teacher's guide - jane austen

The CompleTe guide To TeaChing

Emma $ Sense and Sensibility $ Mansfield Park $ Persuasion $ Pride and Prejudice* $ Northanger Abbey

AboutThisGuide............................................ 1

WhyJane?WhyNow?................................... 2

AustenintheClassroom............................... 3

JaneAusten’sLife............................................. 4

Miss Austen Regrets.......................................... 5

NoveltoFilm.................................................... 6

TheArtofAdaptation.................................... 8

Self-Discovery................................................10

Persuasion.........................................................12

Sense and Sensibility........................................13

SocietyandtheSelf.......................................14

Emma .................................................................16

Pride and Prejudice.........................................17

SatireandIrony..............................................18

Northanger Abbey...........................................20

Mansfield Park................................................21

SelectedResources.........................................22

Contents

About This GuideOriginallywritteninconjunctionwiththe2008seriesThe Complete Jane Austen(filmversionsofallsixJaneAustenworks),thisguidecanbeusedwithearlierMasterpieceversionsofAusten’sworks,aswellasthe2010broadcastofEmmastarringRomolaGaraiandJonnyLeeMiller.MasterpiecefilmsareavailableforpurchaseonshopPBS.org.Youmaywanttopurchasethefollowingfilmstousewiththisguide: Emma(starringRomolaGarai,2010) Emma(starringKateBeckinsale,1996) Mansfield Park(starringBilliePiper,2008) Northanger Abbey(starringFelicityJones,1998) Persuasion(starringSallyHawkins,2008) Pride and Prejudice(starringColinFirth,1995)* Sense and Sensibility(starringHattieMorahanandCharityWakefield,2008) Miss Austen Regrets(2008)

ThisguideoffersideasandtipsonhowtoteachtheworksofJaneAusten,usingfilmasanotheravenueintoherworld.Theguidehasbeenorganizedsoitcaneasilybeadaptedforvariousneeds.Sectionsthatexploreuniversalthemes—NoveltoFilm,theArtofAdaptation,Self-Discovery,SocietyandtheSelf,SatireandIrony—providequestionsandactivitiesthatcanbeusedforanyofAusten’sworks.BeforeandAfterViewingquestionshavebeenprovidedforeachfilmsoyoucanthoroughlyexplorewhatevertitleyouchoosetoteach.OtherfeaturesincludeanessayaboutAusten’scontinuedpopularity,biographicalinformation,andanexplorationoftheroleofbiographyinanauthor’swork.AlistofselectedresourcesandorderinginformationtopurchaseanyoftheAustenfilms(includinganeducator’sdiscount)isalsoprovided. ±

pbs.org/masterpiece/austen 9 1

Visit the Masterpiece Web Sitepbs.org/masterpiece/austenSubscribe to the Masterpiece newsletter to get the inside scoop on Emma, the Masterpiece Book & Film Club, and other upcoming Masterpiece programs.

Isabella Thorpe from NorthangerAbbey

*Pride and PrejudiceisaproductionofBBCTelevisionandBBCWorldwideAmericas,Inc.inassociationwithA&ENetworks. TheMasterpiece broadcastofPride and PrejudiceisthefirstintheU.S.otherthanonA&ETelevisionNetworks.

©2010WGBHEducationalFoundation

asterpiecebringstheworksofJaneAustentotelevisionatamomentwheninterestintheauthor—bothherworksandherquiet,early-19thcenturylife—mayneverhavebeengreater.Sincethe1940s,full-lengthfilmproductionsofJaneAusten’snovelshavebeenturnedoutatasteadyrateofthreetosevenperdecade.Today,Austen“mania”iseverywhere,fromHollywoodfeaturesinspired

byherlifeandworks,toJane’simagefeaturedonthecoverofNewsweek,toMySpaceandYouTube.Hernovelsandbooksabouthernovelscrowdthebestsellerlists.Nearlytwohundredyearsafterthepublicationof Pride and Prejudice,JaneAustenstillhasenormousappealforcontemporaryreadersandviewers.WhataccountsforthecontinuingpopularityofJaneAusten?WhyJane,andwhynow?

Atfirstglance—particularlyformosthighschoolstudents—Austen’spopularityishardtofathom.Austenwroteabouttheproblemsandpressuresof19thcenturycourtshipandmarriage.Actionandadventurearelimitedtoawalkinarainstormorarideinanopencarriagewithoutachaperone;powerfulfeelingsanddesiresareexpressedindirectly,ifatall;conversationisahighart,flavoredwithironicwitandthediscussionofweather.Hercharacters’behaviorandlifechoicesaredictatedbystandardsandvaluesthatcanseemutterlyforeigninaworldasrapidlychangingasourown.

PerhapsmodernreadersandviewerscontinuetobedrawntoAusten’sworkbecauseoftheverylimitationsthatmaymakeuswaryatfirst.Thephysicalandsociallandscapewithinherworkisrestricted,butthefieldofthemes,emotions,andevendesiressheexploresthereisdeepandbroad.How,hernovelsask,doesapersondothehardworkofcreatingagood,happy,balancedlife?CatherineMorlandisanaïvegirlwithafancifulimagination;howwillshelearntodistinguishrealityfromfantasyandcomeofage?WhatdoesitfeelliketobeAnneElliot,disappointedbylifebeforetheageoftwenty,andhowwillshefindthecouragetoredeemthemistakesofherpast?Andwhy,wemightaskFannyPrice,dolove,respect,andaffectionnotgotothosewhodeservethem?Finally,allthenovelsaskaquestionthatresonatestodayaspowerfullyasitdidinAusten’stime:Whatchancedotheneedsoftheheartandmindhaveinaworlddominatedbymoney?TheworldofJaneAusten’snovelsmaybesmall,butitisnotsimple.

Austen’sothergreatappealisthatspendingtimeinherworldisfun.Herworldisdifferentfromours,andthefilmsandnovelstransportusthere.WecantravelthroughRegencyEngland(approximately1800–1820)astourists,freetoenjoywhatisglitteringandentertaining.Thankstoherdeftsenseofhumor,wedelightinhercharacters,withalltheirfaults.Wereturnhome,rememberingthepleasuresofherworldandthinkabouthowthatworldreflectsuponourown,withitssharpdifferencesanditssubtleandsurprisingsimilarities.

JaneAustenfirstmadeherwayontostandardU.S.highschoolandcollegereadinglistsbecausesheisagreatnovelist.Sheremainstherebecauseshehasprovenherselftobeatimelessone.Eachgeneration,includingtheonethatyouarenowteaching,“rediscovers”Austen.Chancesarethatattheendofthe21stcentury,wewillstillbeasking“WhyJane?WhyNow?” ±

M

Jane Austen “action” figure created in 2005

2

Why Jane? Why Now?

Books about all aspects of Jane Austen and her world are popular

TheHartfordCourant notes the appeal of Jane Austen


hebroadcastEmmaandotherworksofAustenopensthedoorforstudentstothe worldofJaneAusten.Usingthefilmscanignitestudents’interestinand understandingofallsixofAusten’snovels.TrythefollowingsuggestionsforusingAustennovelsandfilmsintheEnglishclassroomandbeyond.

$ Comparethenoveltothefilm.IfyoutraditionallyteachanAustennovel,compareittotheMasterpiecefilmversion.Ifyoudon’thavetimetoshowanentirefilm,watchselectedscenesandcomparethemtothetext.The“ArtofAdaptation”section(pages8–9)hasspecificsuggestionstohelpyouexploretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesoftranslatingfictionintoafilm.

$ Minethefilmsfortheirinterdisciplinarycontent.ExplorethehistoryoftheNapoleonicwarsthatsetsupPersuasion,thecultureandsociologyofRegencyEnglandthatlimitthefreedomoftheDashwoodsistersinSense and Sensibility,orthefashionanddesignondisplayinthescenesfromBathinNorthanger Abbey.

