Well, it's true that the domestic arena which is the focus of Austen's novels is very much a female space, but only because it's the only space the women have; the men occupy a different world, where there are politics, and war (despite the references to soldiers and sailors in most of the novels it would be easy for a casual reader to completely overlook the fact that there was a war taking place), and business, all of which the women are completely excluded from. Men only ever interact with women in the women's space, and they are far less present in it because they have other choices; the women have to be there.
To me, saying that the men don't seem important because they're less present is a bit like saying Godot isn't important because he never actually appears...
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branchandroot
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Date: 2008-05-04 12:41 pm (UTC)To me, saying that the men don't seem important because they're less present is a bit like saying Godot isn't important because he never actually appears...