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Tapping into Background Knowledge…
› What do you know / what have you
heard about this novel?
› What do you think you will learn / what
do you hope to learn as we read this
novel?
Austen’s Hollywood Power – Credits “Entertainment Weekly”
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Austen's novels and her personal life have
been adapted into film, television, and theater, with
different adaptations varying greatly in their
faithfulness to the original.
“Becoming Jane” (film (2007)– staring Anne
Hathaway
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (parody book) Seth Grahame Smith
“Pride and Prejudice” (film 2005) – staring Kiera
Knightly
“Jane Austen’s Fight Club” – Viral YouTube Clip /
Trailer
These are just a few of the examples of Austen’s
influence on our culture.
http://online.wsj.com/video/video-clipjane-austens-fight-club/3F45ECC2-679045E2-A68F-415764D39F87.html
 Did you know: The film “Clueless” is based
on Jane Austen’s novel Emma ?
 Did you know the famous Reese
Witherspoon film” Bridget Jones’s Diary”
borrowed its basic plot elements from Pride
and Prejudice ?
 ANGLOPHILIA …. And the only cure is
more…..

1775-1817
 Grew up in an upper class family
 Educated by father, brothers, and her
own reading
 Supported by her family in writing
 Writes:
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› 6 novels
› 27 short stories
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Dies of TB in the prime of her writing
career
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Plots realistic to her time and own
experiences:
› women having to depend on marriage to
get anywhere in the world (historical times)
› Love vs expectations (broken heart at 20)
› Relationships with siblings and family (sister is
her best friend)
› Small town situations (growing up in the
country)
Marriage
 Money
 Class
 Self Knowledge and awareness
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In the early 1800’s – few middle class
women could choose not to marry or
marry simply for love.
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Women could not enter occupations
and earn their own living.
› Governess
› Writer
› Inheritance – males
Path to financial security for women
 Attracting a husband was a big priority
 Education outside of the domestic
sphere was of little importance
 A few things that were of big
importance:

› Singing, playing an instrument, reciting
poetry, drawing, painting, embroidery = a
“well rounded education” for women
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Romance – love – different than the
“Romantic Era”
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Realism – things exactly how they are in
every day life
England – 1800’s
Homes of middle and upper class families
living in the countryside outside of London
 Industrial revolution in full swing – efficiency
and profitability – newly rich middle class
eager to show off.
 Problems –
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Unemployment
Starvation – “Bread Riots”
Repressed workers , repressed free speech
Agricultural depression
Austen excludes these events…
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Elizabeth Bennet
› Middle Class
› A-typical – intriguing , complex
› “For the first time in English literature,
outside Shakespeare, we meet heroines
who are credible, with minds, with the
capacity to think for themselves, with
ambition and wit.”

Elizabeth Bennet –
Second daughter of
Mr. Bennet; very
smart and outspoken
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Fitzwilliam Darcy –
condescending
gentlemen; best
friend to Charles
Bingley
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Jane Bennet – oldest
Bennet daughter
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Charles Bingley –
Rich neighbor of the
Bennets; Darcy’s
best friend
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Mr. Bennet – modest
gentleman with a
sarcastic sense of
humor
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Mrs. Bennet – foolish,
noisy woman whose
only goal in life is to
get all her daughters
married
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George Wickham –
handsome, greedy
militia officer
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Lydia Bennet –
youngest Bennet
sister; gossipy,
immature and self
involved
Mr. Collins – clergyman who will inherit
Bennet property
 Miss Bingley – Charles's sister; wants
Darcy
 Lady Catherine – Noblewoman
 Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner – Mrs. Bennet’s
family
 Charlotte Lucas – Elizabeth’s friend
 Georgiana Darcy – Darcy’s little sister
 Mary Bennet – Middle Bennet sister;
bookish
 Catharine Bennet – fourth sister; like Lydia
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Comedy of Manners – satirizes the manners
and affections of a social class, often
represented by stock characters (the rich
uncle, the nosey aunt, the overbearing
mother, etc.)
 Austen's satire – her critique of society is
subtle and good humored , but she
definitely points out the follies and
shortcomings of her characters.
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Tense: Past tense
Tone: Comic, satiric
Narrator: third – person omniscient narrator
Antagonist: Snobbish Class – consciousness
(as embodied by Lady Catherine de
Bourgh and Miss Bingley)
Theme(S):
› Impediments to Love
› The Necessity of Good Behavior
› The Unfortunate Power of Class
Sense and Sensibility
 Mansfield Park
 Emma
 Northanger Abbey
 Persuasion
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