$ Pairthereadingofonenovelwiththeviewingofanother.Ifyoudon’thavetimetoteachtwoAustennovels,youmaywanttopairabookandafilmbasedonsimilaritiesintheme,suchas:•Coming-of-Age:Northanger AbbeyandPersuasion•WealthandPrivilege:EmmaandMansfield Park•AchievingBalance:Sense and SensibilityandPride and Prejudice

$ ComparetheviewingofanAustenfilmwithayoungadultnovel.Foryoungerstudents,tryPollyShulman’sEnthusiasm,aboutapairoffriendswhogolookingfortheirownMr.Darcy(Pride and Prejudice),orLouisePlummer’sThe Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman,asend-upofromancenovels(Northanger Abbey).

$ PairtheviewingofanAustenfilmwiththereadingofanother19thcenturyworkaboutwomen,society,andautonomy.ForolderstudentstryHenryJames’A Portrait of a Lady,ElizabethGaskell’sNorth and South,orHenrikIbsen’sA Doll’s House.

$ CompareandcontrasttwoAustenfilms.Consideradaptation,direction,filmtechniques,performances,etc.Useactivitiesandideasfromthe“NoveltoFilm”section(pages6–7)orusetheMasterpieceFilm in the Classroomguide,whichcanbeviewedbyselectingLearningResourcesatwww.pbs.org/masterpiece.

$ CompareaMasterpiecefilmtomodernizedadaptations,suchas The Jane Austen Book Club, Clueless,Bride and Prejudice,orBridget Jones’ Diary(besuretopreviewthesefilmstojudgetheirappropriatenessforuseinyourclassroom). ±

NorthangerAbbey’sCatherine Morland writes to a friend

Tt e AC h i n g s t r At e g i e s

Austen in the Classroom


TheHartfordCourant notes the appeal of Jane Austen


MWhy Jane? Why Now?

4 8

hiletheliteraryartofJaneAustenisremarkable,thefactsofherbiography,at firstglance,arenot.ThecontrasthaslongintriguedAustenreadersandAusten scholars,andinterestinherlifeistodayalmostaskeenasinterestinherworks.Datingbacktoherowntime,whenAusten’sfirstfournovelswerepublishedanonymously,wehaveherletters(thosehersisterCassandradidnotdestroyafterherdeath),andA Memoir of Jane Austen,writtenbyhernephewJ.E.Austen-Leighin1869.WhatthesesourcesrevealisthatwhileAustendidleadthequietlifeofanunmarriedclergyman’sdaughter,shefoundearlyencouragementforherartwithinherfamilycircleandastartingpointforhernovelsinherpersonalandfamilyhistory.

Bornin1775toGeorgeandCassandraAustenintheEnglishvillageofSteventon,JaneAustengrewupinahighlyliteratefamily.Jane’sfatherwasanOxford-educatedclergymanandhermotherwasahumorous,aristocraticwoman.Educatedonlybrieflyoutsideofherhome,JaneAustenreadfreelyinherfather’slibraryof500books,whichleftherbettereducatedthanmostyounggirlsofthetime.Whileherfamilyneveranticipatedshewouldbeapublishedwriter(notconsideredanappropriateprofessionforayoungladyofherbackground),withinthewallsoftheirhouseholdshewasencouragedtowrite.Inthislivelyintellectualhouseholdthe15-year-oldJaneAustenbeganwritingherownnovels;byage23shehadcompletedtheoriginalversionsofNorthanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. HerowndelightinreadingandherironicmockingofitsimpactonyounggirlscomesaliveinNorthanger Abbey.

AfterAusten’sfatherdiedin1805,Jane,hermother,andsisterCassandralivedinasmallhouseprovidedbyherthen-wealthybrotherEdwardinthevillageofChawton.WhenJaneAustenreceivedaproposalfromthewealthybrotherofaclosefriend,forwhomshefeltnoaffection,sheinitiallyacceptedhim,onlytoturnhimdownthenextday.Thiswasapainfuldecisionforher,assheunderstooddeeplythatmarriagewasthesoleoptionwomenhadforsocialmobility;shefurtherunderstoodthevulnerabilityofsinglewomenwithoutfamilyestateswhodependonwealthyrelativesforahome.ThissubjectisattheheartofSense and Sensibility.

Austenkeenlyobservedtheshiftingofsocialclassduringherday.TwoofherbrotherswereintheRoyalBritishNavyandshesawfirst-handtheriseof

navalofficersinclass-consciousBritishsociety.ThosewhoreturnedfromtheNapoleonicwarswithbothwealthandnotorietywereabletobreak

throughclassbarriersthatwerepreviouslyimpenetrable.Shewroteelegantlyaboutthisseachangeinherlastnovel,Persuasion.

JaneAustendiedonJuly18,1817,atage41.Sheneverwroteamemoir,satforaninterview,orrecordedwhethershehadherselffeltthejoysanddisappointmentsoflove.Thebiographicalfactsmayneveradequatelyexplainthequickwit,thesharpinsight,andthedeepemotionalintelligenceshebroughttohernovels.Perhapsthatisimpossible;itislikelythatthenovelswillcontinuetotranscend

ourunderstandingofwheretheycamefrom. ±

W Jane Austen’s Life

4

1873 engraving based on a drawing by Cassandra Austen

Family and MoneyAsakeenobserverofsocialclass,JaneAustentranslatedthelifechoicesmadebyherfamilyintotheconflictsattheheartofhernovels.Thisisparticularlytrueformoneyanditsimpactonfamilies.TheAustenswerecountrygentry,andwereacceptedsociallybywealthierfamiliesintheneighborhood,buttheywerenotwealthy.Theyhadenoughtoliveon,andafewhouseholdservants,whichmadethemtheequivalentofmiddleclass.LikeMr.BennettinPride and Prejudice,GeorgeAustencouldgivehisdaughterslittletomarryon,andhadlittlepropertytoleavetohissons.JaneAustensawherbelovedbrotherEdwardadoptedbyawealthierfamily,theKnightsofKent.AsAustenbiographerParkHonannotesinJane Austen: Her Life,“Thelasting,subtleeffectoftheadoptionwastomake[JaneAusten]morefullyawareofhowmoney,land,inheritance,andsocialadvantageeasilytakeprecedence...overfamilylove.”


L Miss Austen Regrets ittleisknownforcertainabouttheromancesinJaneAusten’sownlife.Withsome dramaticlicense,thedocudramaMiss Austen Regretsspeculativelyexploreswhy JaneAustenchosetostayunmarriedandhowshefeltaboutthatchoice,painting abackgroundthatilluminatesthechoicesAusten’sheroinesmakeinhernovels.

Doesbiographymatter?Inthehistoryofcriticaltheory,the pendulumhasswungbackandforthontheuseandrelevanceofawriter’sbiographyinreading,appreciating,andunderstandingaworkoffiction.Canyouinferbiographyfromthefiction(e.g.,Austenmusthavebeeninloveatsomepoint!),anddoesknowingthebiographymakeyouabetterreaderofit?Orshouldtheworkstandonitsownandbeexperiencedwithouttheinterferenceofbiographicalinformationandinfluence?

Miss Austen RegretsisoneinterpretationofJaneAusten’slife,butwhatelsecanstudentsfindout?AfterreadingoneofAusten’snovelsorviewingoneofthefilms,studentsarejustaslikelytobeinterestedbyAusten’spersonalstoryasothershavebeen.Howdidasheltered“spinsteraunt”cometowritesointelligentlyaboutsociety,love,andlonging?Wassheastaidandquietwoman,aspiritedrebel,orsomethinginbetween?JaneAustenherselfisstillariddle,andMiss Austen Regretsoffersonepossibleanswer. ±

Before Viewing1. Askstudentsto“takeastand”bywritingafewsentencesdefendingorrefutingthefollowingstatement:To write convincing fiction about a subject such as loss, love, or poverty you must have experienced it yourself.Atthefrontoftheclassroom,identifyoneendofanimaginarylineontheflooras“agree,”theotherendas“disagree.”Invitestudentstocomeforwardoneatatimeandliterallytakeastandalongthatlinetoshowhowstronglytheyagreeordisagree.Askthemtodefendtheirposition.Asstudentsheartheirclassmates’arguments,theyarefreetomovetheirpositioniftheirownopinionshifts.Attheendoftheactivity,discusshowstudentsfelt.

2. Ifyousawamagazineatacheckoutcounterfeaturingthelifestoryofyourfavoritemusician,athleteoractor,wouldyoubuyit?Why?Whatdoesbiographical

informationtellyou,andisitimportanttounderstandingtheworkorperformanceofthisperson?Whyorwhynot?

