Jane Austen's Clergymen

Lately, I have been considering the clergymen in Jane Austen's novels for a seminar essay that I plan to write on this topic. I was first struck by this idea while reading Pride & Prejudice, as I noticed Mr. Collins to be an unusual clergyman. Then, it is revealed that Mr. Wickham had once hoped to enter the Church. Austen seems to be commenting on the development of this profession and perhaps satirizes, or maybe sympathizes, these male characters who do not suit the cloth and, rather than find a suitable occupation, stretch out the fabric to wear such garments: it might be on, but it certainly does not fit.




There is some work on this aspect of Austen's novels, namely by Irena Collins in Jane Austen and the Clergy (London: Hambeldon Press, 1994). There is also this thoughtful (but likely outdated) digitized text by G.E. Mitton, titled Jane Austen and Her Times, with a chapter regarding "The Position of the Clergy". Obviously, biographical information is useful (as Jane's father and brothers were clergymen). The Morland patriarch in Northanger Abbey might be a more suitable comparison to (what is known about) Austen's father. I have been analyzing these characters, their intentions, and their relationship to the Church of England while reading Austen's novels with an intent to understand what she means by them.