It’s the way Wentworth talks to Mrs. Musgrove about her dead son. He knows better than anyone that Dick Musgrove was a useless good-for-nothing, that it was a piece of “good fortune” for his family “to lose him before he reached his twentieth year.” His first reaction to Mrs. Musgrove talking about “poor Richard” to him is to laugh inwardly–but. Instead of laughing at her, he goes over and sits next to Mrs. Musgrove and speaks to her so kindly and patiently–“with so much sympathy and natural grace, as shewed the kindest consideration for all that was real and unabsurd in the parent’s feelings.”

Austen goes on for two paragraphs about how ridiculous Mrs. Musgrove looks while lamenting over her idiot son, and the entire time, Wentworth is keeping a completely straight face, focusing only on the fact that this woman is sincerely upset and he can relieve her feelings a little by showing compassion.

It was written in response to a previous letter she had received from Clarke, which suggested that she should consider writing a historical romance centred on the Prince Regent's ancestors, the Saxe-Coburg family. Not only is it oozing in sarcasm, with plenty of her characteristic wit, but it contains a fascinating excerpt which gives us an insight into how she viewed her writing. One that I wish everyone who believes that Jane Austen was primarily an author of sentimental romances would read and internalise:

But I could no more write a romance than an epic poem. I could not sit seriously down to write a serious romance under any other motive than to save my life; and if it were indispensable for me to keep it up and never relax into laughing at myself or at other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first chapter. No, I must keep to my own style and go on in my own way; and though I may never succeed again in that, I am convinced that I should totally fail in any other.

Straight from the horse's mouth. Even in her lifetime, Austen was somewhat averse to being pigeonholed as a romance author. But most of all, she wished to remain true to herself and write what she wanted to write. I really respect her integrity!

I'll include the entire letter of only two paragraphs just below the cut. If you're familiar with Austen's writing style, I'm sure you'll find it as hilarious as I do!:

Her heroines are half and half introverts and extroverts (Fanny Price, Elinor Dashwood, Anne Elliot/Elizabeth Bennet, Catherine Morland, Emma Woodhouse). Her young heroines feel very different from her older ones, the difference between Catherine Morland and Anne Elliot is spring to autumn. She writes similar personality types in men and women but they come off very differently due to gender expectations (Mr. Darcy vs. Emma Woodhouse, Henry Tilney vs. Elizabeth Bennet). The level of intelligence, insight, snobbery, prejudice, and education varies between her heroines and you. can. tell. The tone of the novels changes along with the personalities of her heroines. Pride & Prejudice sparkles with Elizabeth Bennet, Mansfield Park cowers with Fanny Price.

Moreover, Austen makes main characters out of characters who would usually be minor! Emma Woodhouse should be the villain of Jane Fairfax's story, but instead she's the heroine. Catherine Morland has no right to be a heroine, what with her normal family and boring life, but she is the star and the true Gothic heroine, Eleanor Tilney, is in the background. A "washed-up" woman of seven-and-twenty, considered over the hill and unworthy of romance in two previous novels is the star of the most romantic of Austen's novels. Jane Austen sees the heroism and possibility for interesting stories in all women, even those who are chronically ignored and forgotten.

She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older - the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning

Her sister Cassandra in the margins wrote-

Racists hate Heathcliff not being white and deny this reality. But anti-racists often also feel the need to justify him or to soften his character. It is difficult to accept him in his villainously charismatic glory.