Line #17 Literature/LadySusan


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lady_susan.jpg]]
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3	->"''Frederica shall be Sir James's wife before she quits my house, and she may whimper, and the Vernons may storm, I regard them not. [[BlatantLies I am tired of submitting my will to the caprices of others]]; of resigning my own judgment in deference to those to whom I owe no duty, and for whom I feel no respect. I have given up too much, have been too easily worked on, but Frederica shall now feel the difference.''"
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5	In 1871, Creator/JaneAusten's nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh published a 2nd edition of his biography of his aunt, including fragments of unfinished works and one previously unpublished brief EpistolaryNovel. The untitled text is theorized to have been completed around 1805. Austen-Leigh titled it ''Lady Susan'', and the eponymous RichBitch is to her story what Heathcliff is to ''Literature/WutheringHeights'' -- a conniving, selfish, amoral VillainProtagonist who causes misery and strife for everyone who comes in contact with her, except with no FreudianExcuse and zero redeeming qualities.
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7	Received a [[TheFilmoftheBook film adaptation]] in 2016 that was, oddly enough, titled ''Love and Friendship'' (and, of course, has nothing to do with ''Literature/LoveAndFreindship'').
8	----
9	!! The novel provides examples of:
10	* AccompliceByInaction: With the exception of Catherine Vernon, everyone lets Lady Susan hurt and abuse her poor woobtastic daughter, because they are blinded by the mother's charm and filmsy justification, being subjects of her manipulation and sometimes even her UnwittingPawn. [[spoiler:They are mostly forgiven by Frederica and Catherine in the end]].
11	* AdaptationTitleChange: The film was retitled to ''Love and Friendship''.
12	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Frederica is freed from her mother and eventually marries Reginald, but Alicia and Lady Susan plan to goad Mrs. Mainwaring's nerves into killing her as quickly as possible, and Lady Susan's schemes against the marriage of Sir James and Miss Mainwaring succeed.]]
13	* {{Bookworm}}: Frederica
14	* CallingTheOldManOut: Catherine briefly calls Lady Susan out for her mistreatment of her daughter in Letter 24.
15	* CanonForeigner: Mrs. Cross, Lady Susan's companion, in ''Love & Friendship.''
16	* TheDitz: Sir James. The adaptation takes this up to eleven.
17	* ExactWords:
18	** Lady Susan forbids Frederica from telling her aunt and uncle about her hatred of Sir James or asking them for help... but she never forbade her from turning to ''Reginald de Courcy'' for help.
19	** Since Mr. Johnson forbids Lady Susan from staying in his house during his pending trip to Bath, Alicia finds accommodations for her friend nearby and plans for them to spend all their time together, "for I consider my promise to Mr. Johnson as comprehending only (at least in his absence) your not sleeping in the house."
20	* GoneHorriblyRight: Lady Susan wanted to tell Reginald to keep his distance for awhile in a way that would make him love her all the more. She succeeded so well that [[spoiler:he showed up at her house in town right before her other boyfriend was due to arrive.]]
21	* HaveAGayOldTime: Sir James has been "making love" to Maria Mainwaring, Lady Susan suspects her daughter of "making love" to Reginald, and of course there is a lot of "intercourse" going on.
22	* HeroWithBadPublicity: Frederica, thanks to her mother.
23	* HiddenDepths: Frederica's rebellious streak.
24	* HookedUpAfterwards: [[spoiler:Frederica and Reginald; Lady Susan and Sir James.]]
25	* HopeSpot: Letter 23.
26	-->'''Catherine Vernon:''' ''(in Letter 24)'' Little did I imagine, my dear Mother, when I sent off my last letter, that the delightful perturbation of spirits I was then in would undergo so speedy, so melancholy a reverse.
27	* ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou: Lady Susan's initial attraction to Reginald.
28	-->'''Lady Susan:''' There is exquisite pleasure in subduing an insolent spirit, in making a person predetermined to dislike acknowledge one's superiority.
29	* KickTheDog: Which comes across as particularly vicious when the proverbial "dog" is ''your own daughter.''
30	* LemonyNarrator in The Conclusion:
31	-->"This correspondence, by a meeting between some of the parties, and a separation between the others, could not, to the great detriment of the Post Office revenue, be continued any longer."
32	* LovingAShadow: Reginald
33	* MaliciousSlander: Lady Susan spreads this about Frederica ''and'' manages to make Reginald believe that the entire world is spreading this about her.
34	* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:Lady Susan's own plans ultimately lead to their own failure.]]
35	* OnlySaneMan: Catherine is the only who can see Lady Susan for the {{hypocrite}} she is, while her brother and husband are wholly taken in.
36	* OppositesAttract: The universally-agreeable and accommodating Charles Vernon and his more practical, discerning wife Catherine.
37	* ParentalAbandonment: [[spoiler: The Conclusion explains that Lady Susan ultimately sent her daughter to stay with the Vernons and gradually just ceased to write to her.]]
38	* ParentalMarriageVeto: Lady Susan's dictatorship over her daughter's love life aside, Reginald also gets a letter from his father highly advising him against marrying Lady Susan. As Catherine and her mother could have told him, it does no good.
39	* PlayingHardToGet: After returning to London, Lady Susan writes to Reginald that, as much as she loves him and as much as it pains her to fulfill her duty, she's only been widowed ten months, and etiquette requires they not get engaged too soon, so they better make the honorable sacrifice and see less of each other for awhile. See GoneHorriblyRight.
40	* ReversePsychology: Lady Susan's reluctance to allow Frederica to return to Churchhill.
41	-->"Mrs. Vernon was then convinced of what she had only suspected before, that she might have spared herself all the trouble of urging a removal which Lady Susan had doubtless resolved on from the first."
42	* RunawayFiancee: Frederica -- this being Jane Austen, she gets caught on the road.
43	* ShipperOnDeck: Catherine and her parents ship Reginald with Frederica, not least of all because she's not Lady Susan.
44	* TheVoiceless: In the film, Lord Mainwaring appears on screen, but has no lines. He ''is'' the {{Foil}} to Sir James, who never stops babbling.
45	* [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim What Does He See In Her?]]: Catherine Vernon can't for the life of her figure out how Reginald could let himself be duped by Lady Susan.
46	* WideEyedIdealist: Charles Vernon
47	* WrongGenreSavvy: Reginald, you have the heroine and the RichBitch completely mixed up, as well as who is spreading MaliciousSlander about whom!

Context Literature / LadySusan