Jane Austin’s Lady Susan is a wonderful little book that casts a significant shadow (for something so “thin”). What initially appears to be a mere epistolary curiosity of short length becomes one of the sharpest examinations of charm, self-interest, and social performance in all of Jane Austin’s works. The prefatory note indicates that this work may have been one of her initial attempts to utilize letters as a device for telling a story, and the very form that it takes provides the reader with its electricity: each character is speaking (some defending, some exposing; some deceiving), and the reader is collating the “truth” from many different “truths” (all of which come from an elegant form of a ‘lie”).
The main focus of these characters is Lady Susan Vernon, one of Jane Austen’s most captivating characters, as she contrasts with the other women in the story by being one (in the case of Lady Susan) who is both a flirt as well as a strategist, actress, and (online) an “emotional artist of the stage.” Distinguished by her ability to manipulate language to suit her purpose, her writing is always humorous, clever, and appropriate for the occasion. Jane Austen does not allow Lady Susan’s intelligence (while Lady Susan has a very brilliant mind) to transform into an appreciation for Lady Susan’s intelligence as a form of envy; rather, she allows the reader an insight into the true character of Lady Susan, which is that she is completely devoid of any moral basis.
Modernity in the novella arises from the confusion about whether a single character can be represented in one way, thereby allowing that character to be seen as a complete entity. Thus, the character of Lady Susan (the ambitious, cunning, and duplicitous mother) has a relationship with her daughter, Frederica (the timid and broken-hearted daughter), which can be examined through the lens of tragedy; i.e., Frederica is considered an inconvenience by the mother, and Frederica, through her kindness, often rushes to commit foolish acts. Therefore, in her letters to Catherine Vernon, Lady Susan demonstrates her belief that she can manipulate others into perceiving her witty remarks as somewhat sensible, although the lack of emotion in those remarks leads to significant confusion; as a result, Lady Susan inflicts considerable collateral damage on everyone who is exposed to her manipulative nature.
In addition to the character aspects explored in this novella, Austen also uses it as a means of looking at the nature of the marriage market based on what is actually experienced within its limited parameters. As such, courtship can be considered a means of controlling individuals for multiple purposes: companionship, the acquisition of wealth, and to improve an individual’s own standing. The individuals involved in this marriage market—Sir James Martyn, Reginald de Courcy, and Mainwaring—are not simply suitors; they are all players in a large and very complex game for status and satisfaction. This novella’s brilliance is that it shows the marriage market as both comical and brutal. The letters in this novella can be viewed as if they are shining on the surface of a body of water; however, there is a great deal of pressure directly below the surface of the water and substantial amounts of power hidden beneath the water.
Lady Susan is a worthwhile (though short) read with much to offer. The psychological traps in the book are highly intriguing, combining wit, social commentary, revealing the ‘confessions’ of the characters, and demonstrating Austen’s mastery at creating a world out of the written word (e.g., writing, behavior, and intention). This novel is a unique work that is both enjoyable and unsettling, leaving readers in a state of uncertainty about each and every impressive statement made after having read it.
