ESSAY ASSIGNMENT #2

Austen and Montaigne

“To compose our character is our duty, not to compose books, and to win, not battles and provinces, but order and tranquility in our conduct. Our great and glorious masterpiece is to live appropriately. All other things, ruling, hoarding, building, are only little appendages and props, at most.” Said by Michel De Montaigne. The quote relates back to Jane Austen when she wrote Pride and Prejudice, the book was a big hit, it is still enjoyed by people of this era. I won’t lie, I thought it was going to be just another boring book that was assigned, but I loved it. Though it’s great to find another author that had such a unique writing style as well. Montaigne is definitely a hard read but after doing so much research on him and his writing styles you get an understanding of him and what he’s about.

“Wit is the most dangerous talent you can possess: it must be guarded with great discretion and good nature. Be ever cautious in displaying your good sense… if you happen to have any learning, keep it a profound secret, especially from the men.” Said by Jane Austen. (Quote came from http://www.worldacademy.org/node/3392) looking at that quote it says a lot about how Austen put herself into Elizabeth Bennet and that right there is how I can connect Austen and Montaigne together because they put themselves into their books or essays. It was said on www.egs.edu/library/michel-de-montaigne/biography/ how in the essays he write about himself a lot and to make characters like themselves connects them.

It is hard to compare Austen to Montaigne just because their writing styles are different, Pride and Prejudice is a romance novel, and Montaigne wrote about the human existence. But it wasn’t impossible. I know we talked very little about Austen and if she really did make herself into a character in the book and after researching her I truly do believe that Elizabeth Bennet was Austen. As I understood Montaigne’s essays were all about himself and how he is understanding and observing life.

“What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant” said by Foster Wallace. I believe Montaigne’s techniques and topics can support Wallace, because Montaigne wrote about the human existence and how complicated it can be, the same with this quote by Foster, everything inside is connected but complicated to understand.

Austen and Montaigne are very wise, talented, and loved authors. I can see why we’re reading their books or essays, and learning how they saw the world, to look through someone else’s eyes can help you understand more easily. At first I thought this whole thing was going to be a nightmare but it actually wasn’t. Yes, sure it took me a little longer than it should have but it wasn’t that bad. So I’m very happy with the prompt and I’m glad I got through it.