The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.It has been customary in the past to approach Jane Austen, not only as a great novelist, but also as a representative of what critics have called the "feminist tradition" in the English novel. At first glance this seems appropriate enough. After all it has always been one of those "universally acknowledged" truths that Jane Austen's narratives center on love and marriage. But more recent developments in Jane Austen criticism seem to assume that feminism in the novel should be examined as a coherent body of opinions held by the novelist on the identity and social functions of women. And insofar as this approach is based on the novelist's analysis of female identity, it seems to respond to contemporary pressures, generated by the liberation movement, for thoughtful evaluation of female images in society and in literature. But even if we assume that the liberation movement has had this indirect influence, it does not follow that these recent approaches to "feminism" coincide with the liberationist philosophy itself, or that they even depart from those conventional notions of "womanhood" which are anathema to the women's liberation movement.Sylvia Myers' study of "womanhood" in Jane Austen's novels is illustrative. The starting point of her paper is an objection to Ian Watts's view that in Jane Austen "feminine and adolescent values are painfully educated in the norms of the mature, rational and educated male world." But although Myers rejects Watts's thesis as a "bald dichotomy" that is unfair to women, her own subsequent analysis of "womanhood" in Jane Austen's novels is based on what she describes as a "post-Freudian" schema: "in terms of somatic existence, each sex exists within its own bodily plan, woman is endowed with and aware of her inner structure and capacity to produce and nurture a child," and, according to this somatic scheme of womanhood, the maturation of an Emma Woodhouse, the titular protagonist in Austen’s 1815 novel Emma, is defined by Emma's discovery of her own need "for love, for physical fulfillment, for children." Curiously enough, Myers has attempted to rebut the pejorative implications of Ian Watts's "bald dichotomy" by appealing to those biologically based concepts of womanhood which have now come into disrepute as limiting and patronizing definitions of female identity. For it is important to note that Myers is not merely attributing a certain (somatic) concept of womanhood to Jane Austen, but has actually postulated this "post-Freudian" thesis as the definitive standard by which feminism in Jane Austen should be judged. Similarly, a psychoanalytical study by Helen Corsa sums up the significance of Emma’s human growth by appealing to the conventional image of the woman as a being with "instinctual" needs for marriage and motherhood: "Her [Emma's] womanly instinctual needs, her desire for love, for marriage, for motherhood are all obvious in her role as matchmaker; her insistent playing out that role, leads her out of the game into reality." These earlier studies are relevant because they illustrate very well some of the problems which now arise whenever we attempt to describe "feminism" or "womanhood" in Jane Austen's writing or that of any other writer.Question 3According to the author, both Ian Watts and Myers in their analyses of Jane Austen’s work:Align their views with the contemporary women's liberation movement.Focus primarily on the political and social influences on Austen’s writing.Agree on a unified feminist perspective on Austen's portrayal of women.Offer interpretations that are oversimplifications of Austen’s characters.
Question
The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.It has been customary in the past to approach Jane Austen, not only as a great novelist, but also as a representative of what critics have called the "feminist tradition" in the English novel. At first glance this seems appropriate enough. After all it has always been one of those "universally acknowledged" truths that Jane Austen's narratives center on love and marriage. But more recent developments in Jane Austen criticism seem to assume that feminism in the novel should be examined as a coherent body of opinions held by the novelist on the identity and social functions of women. And insofar as this approach is based on the novelist's analysis of female identity, it seems to respond to contemporary pressures, generated by the liberation movement, for thoughtful evaluation of female images in society and in literature. But even if we assume that the liberation movement has had this indirect influence, it does not follow that these recent approaches to "feminism" coincide with the liberationist philosophy itself, or that they even depart from those conventional notions of "womanhood" which are anathema to the women's liberation movement.Sylvia Myers' study of "womanhood" in Jane Austen's novels is illustrative. The starting point of her paper is an objection to Ian Watts's view that in Jane Austen "feminine and adolescent values are painfully educated in the norms of the mature, rational and educated male world." But although Myers rejects Watts's thesis as a "bald dichotomy" that is unfair to women, her own subsequent analysis of "womanhood" in Jane Austen's novels is based on what she describes as a "post-Freudian" schema: "in terms of somatic existence, each sex exists within its own bodily plan, woman is endowed with and aware of her inner structure and capacity to produce and nurture a child," and, according to this somatic scheme of womanhood, the maturation of an Emma Woodhouse, the titular protagonist in Austen’s 1815 novel Emma, is defined by Emma's discovery of her own need "for love, for physical fulfillment, for children." Curiously enough, Myers has attempted to rebut the pejorative implications of Ian Watts's "bald dichotomy" by appealing to those biologically based concepts of womanhood which have now come into disrepute as limiting and patronizing definitions of female identity. For it is important to note that Myers is not merely attributing a certain (somatic) concept of womanhood to Jane Austen, but has actually postulated this "post-Freudian" thesis as the definitive standard by which feminism in Jane Austen should be judged. Similarly, a psychoanalytical study by Helen Corsa sums up the significance of Emma’s human growth by appealing to the conventional image of the woman as a being with "instinctual" needs for marriage and motherhood: "Her [Emma's] womanly instinctual needs, her desire for love, for marriage, for motherhood are all obvious in her role as matchmaker; her insistent playing out that role, leads her out of the game into reality." These earlier studies are relevant because they illustrate very well some of the problems which now arise whenever we attempt to describe "feminism" or "womanhood" in Jane Austen's writing or that of any other writer.Question 3According to the author, both Ian Watts and Myers in their analyses of Jane Austen’s work:Align their views with the contemporary women's liberation movement.Focus primarily on the political and social influences on Austen’s writing.Agree on a unified feminist perspective on Austen's portrayal of women.Offer interpretations that are oversimplifications of Austen’s characters.
Solution
To answer the question, we need to analyze the passage and understand the author's perspective on the analyses by Ian Watts and Sylvia Myers regarding Jane Austen's work.
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Align their views with the contemporary women's liberation movement: The passage suggests that recent developments in Jane Austen criticism respond to contemporary pressures from the liberation movement. However, it does not state that Watts and Myers align their views with this movement. In fact, Myers' approach is criticized for using a "post-Freudian" schema that is seen as limiting and patronizing, which is contrary to the liberationist philosophy.
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Focus primarily on the political and social influences on Austen’s writing: The passage does not indicate that Watts and Myers focus primarily on political and social influences. Instead, it discusses their interpretations of female identity and maturation in Austen's novels.
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Agree on a unified feminist perspective on Austen's portrayal of women: The passage clearly shows that Watts and Myers do not agree. Watts views Austen's work as educating feminine values in the norms of a male world, while Myers rejects this view and uses a "post-Freudian" schema.
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Offer interpretations that are oversimplifications of Austen’s characters: The author criticizes both Watts and Myers for their oversimplified interpretations. Watts is criticized for his "bald dichotomy," and Myers for her biologically based concepts of womanhood, which are seen as limiting and patronizing.
Given this analysis, the best answer is:
Offer interpretations that are oversimplifications of Austen’s characters.
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Who is the titular character in the Jane Austen novel known for her matchmaking attempts
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