contrast between what she says or does externally and what she then thinks internally, Austin reveals the secrets, hopes, fears, and moral dilemmas that might not be apparent otherwise.
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And don't forget, this is an omniscient novel written in the third person, so the author knows everything she is teaching us and we trust her word and her knowledge.
So at first, Elizabeth tells her friends and family Darcy is arrogant and disagreeable, often making witty, sarcastic remarks about him.
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But internally, Elizabeth is hurt by his insult at the Meryton Assembly.
Tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me, he says.
Over time she becomes increasingly intrigued by his complex character, though, and even though she continues to mock him publicly, there is a fascination there.
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I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine, she says.
This denotes A subtle interest on Elizabeth's part, a willingness to change direction, a willingness to self reflect.
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At the same time, Austin is setting up the central conflict, Darcy's pride versus Elizabeth's prejudice and vice versa.
Darcy's pride in his social standing causes his initial prejudice against Elizabeth's family, whilst Elizabeth's pride in her own quick judgement fuels her prejudice against Darcy.
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Both idiosyncratic characteristics are portrayed in both Leeds and this is the beauty of this novel.
We are equally invested in Elizabeth as we are in Darcy.
We want them both to win, We follow avidly their process, and we are witness to the internal reflection of both.
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Here Austin is championing the value of internal reflection as the key to inner development.
And so eventual success, whatever that looks like.
In this novel, success represents the resolution of a year's worth of misunderstanding.
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The narrative begins just before Michaelmas in 1811 and concludes with the double wedding around Christmas 1812.
During Darcy's first proposal, Elizabeth's outward response is one of anger and sharp refusal.
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She verbally attacks his pride and his interference with Jane's happiness, but internally, as revealed through the free indirect discourse, the reader learns his proposal has a profound effect on her.
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It forces her to confront her own prejudice and the possibility she might have misjudged him entirely.
Again, self reflection.
Elizabeth presents an outward appearance of sympathy and belief towards Wickham's tales of being wronged by Darcy.
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She shares his story with others convinced of his honesty.
Austin again shows through her internal thoughts that Elizabeth is charmed by Wickham's attention and handsome looks, which influences her judgement.
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We as the reader see here Darcy is cast by her as the villain.
This feeds into her prejudices, even though she attempts to appear objective in her judgement of his character.
Then, when at last she recovers the letter, she is forced to reflect the impulsivity in her actions, how rash she has been, and externally.
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Therefore, she is alone now.
She is alone with her intense internal struggle.
She has no one she can speak to, and she feels shame and remorse for her own blindness and prejudice.
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At this point, she is reflecting on her impetuosity.
The internal shift is dramatic.
It calls into question her earlier outward confidence in her own judgement and our earlier confidence in the words of someone who is prejudice, Seneca said.
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What really ruins our character is the fact that none of us looks back over his life, and never was this more apt than in chapter 36 of Pride and Prejudice.
Till this moment, I never knew myself, says Elizabeth.
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Again, If you do not know the story chapter by chapter, catch up with my audio book this holiday, available on Google Play.
So through this omniscient narrative, Austin is demonstrating Elizabeth's growth.
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She is showing her external wit and confidence often mask internal doubts in this way up to this moment.
Just like Missus Bennett, her mother, a person she would consider herself to be far removed from in terms of stoic self-control, Elizabeth has deceived herself with an accepted narrative.
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She has cast Darcy as the villain and sought to reinforce that prejudice wherever she can.
She has deceived herself, and this is the powerful turning point, the main lesson in this book.
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The contrast between the outward social performance and the capacity for self reflection is central to this novel's message.
By allowing us to walk in a character's shoes and experience their thought processes, Austin is evoking strong empathy and investment in Elizabeth's plight.
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Then we come to see her capacity for inner reflection will either slow the pace down after a significant event or allow us to absorb what's happened and speed things up by seeing her internal conflict and concern, which incites her action, Marcus Aurelius said.
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Settle on the type of person you want to be and stick to it, whether alone or in company.
In this novel, Elizabeth is 20 years old.
It is time, according to Austin, for her to grow up.
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Fitzwilliam Darcy is 28 and according to Jane Austen, he is old enough to know better.
In Stoic philosophy, looking back and reflecting is a vital tool for self improvement and growth.
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It's not an exercise in regret or self pity.
The goal here is to use our past as a source of knowledge to build character and live a more virtuous life in the present and in the future.
Seneca quoted another philosopher by saying it was the custom of Sextius when the day was over and he had betaken himself to rest, to enquire of his spirit.
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What bad habit of yours have you cured today?
What advice have you checked?
In what respect are you better?
As Stoics we are not seeking guilt, we are seeking growth.
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We are practising clarity of mind, accountability and therefore progress, not punishment.