After Viewing1. WhydoyouthinkthefilmistitledMiss Austen Regrets?DoesJaneregretthatshedidnotmarry?Whatdidthatchoicecosther?Whatdidshegain?Whatpressuresdidshehavetoresist?WhydoyouthinkJaneAusten,asyoucometoknowherinMiss Austen Regrets,marriedoffallofherheroinesinhernovels?

2. Inthefilm,JanepointsouttoFannyseveraltimesthatlifeandfictionarenotthesame.Letherdebatethepointwithherowncharacters!HavestudentsstageanOprahWinfrey-styletalkshowfeaturingJaneAustenandtwoorthreeofhercharactersasguests.Takequestionsfromthe“studioaudience.”

Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor, which is one very strong argument

in favour of matrimony.

Jane Austen,letter to Fanny Knight, 1817

e x P l o r i n g t h e f i l M

pbs.org/masterpiece/austen 9 5©2010WGBHEducationalFoundation

MWhy Jane? Why Now?

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heseactivitiesaskstudentstoinvestigatethepossibilitiesandproblemsofadaptation: howdofilmmakersbringanoveltothescreen?Whatmaybelost,andwhatcanbe added?Studyingadaptationdrivesstudentsfromthefilmintothetextandbackagain, creatingopportunitiestothinkaboutthelanguageandstructureofboth.Formoreon filmstudyandthelanguageoffilm,seeMasterpiece’sFilm in the Classroom: A Guide for Teachers,availableunderLearningResourcesatwww.pbs.org/masterpiece. ±

TNovel to Film

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The Missing NarratorTurninganovelintoascreenplayisnotaseasyaspullingdialoguefromthepagesofa

book.InAusten,aswithmostnovelists,thenarrator’swordssupplementdialogueinreportingaction,establishingsettingandtone,givingvoicetounspokenthoughtsandemotions,allofwhichareimportantfordevelopingcharacterandadvancingtheplot.

Screenwritersandfilmmakersmustaskthemselvesiftheworkdonebynarrationinthenoveltheyareadaptingisworthsaving.Ifso,theymustusetheelementsoffilminorder

totransfertothescreenwhatthenarratorprovidesonthepage.

1. Usingachart(seebelow),taketheopeningofthefilmyouviewedasacasestudy.Lookcarefullyatthenarratedpassagesinthefirstfewchaptersoftheoriginaltext.Createalistdetailingwhatthesepiecesofnarrationestablishforthereader.Dotheydescribesetting,introduceacharacter,givebackgroundinformation,oridentifythecharacters’conflictsandconcerns? Nowre-viewthefirstfewscenesinthefilmthatcorrespondtothechaptersyoustudied.Asyouwatch,noticehowtheinformationyourecordedwhilereadingisvisibleonthescreen.Trytoidentifyhowthepiecesofnarrationarecommunicatedtotheviewerinthenarrator’sabsence:inthelocationsandsets,inthecostumes,throughnewlywrittendialogue?Inthefacialexpressionsorphysicalactionsoftheactors,inthewaytheylookandspeaktooneanother?Takenotesasyouwatch.

2. Doyoufeelthefilmmakershaveadaptedthebeginningofthenovelyoureadeffectively?Whyorwhynot?Whataspectsweresuccessfulandwhatdidthefilmversionlack?Usingtheirnotesasevidence,havestudentsdebatewhetherornotthebeginningofthefilmisafaithfuladaptationofthenovel.

Comparing Novel to FilmNote how narration comes to life on film.

Setting Characters Background Costumes Dialogue

Film

Text

Mary and Henry Crawford in MansfieldPark


Point of ViewWhosestorygetstold,andhowisittold?Whatisthereaderorviewershown,orallowedtoseeandknow?InAusten’snovels,weareonlypresentin“live”sceneswhentheheroineispresent;anyotheractionissimplyreported,withoutdialogue.Forinstance,weneverseeLucySteelealonewithEdwardFerrarsinSense and Sensibility,orwhatMr.DarcyisuptowhenheisinLondoninPride and Prejudice.Evenwiththehelpoftheomniscientnarrator’scommentary,ourpointofviewislimited.

1. Thinkaboutfilmsyou’veseeninwhicheverysceneis“live”ratherthannarrated(unlessthereisavoice-overnarration,asinNorthanger Abbey).IfyouwereadaptingAustenforthescreen,wouldyoumaintaintheoriginalrestrictedpointofview,orwouldyoudeliver“live”thescenesandeventsthatareonlyreferredtoornarratedinthenovel?Why?DidtheAustenfilmyouwatchedpresentasinglecharacter’spointofview,ormultiplepointsofview,including“live”scenesinwhichthemaincharacterdoesnotappear?Wasitagoodchoiceforthisfilm,andwhy?Sharespecificexamplestosupportyouranswer. Nowtryamoreradicalpointofviewshift.Whatwouldtheopeningofthisfilmlooklikeifitwereconstructedfromthepointofviewofthecentralmalecharacter?Createastoryboardsketchingordescribingthefirstseriesofimagesyouwouldsee.Thenwriteashortscripttoaccompanyit.Youcanfindahelpfulstoryboardtemplateatwww.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/learningresources/fic_storyboard.pdf.

2. ReaderswhoareveryfamiliarwithAusten’snovelswillfindscenes,subplots,andevencharactersnecessarilydeletedinthefilmadaptations.Morecontroversially,youmayalsonoticenewscenesaddedtothefilms.Watchoneormoreofthenewlyinventedscenes(boxright).Eachoffersanalternatepointofview.Afterviewing,writedownasmanyreasonsasyoucantoexplainwhythescreenwriterandthefilmmakersmadethischoice.Doyouthinkitwasagoodone?

3. Ascreenwriterwhocreatesanadaptationofanoveloftenfeelsresponsibleforcapturingthebestofwhatthenovelis.However,heorshemustalsofeelfreetomakechangesintheadaptationprocessifthefilmhopestobeasuccessfulworkofartinitsownright.WouldJaneAustenunderstandandapproveofwhatthefilmmakershavedonewithhernovels?WritealetterofexplanationfromthescreenwritertoAusten,explaininganddefendingsomeofthechoicesmadeinadaptinghernoveltothescreen.ThenimagineandcomposetheletterAustenwouldwriteinresponse.

Added Scenes$ Sense and Sensibility: Theopening

scene:WilloughbyandEliza’sdaughter.

$ Pride and Prejudice:DarcyatthefencingstudioinLondon,followedbyhisarrivalatPemberley,whereDarcydivesintothelake.

$ Emma (1996):Emmaandherfatherpassbypoor,workingfamiliesintheircoach.

$ Northanger Abbey:Catherine’sdreamsanddaydreams.

$ Persuasion: OpeningsequenceinwhichAnneisdirectingtheclosingupoftheKellynchHall;CaptainWentworthwatchingAnneplaythepiano;WentworthandHarvillewalkingthecliffsatLyme,discussingLouisa.

$ Mansfield Park:MaryandHenryCrawford’sconversationsastheywalktowardMansfieldParkfortheirfirstvisit.

note:Someofthefilmscontainmaturethemes,images,andlanguage.Besuretopreviewanyfilmbeforeshowingittoyourclass.


off-AirtapingrightsEducatorsmaytapePersuasion,Sense and Sensibility,Emma,Mansfield Park,andNorthanger Abbeyandusethefilmsintheclassroomforoneyearafterbroadcast.EducatorsmaynottapeandusethefilmPride and Prejudice.


