Jane Austin has to be read with a recognition of the class structured society and values of her own day. With that in mind, her works are quite remarkable in their insights as well as their gentle humor.
I disagree. One does not have to read Jane Austin with any preconceived picture of contemporary society, in the period in which she wrote. Her keen eye, and literary competence conveys that picture with great clarity. And she does not go off on crack-pot tangents as do so many present day writers, both men & women, postulating ways to project some warped perception.