Women and Value in Jane Austens Novels

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The exploration of Jane Austen's minor female characters reveals the economic and social challenges faced by British women during the long eighteenth century. These characters navigate a marketplace that prioritizes dowries over intrinsic worth, reflecting the struggles of women in transactional marriages or those marginalized from the marriage market. Through a socio-historical lens, the book highlights the tensions between evolving economic value and personal significance, illustrating the limited choices available to women and the complexities of their roles within a competitive consumer economy.