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The Art of Adaptation

Andrew Davies, ScreenwriterAndrewDaviesisthescreenwritinggeniusbehindsomeofMasterpiece’sbest-lovedproductions.Hehasadapted

fourofthesixAustenfilmsthatwillairinThe Complete Jane Austen:Pride and Prejudice,Northanger Abbey,Sense and Sensibility,andEmma.AnAndrewDaviesscreenplayhasadistinctivesignature.Heseeshisjobasmorethantranslatingawrittenpageintoashootingscript—

heaimstointerprettheworkformodernaudiencesandhelpviewersexperiencewhathethinksismostengagingandmostrelevantabouttheseclassicsofBritishliterature. Inarecentinterview,DaviesdescribedhisworkontheAustennovelsandhisadaptationofNorthanger Abbeyinparticular.Hiscommentsofferusefulinsightintotheartofadaptation.

onAusten:All the six novels are love stories. And that’s something that never goes out of date. In a way they’ve got plots like the track—all the basic stories are in all kinds of trashy romantic novels. Young girl who has disadvantages, things in her way, gets a man who’s sort of probably rich, handsome, loving, etc., etc. Within that, though, Jane Austen manages to do it in a way that doesn’t insult our intelligence. It’s witty. It’s

In Focus: Northanger AbbeyThefollowingexcerptsfromthenovelandthescriptforNorthanger AbbeyshowhowAndrewDaviesinterpretedAusten’swork.Watchingthesamescenefromthefilm(eitherfromtheDVDorontheMasterpieceWebsiteatpbs.org/masterpiece/austen)givesstudentsachancetoseetheentireprocessofadaptation.Thefollowingactivitieswillhelpstudentsanalyzethebenefitsandcompromisesthatadaptationcanbring.

1. AskstudentstoreadAndrewDaviescommentsaboutadaptingAusten’swork(below).ThenhavestudentsreadtheexcerptsfromthenovelandfromDavies’script(right).Nextwatchtheclipfromthefilm.HowdoesDaviesusethescreenplaytoemphasizeanddramatizehisinterpretation?AskstudentstoidentifywhatDavieshaschanged,addedordeleted.WhydoyouthinkDaviesmadeeachchoicethathedid,andwhatistheeffectofeach?

2. DoyouthinkDaviessucceedsinmakingNorthanger Abbeyabitlikean“Americanteenagemovie”?Doeshemakeitmore“fun”?Writeamoviereviewthatexplicitlydiscussesthedifferencesbetweenthenovelandthefilm,especiallythefactthatCatherine’sfantasiescometolifeinthefilm.

3. DaviesbuiltthedialogueinExample#2fromaslenderthreadinAusten’snarration.Wasthissceneanimportantaddition?Whyorwhynot?

ingenious. The plots are believable. The obstacles seem real and the outset insurmountable. You get surprises. You get reversals. She’s technically just such a brilliant writer in terms of pacing and plotting. And that’s just something that never goes out of date.

onAdaptation:I try very hard not to think about what Austen purists or fans of the books are going to say. I am very consciously representing the books for a contemporary audience, trying to bring out the themes of the scenes and the undercurrents in the books that most speak to us today.

onNorthanger Abbey: [NorthangerAbbey] has a bit of resonance with those American teenage movies in which terrible things…happen. So I was thinking let’s make it a little bit like this, and let’s dramatize Catherine’s fantasies…. That’s, I suppose, the fun bit of it. In a way, it does have a very serious point to it because she imagines that General Tilney is really kind of a monster who has murdered his wife. But she discovers that the truth is rather more subtle, but no more pleasant really, that General Tilney is a cold and selfish man who more or less wore his wife to death with his cold nature, that he married her for her fortune…. And so the lesson, in a way, is that the crimes we are most likely to come up against are the crimes of the human heart, which don’t carry death penalties.

Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney



Example #1: Catherine’s Imagination

fromthenovelVolume I, Chapter 3

“Iseewhatyouthinkofme,”said[Tilney]gravely–“Ishallmakebutapoorfigureinyourjournaltomorrow.” “Myjournal!”[repliedCatherine] “Yes,Iknowexactlywhatyouwillsay:FridaywenttotheLowerRooms;woremyspriggedmuslinrobewithbluetrimmings—plainblackshoes—appearedtomuchadvantage;butwasstrangelyharassedbyaqueer,half-wittedman,whowouldmakemedancewithhim,anddistressedmebyhisnonsense.” “IndeedIshallsaynosuchthing.” “ShallItellyouwhatyououghttosay?” “Ifyouplease.” “Idancedwithaveryagreeableyoungman,introducedbyMr.King;hadagreatdealofconversationwithhim—seemsamostextraordinarygenius—hopeImayknowmoreofhim.That,madam,iswhatIwishyoutosay.”…

Theydancedagain;and,whentheassemblyclosed,parted,onthelady’ssideatleast,withastronginclinationforcontinuingtheacquaintance.Whethershethoughtofhimsomuch,whileshedrankherwarmwineandwater,andpreparedherselfforbed,astodreamofhimwhenthere,cannotbeascertained;butIhopeitwasnomorethaninaslightslumber,oramorningdozeatmost,forifitbetrue…thatnoyoungladycanbejustifiedinfallinginlovebeforethegentleman’sloveisdeclared,itmustbeveryimproperthatayoungladyshoulddreamofagentlemanbeforethegentlemanisfirstknowntohavedreamtofher.

fromthescreenplay:

INTERIOR.BALLROOM.NIGHT.Thedancecomestoanend,andlet’ssayitwasthelastdance.Peoplearemovingoffthedancefloor.HENRY:Sowhatwillyouwriteinyourjournaltonight?“Friday,wenttotheLower

Rooms,woremyspriggedmuslindresswithbluetrimmingsandlookveryprettythoughIsaysomyself—dancewithonemanandwasstaredatbyanothermuchmorehandsome…”CATHERINE(laughing,butflattered):IndeedIshallsaynosuchthing!HENRY:Thenwhatwillyousay?

She’snotsurewhatshe’llsay—certainlynothingshe’dbeabletotellhimnow.

CATHERINE:PerhapsIdon’tkeepajournalatall

INTERIOR.PULTENEYSTREETLODGINGS.CATHERINE’SBEDROOM.NIGHT.Catherineisinbedwritinginherjournal.Wedon’tneedtoseewhatsheiswriting,butit’saboutHenry,andthenshesnapsthejournalshutandblowsoutthecandleandsettlesdown.

EXTERIOR.GOTHICRUIN.NIGHT.(CATHERINE’SDREAM)Ashatteringclapofthunder—lightningilluminatestheloweringwallsoftheAbbey,asCatherineclingingfordearlifetoHenryTilneygallopsawaypursuedbyamaninamask.AnotherflashoflightningilluminatesJohnThorpeastheattacker,whosmilesdevilishlyanddrawshissword.Themenfight,Catherineswoons.

Example #2: Catherine and Henry meet at Fullerton, her parents’ home.

fromthenovel Volume II, Chapter 15

Theybegantheirwalk,andMrs.Morlandwasnotentirelymistakenin[Henry’s]objectinwishingit.Someexplanationonhisfather’saccounthehadtogive;buthisfirstpurposewastoexplainhimself,andbeforetheyreachedMr.Allen’sgroundhehaddoneitsowell,thatCatherinedidnotthinkitwouldeverberepeatedtoooften.Shewasassuredofhisaffection;andthatheartinreturnwassolicited,which,perhaps,theyprettyequallyknewwasalreadyentirelyhisown.

fromthescreenplay:

EXTERIOR.MORLANDHOUSE.DAY.CatherineandHenryturnandbeginspeakingalmostatonce.CATHERINE:IamsoashamedofwhatIsaid—whatIthought—howeverbadlyyouthinkofmeIdeserveit–HENRY:No—no—itisIshouldapologize—nothingyousaidorthoughtcouldjustifythewayyouhavebeentreated—CATHERINE:Butyouwereangrywithme,andrightlyso—HENRY:Iwasangrywithyou—butthatislongpast.Yourimaginationmightbeoveractive—butyourinstinctwastrue.Ourmotherdidsuffergrievously,andatthehandsofourfather.Therearemorewaysofbreakingawoman’sspiritthanstarvingherorlockingherinanattic.Youremember—Ispokeofakindofvampirism?CATHERINE:Yes.HENRY:Perhapsitwasstupidofmetoexpressitso—butwedidwatchhimdrainthelifeoutofherwithhiscoldnessandcruelty.Hemarriedherforhermoney,yousee—shethoughtitwasforlove.Itwasalongtimebeforesheknewhisheartwascold.Novampires,noblood:theworstcrimesarecrimesoftheheart.CATHERINE:ButitwasstupidandwickedofmetoimaginesuchterriblethingsasIdid.

Hergirlishearnestnessmakeshimsmile.

