These are the results of the Jane Austen Mothers Throwdown from last week. There was a total of 56 votes. Thank you everyone who voted, I hope you had fun reading about the different Jane Austen mothers as well!
Here are the poll results:
Which Jane Austen mother is your favorite? -
Mrs. Weston - 48%
Mrs. Morland - 21%
Mrs. Bennet - 20%
Mrs. Dashwood - 9%
Lady Russell - 2%
Lady Bertram - 0%
So our winner is...
Mrs. Weston!
Poor Miss Taylor..."Mrs Weston Papa!"...excuse me, I should Mrs. Weston now, should not I? So sorry! :-)
Dear Mrs. Weston became part of the Woodhouse family when Emma was but five years old and was really the only mother figure Emma knew. Though in many ways they were like sisters rather than mother/daughter, Mrs. Weston was a wonderful role model for Emma - kindhearted, elegant, gentle, loving, sweet tempered and sensible. I love Mrs. Westons's story, from respected governess and companion, to being rewarded for her faithful service by having a kind husband, large house and bonny baby of her own! Jane Austen was more kind to "Poor Miss Taylor" than most governesses of the time period would have expected to be treated.
Here's an interesting question:
Do you think Mr. & Mrs. Weston would have more children after Little Anna?
If yes then how many more Little Westons would there be and what might they be named?
A very Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there and to all my followers and their mothers!
I hope you're day is truly blessed as you praise the Lord for the wonderful mothers and mother figures in your life.
Here's a little treat! A music video I made quite a while ago in honor of the mothers in Jane Austen's novels, Jane's own mother Mrs. Cassandra Leigh Austen, and my mother. Enjoy!
With Mother's Day fast approaching I thought it might be interesting to talk about mothers from classic literature.
Among the amazing characters Jane Austen created are mothers and mother figures that are a very important part of the heroines lives. Some mothers are silly, some are sensible, some give good advice and some give bad, but whatever the circumstance these mothers love the heroines in their own special way.
Take a look at what Jane Austen says about these mothers and vote for your favorite!
Jane & Elizabeth Bennet's mother: "Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three-and-twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news." - Pride and Prejudice
Elinor & Marianne Dashwood's mother: "Elinor saw, with concern, the excess of her sister's sensibility; but by Mrs. Dashwood it was valued and cherished. They encouraged each other now in the violence of their affliction. The agony of grief which overpowered them at first, was voluntarily renewed, was sought for, was created again and again. They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it, and resolved against ever admitting consolation in future." - Sense and Sensibility
Fanny Price's mother & Lady Bertram:"Mrs. Price seemed rather surprised that a girl should be fixed on, when she had so many fine boys, but accepted the offer most thankfully, assuring them of her daughter’s being a very well–disposed, good–humoured girl, and trusting they would never have cause to throw her off. She spoke of her farther as somewhat delicate and puny, but was sanguine in the hope of her being materially better for change of air. Poor woman! she probably thought change of air might agree with many of her children."
"Lady Bertram did not go into public with her daughters. She was too indolent even to accept a mother’s gratification in witnessing their success and enjoyment at the expense of any personal trouble, and the charge was made over to her sister... Fanny had no share in the festivities of the season; but she enjoyed being avowedly useful as her aunt’s companion when they called away the rest of the family...she naturally became everything to Lady Bertram during the night of a ball or a party. She talked to her, listened to her, read to her; and the tranquillity of such evenings, her perfect security in such a tete–a–tete from any sound of unkindness, was unspeakably welcome to a mind which had seldom known a pause in its alarms or embarrassments." - Mansfield Park
Anne Elliot's mother and Lady Russell: "Lady Elliot had been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whose judgment and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards. ...and though not the very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and her children, to attach her to life, and make it no matter of indifference to her when she was called on to quit them. Three girls, the two eldest sixteen and fourteen, was an awful legacy for a mother to bequeath, an awful charge rather, to confide to the authority and guidance of a conceited, silly father. She had, however, one very intimate friend -- a sensible, deserving woman -- who had been brought, by strong attachment to herself, to settle close by her, in the village of Kellynch; and on her kindness and advice Lady Elliot mainly relied for the best help and maintenance of the good principles and instruction which she had been anxiously giving her daughters."
"To Lady Russell, indeed, she [Anne] was a most dear and highly valued god-daughter, favourite, and friend. Lady Russell loved them all, but it was only in Anne that she could fancy the mother to revive again." - Persuasion
Catherine Morland's mother:"Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born; and instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world, as anybody might expect, she still lived on — lived to have six children more — to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself. A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number..." - Northanger Abbey
Emma Woodhouse's mother & Mrs. Weston:"Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses, and her place had been supplied by an excellent woman as governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection. Sixteen years had Miss Taylor been in Mr. Woodhouse's family, less as a governess than a friend, very fond of both daughters, but particularly of Emma. Between them it was more the intimacy of sisters. Even before Miss Taylor had ceased to hold the nominal office of governess, the mildness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint; and the shadow of authority being now long passed away, they had been living together as friend and friend very mutually attached, and Emma doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Miss Taylor's judgment, but directed chiefly by her own." - Emma
So yes, this weeks game is a Throwdown! I'll be out of town this weekend so I'm leaving the comments open for ya'll to discuss your favorite Austen mothers!
Which Jane Austen mother did you vote for? Why is she your favorite?
It's Mother's Day! The lovely Sunday when I get to honor my special mama!
On this special day I wanted to share some photos of the important ladies in my family and some of my memories.
This is my Mom-mom with my dad as a baby.
Mom-mom passed away in 2000 from cancer. She was a lady full of life and fun. I'm glad my sister and I look most like her side of the family. Her love of humor, music, art, movies, literature, crafting and family history has greatly influenced our family. My dad's stories of her and her family are so special to me. I can't wait to see her again in heaven!
This is my Grandma with my mom as a teenager.
Grandma passed away unexpectedly in 2009. She was a kind and generous woman who besides caring for her own large family took in many foster children and stray animals. Everyone was made to feel at home and loved by her. Her hospitality, love of life and love of caring for the children and the elderly have greatly influenced my mother and me. I hope to see her in heaven too!
This is my mother with me when I was just a few days old.
I was her first baby, born in the summertime. She was a good mom right from the very start. She had always wanted to be a wife and a mother, one of her greatest joys is still caring for babies and children. Everything I know about cooking, housekeeping and caring for others I learned from her.
This is my mom with me (age 4) and my baby brother Andy (just a few months old). This is one of my favorite photos!
From an early age my mom taught us about the Lord Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins. She had the privileged of leading my siblings and I to the Lord. Thank you mom for always being a great example of trusting in the Lord!
This is my mom with my little sister Miss Bea (age 2).
My mom home schooled each of her three children from pre-school to high school (my father taught our four high school years). She's always said that the thing she liked best was teaching us to read. I have many memories of mom reading books to us when we were young, many classics that have inspired me in many ways.
So many great memories and so many reasons to honor my mama!
I pray that you are blessed today as you spend the day with your mom, grandma, kids or mother figure.
What special memories do you have of your mother and grandmothers?
