Mariella Frostrup over at The Guardian recently wrote this in an advice column:
Despite achieving a position in the modern world where we are not only self-supporting but also increasingly outshining the men, we act like a gaggle of competitive girls whose most important goal is how blokes view us. Female-to-female behaviour hasn’t evolved much since Jane Austen’s day and the sad result is we continue to fail to provide sisterhood.
The rest of the column is similarly depressing. Mariella does suggest that the 40-something woman who feels life is slipping out of her grasp should age gracefully while at the same time make a noise, and “Rage, rage, rage when they attempt to turn out the light.” Sounds like a plan to me.
What about this talk of lack of sisterhood, now and in Jane Austen? Surely Jane and Cassandra Austen themselves are in the Sisterhood Hall of Fame? And Jane wrote about all sorts of sisters. Here’s Lizzie and Jane Bennet: “. . . do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man, who has been the means of ruining, perhaps for ever, the happiness of a most beloved sister?” Not the words of someone who’s putting a bloke above a sister. Elinor and Marianne are another loving pair of sisters, though it’s true that Marianne does put her romantic notions above Elinor’s feelings sometimes. But isn’t that her great failing, what Jane Austen is warning us against? It’s also true that there’s some unpleasant sisters in the books. Maria and Julia Bertram certainly get into a catfight over Henry Crawford in Mansfield Park, and, more chillingly, Lady Bertram, Mrs. Norris, and Mrs. Price take their separation from each other with perfect calm. As with the Elliot sisters in Persuasion, Austen seems to assume that there’s no reason that sisters would hang together, if circumstances or temperament didn’t allow it. And it’s true that we see very little genuine womanly friendship in Austen: Lizzie and Charlotte Lucas and Catherine Morland and Eleanor Tilney are the only examples I can think of. I guess it would make sense when getting a husband was like getting a job that you mightn’t be very nice to the competition, especially in a limited pool. So, I concede, Austen was pretty cynical about the whole sisterhood thing.
But what about now? Miss Osborne, Miss Ball, and I don’t have any sisters. We came together as Beloved Sisters through a shared love of Jane Austen, eating, and talking smack. So we can’t comment on the modern state of sisterhood between actual sisters. But between women in general? I think it’s a pretty mixed bag. I personally haven’t seen much catfight action, have you? And also, isn’t it a bit sexist to assume that women should get along all the time? As if men do!
OK, obviously it’d be nice if we all got along. As it says in our header, Jane will keep us together. This may be terribly ironic, considering the above, but I suggest we try it. Send loving thoughts to all those of your acquaintance, even if there are few people you really love, and still fewer of whom you think well. It’s either that or back to the meat market, apparently.
austenacious 
I’ll tell ya, “sisterhood” isn’t easy. You know about MY sister and her highs and lows, and I’m sure she could tell you a story or two about me! I send out loving thoughts!
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You forgot Emma–she adores her sister and her governess, and she genuinely tries to do what’s best for Harriet.
I would say that Jane Austen’s take on sisterhood is that blood is not thicker than water. It’s important to find people that you can really relate to–Anne with an E would call them “bosom friends” or “the race that knows Joseph”–no matter if they’re related to you or not. Isn’t that the whole plot of Persuasion? Anne Elliot doesn’t get along with her family, but she finds people she does care about like family, like Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Croft (don’t you get the impression that Anne and Mrs. Croft are besties?) A great moment from the Amanda Root adaptation is when Wentworth asks Anne to stay and nurse Louisa, but Mary breaks in and insists on staying because “Anne is nothing to Louisa. I am family.” And it’s funny because she’s so wrong–she may be family but Louisa likes Anne much better. I guess what I’m saying is that I feel like sisterhood, to JA, was a matter of commonality of spirit much more than blood. And those kinds of relationships–genuinely close female-to-female relationships–can indeed be found in her books. It’s just that not every relationship is that good, because JA’s also showing us really bad relationships (like Jane and Caroline Bingley, or Catherine and Isabella).
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