Sisterhood, Strategy, and Survival: Women's Alliances in Jane Austen's Novels
Shivani Purohit Pushkarna¹, Dr. Asgar Ali Ansari²
¹Research Scholar, School of Language, Literature & Society, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India Email: shivanipurohit89@gmail.com ²Professor, School of Language, Literature & Society, Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
ABSTRACT
Jane Austen’s novels incisively reflect the
socio-political structures governing women’s lives in 19th-century
British society. With limited legal and economic agency, women often
relied on strategic alliances through marriage, friendship, and
family for survival and mobility. This paper examines how female
networks in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, and
Persuasion serve as mechanisms of empowerment and social
negotiation, revealing women’s navigation of a patriarchal world.
Austen portrays female relationships as emotional support systems
and practical strategies for resilience. While marriage dominates,
her depictions of friendship and family reveal alternate paths to
agency. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet’s insistence on
marrying for love contrasts with Charlotte Lucas’s pragmatic union,
reflecting tensions between personal desire and social expectation.
Sense and Sensibility highlights the Dashwood sisters’ solidarity in
facing financial and emotional hardships.
In Emma, the relationship between Emma Woodhouse and Harriet Smith
exposes how even well-meaning interventions reinforce class
hierarchies. Meanwhile, Persuasion follows Anne Elliot’s journey
toward personal autonomy, navigating familial pressures and
reclaiming self-determination through her reunion with Captain
Wentworth.
Though constrained by societal expectations, Austen’s women
demonstrate resilience through adaptation and subtle defiance.
Through calculated marriages, steadfast friendships, and familial
loyalty, they forge survival strategies that quietly challenge
prevailing gender norms. Austen’s nuanced portrayal of female
relationships critiques gender, class, and power, revealing the
complexity of women’s roles and resistance in Regency England.
Keywords: Jane Austen, women's networks, alliances, gender politics, patriarchy, social mobility.
