The Dissolution of the Monasteries allowed Henry VIII to give land to a lot of people who didn't have any. All land was perceived to be owned by the king in medieval times, and he granted it to major noblemen, who granted it to minor noblemen, and so on down the food chain. People who lived in towns were another matter. The king was expected to live off his own lands, though this wasn't compatible with fighting wars and such, which led to problems. I don't think Jane Austen had a sense of entitlement, myself. She was after all living on the edge of the system - and her father's death meant that their financial situation became worse than the Dashwoods. I think she was writing about How Things Were, so she didn't make suggestions about how things could be improved. She wanted to amuse her readers, not lecture them.
I don't think Jane Austen had a sense of entitlement, myself. She was after all living on the edge of the system - and her father's death meant that their financial situation became worse than the Dashwoods. I think she was writing about How Things Were, so she didn't make suggestions about how things could be improved. She wanted to amuse her readers, not lecture them.