Of Jane Austen Characters and Suck Factor
I slept for 12 hours last night. Then I took a nap during one of my classes because I was still tired. I'm going to a junk food party tonight at a professor's house. Being invited to my professor's house is my favorite part of going to a small Christian college. I wouldn't miss it for the world ... and this pneumonia isn't the world.
Let's compare the Jane Austen Characters to The Suck Factor. Not that the plot sucked, just the characters.
In Sense and Sensibility all of the characters are wealthy. They are wealthy enough that they can sit around all day. The Miss Dashwoods are all wealthy enough that it doesn't matter what they decide to do. Marianne declares her love for dead leaves, Elinor shows no emotion, Margaret hides when company comes, and the mother is a twit who only tries to marry off her daughters. That is their job, ultimately, to marry. If they marry well - the have finished their job.
And here the church sits, horribly blessed. We are married to Christ ... I can't think of a better union from our point of view. Our job is done.
Is that why we suck? Is it because we feel that our job is done? Have we gone so far from the great commission that we feel our job is finished - even with so much left to do.
My favorite character, Ms. Jennings is a widow for whom "the only thing left to do is marry off everyone else's children." She speaks her mind, tells jokes, and a myriad of other things a polite woman shouldn't. In this (horribly constructed) analogy I want to be like Ms. Jennings. I've found my happiness - now I want others to find that happiness.
Maybe if more Jane Austen Characters weren't so consumed with themselves I would like them better - especially if they at least accomplished something.
Let's compare the Jane Austen Characters to The Suck Factor. Not that the plot sucked, just the characters.
In Sense and Sensibility all of the characters are wealthy. They are wealthy enough that they can sit around all day. The Miss Dashwoods are all wealthy enough that it doesn't matter what they decide to do. Marianne declares her love for dead leaves, Elinor shows no emotion, Margaret hides when company comes, and the mother is a twit who only tries to marry off her daughters. That is their job, ultimately, to marry. If they marry well - the have finished their job.
And here the church sits, horribly blessed. We are married to Christ ... I can't think of a better union from our point of view. Our job is done.
Is that why we suck? Is it because we feel that our job is done? Have we gone so far from the great commission that we feel our job is finished - even with so much left to do.
My favorite character, Ms. Jennings is a widow for whom "the only thing left to do is marry off everyone else's children." She speaks her mind, tells jokes, and a myriad of other things a polite woman shouldn't. In this (horribly constructed) analogy I want to be like Ms. Jennings. I've found my happiness - now I want others to find that happiness.
Maybe if more Jane Austen Characters weren't so consumed with themselves I would like them better - especially if they at least accomplished something.
posted by Michael Airgood at 3:50 PM
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