In Jane Austen's time, there was no real way for young women of the "genteel" classes to strike out on their own or be Professions, the universities, politics, etc. were not open to women (thus Elizabeth's opinion "that though this greatlady [Lady Catherine] was not in the commission of the peace for the county, she was a most active magistrate in her ownparish" is ironic, since of course no woman could be a justice of the peace or magistrate). Few occupations were open to them-- and those few that were (such as being a governess, i.e. a live-in teacher for the daughters or young children of a family)were not highly respected, and did not generally pay well or have very good working conditions: Jane Austen wrote, in a letterof April 30th 1811, about a governess hired by her brother Edward: "By this time I suppose she is hard at it, governing away --poor creature! I pity her, tho' they are my neices"; and the patronizing Mrs. Elton in Emma is "astonished" that Emma's formergoverness is "so very lady-like ... quite the gentlewoman" (as opposed to being like a servant).Therefore most "genteel" women could not get money except by marrying for it or inheriting it (and since the eldest songenerally inherits the bulk of an estate, as the "heir", a woman can only really be a "heiress" if she has no brothers). Only arather small number of women were what could be called professionals, who though their own efforts earned an incomesufficient to make themselves independent, or had a recognized career (Jane Austen herself was not really one of these fewwomen professionals -- during the last six years of her life she earned an average of a little more than 100 a year by hernovel-writing, but her family's expenses were four times this amount, and she did not meet with other authors or move in literarycircles).And unmarried women also had to live with their families, or with family-approved protectors -- it is almost unheard of for agenteel youngish ...
