Those pervy Romantics

[gogmagog]

...okay, maybe I just have a dirty mind, but I could SWEAR Jane Austen just made a sexual joke. Read it and tell me whether I'm on crack:

"Do you know anything of my cousin's captain?" said Edmund; "Captain Marshall? You have a large acquaintance in the navy, I conclude?"

"Among Admirals, large enough; but," with an air of grandeur; "we know very little of the inferior ranks. Post captains may be very good sort of men, but they do not belong to us. Of various admirals I could tell you a great deal; of them and their flags, and the gradation of their pay, and their bickerings and jealousies. But in general, I can assure you that they are all passed over, and all very ill used. Certainly, my home at my uncle's brought me acquainted with a circle of admirals. Of Rears, and Vices, I saw enough. Now, do not be suspecting me of a pun, I entreat."

Edmund again felt grave, and only replied, "It is a noble profession."

Now, I realize "rear admiral" may not have the...er, risque definition that it has now, but still...the italicization (which is Austen's, not mine), the pairing with "vices," the fact that she clearly is intending a knid of pun...either I'm just really pervy, or Jane Austen was a little less prudish than we give her credit for. XD

In other news, the great thing about being in grad school: I get to lie in bed all day reading Jane Austen and it's not only allowed, it's expected. I'm actually being virtuous in doing so. :D :D :D

(Also, in honor of the fact that the hero and heroine of the novel are first cousins, a new Gilgamesh-inspired icon!)

Comments

[anchan218.livejournal.com]

You know, it doesn't seem characteristic of Jane Austen to make a joke like that, but I can't figure out any other pun that could be made with the words vice and rear... O_o;

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

I know! I was like, "is there some innocent joke meaning I'm missing? 'Cause all I'm thinking of is things along the lines of anal sex, which is not Austenesque AT ALL." XD

That naughty, naughty Jane

[(Anonymous)]

Hilarious! I always go all old english when i read Jane, so I've never thought about it. She's probably quite proud of herself for that one...

Glo
http://1gloriousconundrum.blogspot.com/

[ryuusama.livejournal.com]

Actually, she's not making a joke. The character--whose name escapes me at the moment; it's the half-sister of the vicar's wife (geez, I've only read this book five times). The reason the vicar's sister-in-law (VSIL) has come to live with them is because her uncle (the Admiral) brought his mistress into the house after his wife died. Very scandalous behavior at the time. Also, the admiral is reputed to be a complete misogynist. So, one can suppose that the admiral surrounded himself with men who didn't bother to control their language or behavior around the VSIL, because they knew they could get away with it. Thus, when VSIL refers to 'Rears and Vices,' not only is she talking about rear admirals and vice admirals, but the crude deportment and scandalous behavior she was no doubt exposed to on a daily basis by her uncle.

Jane Austen can get pretty sharp in her prose. Not necessarily raunchy, but if you look close, you realize she's not the good little authoress people like to make her out to be.

[yoshitsune.livejournal.com]

Ah, so "Rears" as in crude asses? Okay, that makes a bit more sense...that's more what I expect from Jane Austen. She can be pretty acerbic at times, but I thought a dirty joke was VERY uncharacteristic. XD