Isabella befriends Catherine


Self-Discovery

10

fewchaptersorafewminutesintoaJaneAustennovelorafilm,areaderorviewercan makeaprettyreliableguessastohowthestorywillend:Theheroinewillgetmarriedand livehappilyeverafter.Butiftheseworksaresopredictable,whydowereadthem,and whydonewfilmversionscontinuetobereleasedyearafteryear?It’saboutthejourney.Inthesefilms,Austen’sheroinesalltravelapathtowardtheend-of-storyweddingthatrequiresthemtolearnanddiscovertruthsaboutthemselves—whotheyare,wheretheycamefrom,andwhattheytrulyneed,beforetheycanseewheretheyaregoing. ±

Family and Identity: Who Am I?1. WithinthefirstfiveminutesofmostAustenfilms,weseetheheroinesurroundedbyherfamily.Replayanearlyfamilysceneforstudentsseveraltimesandaskthemtoobservecarefullyhowtheheroinecomparestoeachmemberofherfamily,includingphysicalappearance,clothing,actions,andspeech.Doestheheroinestandapart?How?Canyoutellhowshefeelsabouteachfamilymember?Havestudentswriteadiaryentryfromthemaincharacter’spointofview,describingherthoughtsandfeelingsaboutherfamilybasedonthefilm.

2.Austen’sheroinesgetfairy-taleendings,butliketheheroinesinmostfairytales,theydon’thavemotherswhocanhelporguidethem.Exploretheeffectofthisstorytellingchoiceontheheroine’sjourneytoself-knowledgeandhappinesswitha“whatif ”game.Insmallgroups,askstudentstobrainstorm:

a) What if...Mrs.BennettwereawiseandcompassionatewomanwithanintellectlikeherdaughterLizzie’sinPride and Prejudice?

b) What if...Mrs.DashwoodweresomeonetowhomElinorconfidedallherthoughtsandfeelingsinSense and Sensibility?

c) What if...Fanny’smothersenthergoodadviceinweeklylettersmailedtoMansfield Park?

d) What if...EmmaWoodhouseorAnneElliothadbeenraisedbyunderstandingandlovingmothersinEmmaandPersuasion?

e) What if...CatherineMorland’smotherhadtraveledwithhertoNorthanger Abbey?

Haveeachgroupwriteandpresentarevisedplotsummaryforthefilmbasedonthe“whatif ”exercise.

3. Intheabsenceofeffectivemothers,dothefathersorfatherfiguresinthefilmsfillthevoidandhelptheheroinesalongtheirpathtoself-discoveryandhappiness?Askstudentstoidentifyafilmortelevisionshowtheyhaveseen,oranoveltheyhaveread,inwhichthemaincharacterhasawiseandlovingfatherorfatherfigure,onewhodoesagoodjobofhelpingtheheroorheroinelearnwhosheisorwhathecanbecome. HavestudentsimagineascenebetweenthisidealfatherfigureandthefatherintheAustenfilmtheyviewed,andwriteadialoguebetweenthesetwocharactersorimprovisethescene.WhatshouldtheAustenfatherunderstandabouttheheroinethathedoesnot?Whatshouldhebedoingtoguideandsupporther?HowmighttheAustencharacterexplainanddefendhisactionsandchoices?

Love and Self-Knowledge: Who Will I Love?1. Whatdoesthemaincharacterinthefilmyouviewedlearnaboutherselfoverthecourseofthefilm?Askstudentstocreate“beforeandafter”portraitstoexplorethisquestion—oneofthecharacterwhenthefilmopensandonewhenitends.Offerstudentsarangeofforms:

A


a) apairofwordportraits:alistofwordsdescribingthecharacterarrangedintoafigureordesign

b) apairoforiginalsketches,drawings,orpaintings

c) apairofdescriptiveparagraphsd) apairofpopularsongs,familiarpoems,

orfoundimagesthatcapturethespiritoroutlookofthecharacterateachpointintime

Insmallgroups,examinethefinishedportraitssidebyside.Howdotheydiffer?Askstudentstoidentifytheexperiencesormomentsofunderstandingthatareresponsibleforthechangetheportraitscapture.Howdidthesechangesmakeitpossibleforthemaincharactertofindhappinessandlove?

2. Thepathtolove,inAustenfilms,isamaze.Challengestudentstocreateagraphicrepresentationofthepaththecharacters

travelinthefilmbydrawingamazethatleadstothehappyending.Wrongturns,deadends,orblockagescanbelabeledorillustratedtorepresentdesires,characters,duties,ortemptationsthatleadthecharactersinthewrongdirectionforatime.

3. Individually,orasaclass,havestudentscreatealistofnovelsandfilmstheyarefamiliarwiththattellthelovestoryoftwopeoplefindingeachother.Whichonesfeaturemaincharacterswhomustcometotermswiththeirownfamily,itsstrengthsanditsfailings,whileontheirjourneytoloveandhappiness?Lookingovertheentirelist,howcommonarethethemesofidentityandself-discoveryinlovestories?

Catherine Morland and her brother, James Morland.

A woman, especially, if she have [sic] the misfortune

of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.

Jane Austen,Northanger Abbey


MWhy Jane? Why Now?

12 8

Lady Russell advises Anne

Before Viewing1. Askstudentswhattheydowhentheyhaveadifficultdecisiontomake.Dotheyseekoutadvice?Havestudentsrecallatimewhentheyhadtomakesuchadecisionandcreateadiagramthatshowsthestepstheytook.Theyshouldincludethepeopletheydiscussedtheirdecisionwith,notewhytheydidsowitheachofthem,andwhattheircontributionwas.Wasallthisconsultationhelpful?Isthereanyoneintheirliveswhoseadvicetheywouldtakeunconditionally,nomatterwhatotherssaidorwhatuncertaintiestheystillfelt?

2. Atwhatageshouldpeoplemarry?Setupadebateinyourclassroom.Haveoneteamsupportthepositionthatnooneshouldmarrybeforetheyare25yearsoldandhavetheotherteamrefutethisnotion.Givestudents

timetopracticetheirargumentsbeforethedebatebegins.Asaclass,discusssomeofthefactorscouplesconsiderwhenmakingadecisionaboutthetimingofmarriage.

3. LikemanyofAusten’sheroines,AnneElliot,the

centralcharacterinPersuasion,learnsandgrowsduringthecourseofthenovel.Onthescreen,herslowtransformationfromapassivegirltoamoreindependent,maturewomanisobservablenotonlyinherincreasinglyassertivespeechandbehavior,butinherphysicalconfidence,energy,andmovement.Asstudentswatchthefilm,askthemtomakenoteofsceneswhenAnne’sphysicalmannerchanges.

Persuasion

12

After Viewing1. DiscussAnneElliot’stransformationinPersuasion.WhatcircumstancesforceAnnetocomeoutofhershell?Whatarethescenesinthebookand/orfilmthatshowthistransformation?

2. ConsidertheroleSirWalterElliotplaysinhisdaughter’slife.AnthonyHead,theactorwhoplaysSirWalterinPersuasion,describeshimas“themostobjectionableman,Ithink,inanyofthenovels.He’sbigoted.He’sextremelyclass-consciousandhe’safop.Hespentallthefamilymoneyonclothesandpartying.Hereallydetests…hisdaughterAnne,whoisactuallytheonlysanehumanbeinginthefamily.”WriteajournalentryfromAnne’spointofviewdescribingherfeelingsaboutthedecisionsherfatherhasmadethathaveaffectedherlife.

3. WhenAnneandWentworthfirstseeeachotheragain,whatarethebarriersthatstandbetweenthem?Whichonesarecausedbythestrictcodesofthesocietyinwhichtheylive,andwhicharemoreuniversal?Wouldamodern-daycouplehaveasmuchdifficulty?DividetheclassintopairsandhavestudentsactoutthescenesinwhichAnneandWentworthmeet.Havesomegroupsactitoutasitappearsinthebookandfilm,andhaveothergroupspretendtheyarereunitinginmoderntimes.

