Essay Questions

Why is Fay dedicated to sending letters to Alice?

Alice is Fay's niece, eighteen years of age, and does not like reading despite studying literature at college. The primary reason why Fay is sending Alice letters convincing her to explore Jane Austen Novels is to cultivate her reading culture. In her letters, Fay says that she belongs to the Invention City, comprised of authors, literature lovers, and people who love reading. Therefore, letters to Alice are symbolic in meaning because the primary intention is to invite Alice to the reading culture. At some point, Fay metaphorically tells Alice that she would like them to be neighbors in the Invention City so that they can read together.

Is Alice's mother justified in discouraging her from embracing the reading culture?

Alice's mother's biggest worry is that if her daughter gets in love with reading books, she will end being a feminist like her aunt, Fay. Fay is a known feminist who advocates for equal treatment of women in her writings. However, the journey for feminists is rough because they are going against the wave in the patriarchal rooted society that considers a man as a superior being. Alice's mother is blinded by male chauvinism that dictates the place of a woman in the community. Therefore, Alice's mother is worried because of the fear of her daughter's ridicule if she ends up a feminist. Consequently, Alice should accept Fay's invitation and read as many books as possible so that she can join the strong women who are fearlessly fighting for women's rights.

What is the emblematic meaning of Jane Austen as depicted by Fay?

According to the author, Jane Austen is the voice of reason that symbolically represents women's freedom to express their views freely without any fear of contradiction. Fay sends letters to her niece, Alice, encouraging her to read Jane Austen's novel, which can give her an insight into women's freedom in society. Fay says that Austen's story might seem challenging to read, but it is open for interpretation. Fay has a feeling that Alice can be a great author in the future and encourages her to work hard and write her novels based on the foundation of Austen's literature works.