Self reflection is a tool we can use to notice, adjust and begin again.
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So when are we going to begin from today?
What is the next step we can take towards becoming the best version of ourselves we can be?
And so this leads nicely to the journal task for today.
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If we are to look back on this year as a witness, what is the one area we would place our attention on?
Not the thing we hate about ourselves, the place we'd say I failed at this, not even the resolution that we've dropped many of our goals, but our acknowledgement and understanding of our progression throughout the year.
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It is tempting to label ourselves as unmotivated, inconsistent, behind.
But what's really happening is we're trying to fix a behaviour that is rooted in exhaustion, grief, fear, loneliness or just plain overload.
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So what we are doing in our journals today is attempting to practise clarity again.
If we were to look back on this year as a witness, what is 1 area we would gently place our attention on?
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That is what we will write in our journal today.
Our journals as we know are powerful tools for self reflection and as the days grow shorter and we move towards the holidays, this is where reflection becomes an act of self respect, not self criticism.
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There are always so many reasons why we are not looking at those in our journal task.
They are external forces.
We are looking at a time this year where we let the walls of our inner citadel crumble and we were overly affected by external forces.
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We failed to protect our inner peace.
As we tend our plants, we are looking at something we can attend to ourselves.
Plants need regular watering.
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They need trimming, they need maintenance.
And so it is with us as organic beings, as part of the natural world.
And we practice this self reflection with a calm mind, free from debilitating emotions like guilt, shame or anger.
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As we know, emotions are fleeting, they are transient, they are chaotic.
The aim here is clarity and progress, using past mistakes as lessons learnt to inform future actions.
Modern Stoic practices often had a component of gratitude, seeing themselves as artists sculpting and transforming their lives to be as virtuous as possible.
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So to conclude, in Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth's journey of self discovery is central to the narrative.
It teaches us lessons.
She ultimately recognises her own pride and Prejudice, which leads to personal growth and a shift in her perception of the male protagonist, Fitzwilliam Darcy.
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This of course is emphasising the importance for self reflection to foster better relationships.
Misunderstandings play a key part in this novel and through poor communication significant obstacles are created for the characters.
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Darcy's failure to confront Wickham's lies.
Elizabeth's reluctance to share important information.
These misgivings under score the necessity of open communication in building trust.
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As Stoics, we must clearly express our thoughts and feelings.
We must seek clarification when needed and avoid assumptions, building our relationships on shared values and mutual respect.
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The lessons from Pride and Prejudice resonate today.
They offer valuable insights for navigating personal and societal challenges.
By embracing open mindedness, self-awareness, clear communication, and a deeper understanding of ourselves, we can foster meaningful relationships.
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Till this moment I never knew myself, said Elizabeth.
At that moment her world shifts and this is the key here.
Elizabeth now realises both her judgement and her conduct have been subject to the winds and waves of her ego and not made from a place of balance and clarity.
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As one who prided herself on her good judgement when she discovered she was as fallible and easy misled as any other person, Elizabeth was dumbstruck.
But once she'd accepted it, she was able to change her thoughts and her behaviour and ultimately experience greater joy than she would otherwise have had.
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This takes just a moment, that moment of awareness, the humility to make changes, to open our eyes to ourselves and our actions.
And of course, unless we train ourselves and practice, most of us operate on the level that is akin to an automaton, not questioning our motives or discovering our unconscious desires.
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So the key here is to find our self through self reflection.
And this, of course, is an ongoing process, and in Pride and Prejudice, Austin sees it as such.
At the end of the novel, she notes, Georgiana had the highest opinion in the world of Elizabeth, though at first she often listened with an astonishment bordering on alarm at her lively, sportive manner of talking to her brother.
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He who had always inspired in herself a respect which almost overcame her affection, she now saw the object of open pleasantry.
Her mind received knowledge which had never before fallen in her way.
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Georgiana is learning something here, and so are we.
The wedding, it seems, is not the end of the story.
Darcy is now changing, adapting.
And As for our heroine, it always amuses me that she in fact is not really concluded in the last chapter as now having to change much at all.
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In fact, any mention of her is to celebrate her success in making her man human again.
This is a little one sided me thinks, but then again, I'll give Austin that.
Why not?
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Someone had to celebrate the intellectual and stoic prowess of the women of the day.
And who better than Jane Austen now?
True blue stockinged heroin.
Hey Stephanie here, thank you for listening to the Female Stoic podcast.
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It is an honour and I just want to say I really appreciate you being here.
It's amazing the power of women in literature and the stoic messages they have to share.
Please, if you can, return the favour by spreading their words and sharing this podcast far and wide so more of us can benefit from their wisdom.
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And don't forget to leave a review if you like what you've heard.
See you next time.
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