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I read the book Lady Susan on the train back home after visiting my family during the holidays, and I liked the book, but at the same time I was annoyed by the character Lady Susan. How would you describe her character and the way she acts? How do you feel about her as a character?
I have just finished reading Lady Susan, and have very much enjoyed it. I think i can understand women like Lady Susan, and I have to say, am very much entertained by them, as I was by Lady Susan, even though I could not relate to her (which is very surprising to me, because I usually stop reading books if I can’t relate, but this I could not leave). Sadness and contempt is all that Lady Susan would find if she allowed herself to look deeply at her situation in life, all her circumstances and consequently her actions, she was a beautiful woman who married a man who probably had no regard for that, and had no enjoyment in her other exquisite talents, and for her to seek anywhere for complements, which give her a sensible feeling of happiness, and adventures, which provided her with a good share of challenges, was quite normal! Of course a terrible childhood should be assumed, as well as a dread of poverty (some people can not be poor), she found no friend in her daughter (who probably looked very much like her father, in both looks and manner) and the only person who ever understood her was Mrs. Johnson. I loved how things turned out at the end, and I presume that Lady Susan will continue her affair with Mr. Mainwaring, the truth is both Sir James and Mrs. Mainwaring deserve to be unhappy, the former for the his stupidity, and the later for her lack of skills; at her age she must have gained some, with all her knowledge of the world, I quiet agree with Miss Austin, the only person I do pity is Miss Mainwaring.
I think the piteous plight of Miss Mainwaring is describe tongue in cheek. It seems to me from Lady Susan as well as the rest of Jane Austin's work that she would feel little true sympathy for a young lady would endeavored to "fix" such a young dandy as Mr. Whatshisname (I forget) for motives which were primarily pecuniary. Miss Mainwaring was damaged in her pocketbook but not in her heart.