4. PersuasionbeginswithAnneleavingherancestralhomeunmarriedandunsureofherplaceintheworld.Itendswithhertriumphantreturn.Asyouwatchthefilm,considerwhatAnnemustaccomplishandlearninordertoreturntoherhome.Usingthelibraryandtheinternet,choosefivebooksforAnne,thinkingaboutwhatshelearnedduringthefilm.Whydidyouchoosethenonfictionorfictionbooksyoudid?WhatwouldAnnehavelearnedfromthem?



Sense and SensibilityBefore Viewing1. Whyaresiblingssodifferent?Askstudentstothinkaboutsiblingstheyknowwhosepersonalities,habits,temperamentsorinterestsareverydifferent.Withoutusingnames,havestudentscreateatwo-columnchartonwhichtheylistwordsthatdescribeeachsibling.Wherepossible,listwordsthatshowhowthetwosiblingsaresimilarordifferent.Askforvolunteerstopresentthesiblingstheywroteabout.Whatfactorsdostudentsthinkaccountforthedifferencesbetweenthesiblings?Isitinnatepersonality,birthorder,orotherfactors?RemindthemtokeeptheseideasinmindastheywatchorreadSense and Sensibility.

2. Whatarethemodernrulesofdating?ReadingorwatchingthefilmofSense and SensibilityshowsthatinAusten’stimetherewereverystrictrulesofcourtshipforthoseofherclass.Mostoftheserestrictionsarefar-removedfromthewaypeopledateandlovetoday.Whatare“therules”ofdatingandcourtshipamongteenagersinAmerica?Asagroup,discusstheserulesandmakealistofthem.Whomakestheserulesandwhatistheirpurpose?Aretheytoorestrictive?Aretheytooliberal?Shouldtheybequestionedoraccepted?Why?

After Viewing1. ForthisactivityyouwillneedacopyofthebookJoyful Noise: Poems for Two VoicesbyPaulFleischman(HarperTrophy,1992).Apoemfortwovoicesshowstwodifferentpointsofviewandismeanttobereadaloudbytwopeople.Thewordssometimesoverlaporstandalone,buttogetherthetwopeople

Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself

that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?

Jane Austen,Sense and Sensibility

createabeautifulsound.SincetheDashwoodsistersaresocloseandyetsodifferent,theymakegoodsubjectsforapoemfortwovoices.Arrangestudentsintopairsandaskthemtoreadaloudanexampleofapoemfortwovoices.Oncetheyhavepracticedwiththeformat,askeachstudenttowriteapoemfortwovoicesabouttheDashwoodsisters.MakesurebothElinor’sandMarianne’sperspectivesarerepresented.Whenallofthepoemsarewrittenhavestudentsreadthemaloud.

2. Studentswillcreateapicturecalled“TheDosandDon’tsofTellingSecrets,”basedonthecharactersinSense and Sensibility. Havestudents identifythesecretorsecretseachofthefollowingcharactersholdsand/oraskssomeoneelsetohold:EdwardFerrars,LucySteele,Willoughby,ColonelBrandon,JohnDashwood,Elinor,Marianne,RobertFerrars.Askstudentstodrawafaceforeachcharacterandincludeaspeechbubbleinwhichtheywritea“do”ora“don’t”foreachcharacter.

3. WhatwouldhappenifElinorandMarianneweresuddenlytransportedintomoderntimes?Giventhepersonalities,strengths,weaknesses,andskillsthesewomendisplaythroughoutSense and Sensibility,whatwouldstudentsimagineeachcharacterdoinginmoderntimesandwhy?Askstudentstocreateasocialnetwork-typeWebpage(somethingthatmightappearonFacebookorMySpace)thatincludesdetailsaboutMarianneorElinor’sliving,working,andromanticsituationsinthe21stcentury.



Elinor and Marianne Dashwood


fthefirstchallengeforJaneAusten’s maincharactersislearningabout theself,thesecondislearninghowtonavigatein,through,andaroundthecomplexsocialandculturallandscapeinwhichtheyliveandlove.Austenneitherwhollyacceptednorwhollyrejectedthestandardsofbehavior,socialstructure,andvaluesofhertime.Butinhernovelssheexploreshowthesestandardsandinfluencescanbeeitherharmfulorhelpfultoindividualsandtosociety.Thefollowingactivitiescanbeusedtoexploresociety’sinfluenceinthecontextofbothAusten’sworldandours. ± Life in Regency EnglandInordertounderstandthewaycharactersbehaveinJaneAusten’sworld,studentswillneedtofamiliarizethemselveswithsomeoftherealitiesandassumptionsthatgovernedbehaviorinearly19thcenturyEngland.Austen’snovelsconcernthemselveswiththelandedgentryinEnglandwhosesocialsignificancederivedprimarilyfromtheirinheritedproperty,thehistoryoftheirfamilies,andtheirembodimentofidealizedmoralsandmanners.Thissocialclass,whichwaslowerinprestigethanthenobilityoraristocracy,hasnoexactparallelinmodernAmericansociety.CrucialforAustenpersonally,aswellasforhercharacters,wasthefactthat,forbothlegalandcustomaryreasons,wealthwasnotsharedequallyamongallthemembersofgentryfamilies.Womenwereoftenobligedtoseekfinancialsecuritythroughprosperousmarriages,evenatthecostoftheirownhappiness.Austenwasespeciallyinterestedinthebehaviorofthosecharacterswho,forreasonsofbirthorchance,findthemselvesonthemarginsofthegentry,eitherclingingtoformerrespectabilityorhopingtoelevatethemselvesintothissocialclass.Socialconventionsgovernedeveryaspectofgentrylife,fromeverydaycourtesiestotheprofessionsconsideredsuitableformen(onlybeingagovernessorteacherwasconsideredmarginallysuitableforagentlewoman).UsethefollowingactivitiestolearnaboutAusten’sworld.

ISociety and the Self

14

1. Asaclass,havestudentscreateA Survival Guide to Austen’s World.OrganizestudentsintosmallgroupsandaskthemtoselectatopicfromtheSurvivalList.UsingtheResourcesonpage22,askstudentstofindouteverythingtheycanabouttheirtopicandcreateapage,withtextandillustrations,thatdescribesthe19thcenturystandardsrelatedtotheirtopic.(Forexample,underthetopicofSocialCalls,oneruleis:“Aladymaynotcalluponanygentleman.”)ThepageshouldalsoincludespecificexamplesfromanAustenfilmthatrelatestotheirtopic.Haveeachgrouppresenttheirpage.Onceallofthepageshavebeenpresentedtheycanbecompiledintoaclassbook.

Sir Walter Elliot and his daughters in Persuasion

19t h Cent ury Societ yWealth:Inheritedwealthissuperiortowealthearnedthroughbusinessoraprofession.

socialclass:Youshouldremaininthesocialclassyouareborninto,onlysocializewiththoseofthesameclass,buttreatthose“below”youwithrespect,notcontempt.

Courtshipandmarriage:Unmarriedmenandwomenmustalwaysbechaperoned.Courtshipisformalandphysicalcontactislimited.Marriageisaneconomicarrangementtopreserveorincreasewealthinfamilies.

genderroles:Men’sandwomen’srolesarestrictlyproscribedalonggenderlines,fromeducationandworktopropertyrightsandspeech.

Parentsandfamily:Parentsdemandandreceivedeferenceandrespect.Theyhaveastrongvoiceinthechoiceofmarriagepartners.


Survival ListArtsComingOutintoSociety

(Forwomen,beingpresentedaseligibleformarriage.)

CourtshipandMarriageDancingEducationEtiquetteandIntroductionsFashionandTasteFoodMilitaryServiceTheRulesforSocialCalls

2. Imaginethatyou(oroneofhercharacters)weresuddenlytransportedintoAusten’sworld(RegencyEngland),andshe,intoyours.Fileanewspaperortelevisionnewsreportthatfocusesonwhatispositiveaboutherworld.Whatwouldshelikeabouttherules,socialcustomsandvaluesshefindsinyours?

Austen and SocietyThroughhercharacters,JaneAustenalternatelydefendsandcriticizesthesocialcustomsofhertime.Asshewrites,Austenestablishesthatcertainattitudesarefixedandcannotbeignored.Infact,thosecharactersinhernovelsthatchallengeconventionendupdisgracedandunhappy.Atothertimes,throughwittycommentsandactions,hercharactersrevealtheabsurdityofsomeofthesocialcustoms.Usethelistofstatements[box,page14]tohelpstudentsexplorehowimportantwealth,status,marriage,andloveweretoAustenasexpressedthroughhercharacters.

