I have read a lot of dreary articles about the economy lately. Things do look bad today, but I look forward to a bright future when I can be scalped by taxes and astronomical inflation in order to support my parents’ generation in their old age. (I don’t want to retire myself, I just want to work hard to pay off my student loan by the age of ninety.)

I don’t have any practical advice about the economy, needless to say, because nobody does.

But in hard times, I like to remember the classics.

In Pride and Prejudice, the Bennett sisters struggle to find rich husbands who will enable them to maintain their privileged, entitled lifesyles, and eventually they do. In the meantime, they enjoy many fun country pursuits, such as long walks, horseback rides, time spent with the family, dance parties, and tea.

In Jane Eyre, impoverished, hard-luck orphan Jane fights her way from an abusive childhood to coveted jobs as schoolteacher and governess, eventually inherits some money with which she is generous, and marries a rich man with an ugly face, a rocking body (except that he is missing one hand), and a kind heart. Jane too enjoys the simple things in life, including gray clothing and love affairs with married men.

Or think of Don Quixote, who goes crazy from too much reading, comes to believe in magic, goes on a quest, and fights windmills after mistaking them for giants. He enjoys the friendship of a faithful sidekick, plenty of sunshine and red wine, many adventures, and unrequited love for farm girls. But his story ends sadly when he dies of grief after losing touch with the happy world of his imagination.

The books don’t focus on the economic climate but I think we can read between the lines here and take a lesson from Jane Eyre: If you don’t get invited to dances, or if you do get invited but when you arrive people make fun of your drab clothing, at least you can retreat into books until you marry someone rich.