Letters from Austen

The ten pages of letters we read for class today by Jane Austen were very intriguing.  The letters that I enjoyed the most were the ones written to Fanny.  When reading these letters I thought of Austen's book Emma.  In Emma the main character (Emma) tries to set up her best friend Harriet with Mr. Elton.  Harriet is proposed to by Martin and Emma tells her to reject his proposal.  These letters remind me of Emma because it feels as if she's meddling and trying to get Fanny to do what she wants instead of what Fanny wants, like Emma.  The last letter on page 280 was a lot of fun to read.  I especially liked when Austen tells Fanny, "You are a Paragon of all that is Silly & Sensible, common-place & eccentric, Sad & Lively, Provoking & Interesting" Austen is clearly praising and putting down Fanny all at the same time and in the same sentence! On another note, the main character in Manfield Park is named Fanny.  It seems as if Austen took experiences and things she knew and turned them into stories.  Austen would be great for biographical critics.