GENIUS
Expect a most agreeable letter, for not being overburdened with subject (having nothing at all to say), I shall have no check to my genius from beginning to end. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 21 January 1801
This excellent example of Jane Austen’s style of applying tongue-in-cheek commentary on her talent is a side-ways complement to her own skills, or lack of them as she would wish one to believe. Humbly, she claims to have nothing to say at all, but her letter to her sister continues at length to discuss family and friends quite openly and in detail. To understand her object, one must interpret her implied meaning, which I confess, if not wholly obvious on the first reading, may go right over this dull elve’s head!
If we can summarize Jane Austen’s particular genius, it would be her unique accomplishment as a writer to under-lay wit, irony and humour in her novel’s plots, characters and family letters. She may modestly joke about not needing to check her own genius (which I interpret as her claiming to be dull, and quite the opposite), but in all honesty, one would be hard pressed to overlook it.
Talented comedic illustrator Mike Caplanis is no dull elf himself, and has captured Jane Austen’s dry and wity spirit beautifuly with this colourful bookmark available at Amazon.com
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Jane’s droll wit is so apparent in her letters. It makes me doubly sad to think of all the observations that were lost in her destroyed letters. Ah, well. At least we have her novels and remaining letters to enjoy over and over.
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The word “genius” had a different meaning in her day, its simply means talent, or someone with a particular ability for something, rather than someone of exceptional and extraordinary, God-given abilities.
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