1. HowdoesAustencriticizethesocietyinwhichhercharacterslive?Whichofhercharactersopenlyobjecttoorviolateitsconventions?Howandwhendotheydoit,andwhatistheresult?Livingintoday’sworld,wouldAusten’scharactersstillencounterthesameproblems?

2. HowdoesAustendefendthesocietyinwhichhercharacterslive?Whichofhercharactersviolatestandardswithnegativeresults?SomeexamplesmightbeFrankChurchill,MaryCrawford,orMr.Elton.WhichofAusten’scharactersdefendarulewhenothersviolateit(e.g.,Fanny,Mr.Knightley)?Namethestandardandexplainwhythecharacterthinksitisworthupholding.

3. Socialstandardsandcodesofconductarealwayschanging.ComparethesocialrulesfromAusten’stimetothoseinthe20thand21stcenturies.Interviewaparentoragrandparentandaskthemwhatrulestheyhadtofollowintermsofdating,tablemanners,modesofdress,marriageproposals,oranyothersocietalrulesthatappearinAusten’sworld.Ask:Whatweretheexpectationsfordatingandmarriage?Howweretheyexpectedtotreattheirparents?Hassocialclassdefinedorlimitedtheirexperiences?Havestudentssharetheinterviewswithoneanother.Asaclass,discusshowsocietyhaschangedandinwhatwaysithasremainedthesame.Wherewouldstudentsratherbe:inRegencyEngland,20thcenturyAmericaor21stcenturyAmerica?

Lady Bertram, Mrs. Norris, and Pug of MansfieldPark


Before Viewing1. JaneAustenisfamousforhernovels’firstlines,especiallyinPride and Prejudice:“Itisatruthuniversallyacknowledgedthatasinglemaninpossessionofagoodfortunemustbeinwantofawife.”Thereaderimmediatelyknowsthesubjectofthenovel.WhatdoesthefirstlineofEmmatellus?Askstudentstoreaditandpredictwhatthefilmand/ornovelwillbeabout.

2. LikemanyAustennovels,Emmatellsthestoryofhowacharacterlearnstoseeherself,others,andherrelationshipsmoreclearly.Whileviewing,askstudentstorecordthemomentswhenEmmahasarevelation,smallorlarge,whenshesuddenly“sees”whatshehadbeenblindtobefore.Tellstudentstheywillbeusingthesenotesforanactivityafterviewing.

After Viewing1. Becauseofthefamilyshewasborninto,Emmaenjoyshighsocialstatus,powerandinfluence.Sheisalsoclever,funloving,fullofenergy,andalovingauntanddaughter.Butwhenwemeether,hermajoroccupationismatchmaking,whichleadshertomeddlewithpeople’slivesanddoharm,ratherthangood.Whydoesn’tEmmausehertalentsandgoodfortuneforsomethingelse?Askstudents,IsEmmatoblame,orisithercircumstances?DoesEmma’spositionintheworldgiveherfreedomandopportunity,ordoesitlimitherchoices?Havestudentscomparehertoothercharacters,suchasmalecharactersortowomenofdifferentlevelsofwealthandsocialstanding.HowdoesEmmacompare?

16

2. TheEmmaweknowattheendofthenovelhastraveledagreatemotionaldistancefromtheyoungwomanwemeetintheopeningscenes.Howdidshegetthere?Drawinguponthenotestakenwhileviewing,askstudentstocreateacartoonstriptoshowEmma’sjourney.Studentswillgenerateaseriesofdrawingsthatshowsignificanteventsinthestoryandaddacaptionexplainingeachscene.Createadisplayofstudentwork.

3. ExploretheroleofMr.Knightley.Havethemanswerthefollowingquestions:

a)WhatdoesKnightleyseeandunderstandthatEmmadoesnot?

b)WhatvaluesandideasdoesKnightleystandfor?

c) “Youhearnothingbuttruthfromme,”KnightleytellsEmma.What“truths”doeshetellher?

Thefinal“truth”Emmadiscoversisthatsheloveshim;marriagetoMr.Knightleyistherewardattheendofherlearningcurve.Ishetoogoodtobetrue?IshetoogoodforEmma?

Emmae x P l o r i n g t h e f i l M

Emma and Mr.Knightley

Mr. Woodhouse


Before Viewing1. ThetitleofJaneAusten’sfirstdraftofPride and PrejudicewasFirst Impressions.Takeaquick“yesor“no”classroompollwithashowofhands:Whenyoumeetsomeonenew,areyourfirstimpressionslikelytoproveaccurate?Countandposttheresultsofthepollanduseitasaspringboardintodiscussion.Whatarefirstimpressionsbasedupon?Makealistandthendiscussthevalueorreliabilityoftheitemsonthelist.Doweevermeetsomeonenewwithoutprejudginghimorherinsomeway?Isitpossiblenotto?

2. Pride and Prejudiceissetinaworldinwhichmoneyandsocialclassdetermine,amongmanythings,whohaspower,whoisrespected,andwhompeoplemarry.Isthatstatementtruetodayornot?

After Viewing1. WhatisElizabeth’s“firstimpression”ofDarcy?Whatinformationdoesshebaseherimpressionupon?

2.AfterElizabethreadstheletterDarcywritesher,shetellsJane,“’tilthatmoment,Ineverknewmyself.”Similarly,whenElizabeth

Pride and PrejudicerejectsDarcy,hebeginstoseehimselfdifferentlyaswell.Whatdoeseachlearn?Isittruethatthebetterweknowourselves,thebetterwebecomeatseeingotherpeople?Why?Askstudentsiftheyhaveeverexperiencedthisthemselves.

3. WhenconfrontedbyLadyCatherineneartheendofthefilm,ElizabethdeclaresherselfDarcy’sequal,eventhoughtheirfamilyincomesarefarfromequal:“Heisagentleman,Iamagentleman’sdaughter.”Baseduponyourviewing,whatdoyouthinkAusten’sviewwasoftheclasssystemofhertime?Whataspectsofthesystemdoesshechallenge?Whatdoessheseemtoaccept?

4. InwhatwaysisElizabethoutofplacewithinherownfamily?Inwhatwaysdoesthefamilyshewasbornintolimitwhatshecandowithher“livelymind”?Howdoesshefeelabouthermother,father,youngersisters?WhatdoDarcyandPemberlyrepresenttoElizabeth?AskstudentstoselectascenefromthenovelorfilminwhichElizabethmustcopewithherfamilyandwriteamonologueforher.WhatisElizabeththinkingandfeelingatthatmomentandwhy?



fsomereadersaredrawntoJane Austenforhercompelling lovestories,thereareasmanywhoreadandrereadherforthesatireandironythatarewovenintothem.Likemostformsofcomedy,satirereliesonexaggeration.Satirebringshumanweakness,ignorance,andcrueltyintothelightandletsuslaughatthem.Weeasilyrecognizefoolishnessintheexaggeratedcharactersthewritercreates,andwhensatireworkswell,asinAusten’swork,werecognize

ourownoccasionalfoolishnessaswell.Attheheartoftheappealof

Austen’sworkisherabilitytoblenddrama,light

comedy,andsharpsatire,acombinationsheintroducedtotheEnglishnovel,pavingthewayforwriters

fromDickensintheVictorianeratoJ.K.

Rowlinginourown.

Ironyisaboutreversal:Whatwethinkshouldbe,isnot;whatweexpecttohappendoesnot;whatsomeonesaysistheoppositeofwhatheorshemeans.Playful,verbalironyisnotdifficulttospotinAusten’swork.Lesshumorous,andmoredeeplyburied,isthedramaticironythatseemstoshowtheworldas“upsidedown,”atleastwhenthestorybegins. ± 1. Readthefollowingdefinitionofsatirealoud:Satire is a literary work that ridicules its subject through the use of techniques such as exaggeration, reversal, incongruity, and/or parody in order to make a comment or criticism about it.Explorewithstudentswhymanysatiresontelevisiontodayareanimations(Family Guy,The Simpsons).Whyisanimationagoodvehicleforsatire?Whatdowemeanwhenwecalla

ISatire and Irony

18

character“cartoonish”?AreAusten’ssatiricalcharacters“cartoonish”?WouldtheAustenfilmyouviewedworkwellasananimatedfilmoragraphicnovel?Whyorwhynot?ExperimentbychoosingascenefromthefilmandcreatingasatiricalcartoonfeaturingacharacterorcharactersdrawndirectlyfromAustenorbaseduponhercharacters.

