An Exploration of Letter-Writing in Jane Austen's Work

As a medium of communication, written letters stand apart not only in the intimacy of the connection they spark between writer and recipient but also in the very real, tangible nature of their existence. Jane Austen's use of written letters as key literary devices, especially in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion, reflects her dexterity at exploring and developing the intricate web of social connection among her characters, particularly in the courtship plot. These letters seek to express what cannot be said aloud, overstepping whatever walls that have been put up by social convention or emotion in an attempt to reach directly to a person’s mind or heart. Almost as illuminating as the contents of the letters themselves is their sheer materiality – as readers, we are allowed to observe the process of their writing, seeing as they are handled, passed from person to person, read and re-read. In painting such a detailed, viscerally relatable picture of the exchange of these letters, Austen elevates them from words inked on a paper to something sacred, adding dimension to the novel by binding together the thoughts and emotions of characters in ways that dialogue or gestures alone cannot.