Lecture11JaneAusten(1775—1817).pptVIP

Jane Austen(1775—1817) Her Life Mansfield Park, in 1814; Emma, in 1816; Northanger Abbey and Persuasion posthumously in 1818. Her Theme Her vision of real life as lived in a particular segment of society has placed her as part of the “Great Tradition” of the English novel, i.e. realism; Limited in subject, her novels cover just that section of society to which she belonged: the country gentry; Jane Austin desisted from venturing into areas little known to her; One can show one’s best when one makes the best of one’s best knowledge. It was her own choice to write just about her circle. Her Style Among her numerous strengths are her exquisite, compact prose, her moral judgment, her wit and her vivid character portrayal. Her Everlasting Charm The secret of her fascination lies in the fact that her understanding of human nature is so accurate that it is forever capable of awakening warm echoes in human bosoms; Her fictional world is microcosm of the world at large with virtues and vices and archetypes of human behavior to which all humanity of all time can relate. Walter Scott’s Comment 1 She is at her best in writing about young girls, because she understood them astonishingly well. Walter Scott thus praised her: “That young lady has a talent for describing the involvements and feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with.” Walter Scott’s Comment 2 The big bow-wow strain I can do myself, like any now going; but the exquisite touch which renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting from the truth of the description and the sentiment, is denied to me. What a pity such a gifted creature died so early! Pride and Prejudice Video Tips Appreciate the tips of the new version of the Pride and Prejudice movie with Keira Knightley starring as Elizabeth Bennet. Make a comparison between the two versions so as to discover the differences in adaptation by the two directors, which may well be a topic for your gradua