2. Nameandlisteachofthecharactersinthefilmyouviewedthataresatirizedinsomeway.(SomeofAusten’smostsatirizedcharactersareMr.CollinsinPride and Prejudice,JohnThorpeinNorthanger Abbey,Mr.ElliotinPersuasion,andMrs.EltoninEmma.)Writethenamesonindexcardsanddistributethemtovolunteerswhowillthenleavetheroomandre-enter“incharacter,”usinggesture,costume,monologue,

It is certain that [ Jane Austen] by her own artistic

talent made interesting what thousands of superficially similar people

would have made dull.”

Verbal Irony:speechinwhichwhatissaidistheoppositeofwhatismeant

Dramatic Irony:whenthereaderoraudienceunderstandsmoreabouttheeventsofastorythanthecharacterinthestory.

Anne Elliot in Persuasion

G. K. C∑esterton1922


orothercluestothecharacter’sidentity.Studentswillguesswhothecharacteris.Howdidstudentsmaketheidentification?HowmuchdoesAustenexaggeratehercharacters’traitsandbehaviors?Whatattitude,behavior,orvalueisshetakingaimatthroughhersatire?

3. AskstudentstoidentifyseveralinstancesofdramaticironyintheJaneAustenworktheyarestudying.Usetheevidencetheygathertostagea“mocktrial”ofAustenonthechargeoftheuseofirony,callingbothcharactersand“expertdetectivewitnesses”topresentevidence.Replayforstudentsthefirstfiveminutesofthefilmandthenaskstudentstodetectdramaticirony.Askstudentstoidentify“what’swrongwiththispicture?”Lookforvisualcluesaswellasthecharacters’speech,clothing,andmannerisms.Askstudentstoanswerthefollowingquestions:

$ Aretherevaluesthatcharacterssaytheybelievein,butdonotfollow?

$ Aretherecharacterswhoarelowerinsocialclasswhoseemtohavebettervaluesorstrengthofcharacterthanthoseabovetheminwealthandsocialstanding?

$ Whattruthsaboutcharactersortheirsituationarehiddeninplainsight?

$ Askstudentstorecalltheeventsthatfollowintherestofthefilm.Areanyironiesexposedorrightedbytheend?

$ Isthereanythingthatremainsironically“upsidedown”evenafterthehappyromanticwedding? ±


Jane Austen on YouTubeJaneAustenhasmadeitintothedigitalage!UsethefollowingarticleAusten on YouTube fromThe New York TimestofindshortfilmsonYouTubeaboutAustennovelsandfilms.(www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/movies/29webjame.html).Manyofthesehavebeencreatedbyhighschoolstudents.StudentswillfindeverythingfromAusten-relatedmusicvideosandmontagesbuiltwithclipsfromthefilmstoremakesofmovie“trailers,”suchasPride and PrejudiceasatalesetintheAfricansavannah.TheYouTubefilmscanbeusedintheclassroominfunandinstructiveways:

$ asanintroductiontoAustenandtheperiodinwhichthefilmsareset

$ asartifactsofthecurrentAusten“mania”

$ asexamplesofsatire:studentscanidentifywhichfilmsaresatirical,andwhy

$ asexplorationsofthemes:whatdoestheselectedmusicemphasizeorcelebrateaboutAusten?

Invitestudentstoselectandsharetheirfavorites,andtomakeandposttheirownvideosasasupplementaryactivityoraculminatingproject.

Asalways,whenusingtheInternetwithstudentspreviewsitestobesuretheyareappropriateforyourclassroom.


Before Viewing1. Thegothicnovel,aliterarygenrethatoriginatedinEnglandinthe18thcentury,featuresmysterioussettings,unexplainedorsupernaturalevents,andanatmosphereofhorrorordread.The Mysteries of Udolpho,agothicnovelbyAnnRadcliffe,publishedin1794,isthefavoritebookofCatherineMorland,themaincharacterinNorthanger Abbey.Modernhorrorfictionandfilmsarethedescendentsofthistradition.Askstudentsiftheyarefansofthehorrorgenre.Cantheyexplainitsappeal?Whydotheythinkpeoplereadthesebooks,andwatchthesefilms?Whatemotionalorintellectualneedsdotheseworkssatisfy?

2. GothicnovelswerethepopcultureofJaneAusten’stime.Foreshadowingdebatesinourowntime,parentsandeducatorsworriedabouttheeffectthisnewculturalformwouldhaveonyoungpeople.Whatformsofpopularcultureworryparentsandeducatorstoday?Asaclass,makealist.Nexttoeachitemorname,notewhattheoldergenerationseesasthepossiblenegativeinfluence.

3. InNorthanger Abbey,CatherineleavesherfamilyandtravelstoBath,whereshemakesnewfriendsinacompletelyunfamiliar

Northanger Abbey

20

environment.Isiteasyordifficulttomakegoodchoicesaboutnewfriendsinthiskindofsituation?Howdonewfriendshipsdevelop,andwhichoneslast?Keepthesethingsinmindasyouwatchthefilm.

After Viewing1. HowdoesCatherine’sreadingofgothicnovelsaffectherthinkingandherbehavior?DoyouthinkthatAustenexaggeratestheinfluenceofCatherine’sreading?Returntothelisttheclasscreatedofpopculture.ArepeopletodayinfluencedasstronglybypopularcultureasCatherineis?How?

2. WhyisCatherineunabletoseethatIsabellaThorpeisnotatruefriend?Whatelsedoesshefailtoseeandunderstand?IdentifyandcomparethedangersandvillainsCatherineimagineswiththerealdangersandvillainsshefailstorecognizeorcomprehend.

3. Neartheendofthefilm,HenrytellsCatherine,“Theworstcrimesarethecrimesoftheheart.”Whoarethe“criminals”inNorthanger Abbey?Whatmotivatestheiractions?DoesAustencondemtheconnectionbetweenmoneyandmarriagethatwassomuchapartoftheworldshelivedin,ordoessheacceptitasareality?

4. Northanger AbbeyisasatireinwhichAustenpokesfunatthegothicnovelgenre.Recentlytherehavebeenseveralfilminwhichscreenwritershavetakenaimatpopularfilmgenres:forexample,horrorfilms,actionfilms,andteenmovies.Whatcommonfeaturesoffilmsineachgenredotheyexaggerate?Isthesatireallinfun,ordothesefilmstrytomakeaseriouspointaboutthegenre?UsingNorthanger Abbeyandthesecontemporarysatiresasmodels,askstudentstodevisea“pitch”forasatiricalfilmthatpokesfunatapopulartelevisionshoworgenre,suchasarealityshow(American Idol) oracontinuingdrama(Lost).The“pitch”canbeawrittenproposal,orameetinginwhichthey,thefilmmakers,meetwithastudioexecutivetoselltheiridea.


Henry Tilney and Catherine Morland

TheMysteriesofUdolpho

by Ann Radcliffe


Mansfield ParkBefore Viewing1. Mansfield Parkcanbeseenasa“Cinderellastory.”Identifytheelementsofthiskindofstory.Whatothermoviesortelevisionshowsusethoseelements?

2. Whoisthestereotypical“popular”guyorgirlincontemporaryfilm,television,andyoungadultliterature?Havestudentsshareexamplesandexaminethecharacters’qualities.Wheredothesecharactersfallshort?Dothesecharacterseverchange?Dotheygeta“happyending”?Inatypicalhighschool,istherealityofwhoispopularsimilartotherepresentationinbooksandmedia?Explain.

3. Anoldproverbsays,“Patienceisavirtue.”Askstudentsiftheyagree.Askthemtodescribeatimeintheirliveswhenbeingpatientwasagoodchoiceandatimewhenpatiencewasnotrewarded,orwasamistake.Doesourcultureencourageordiscouragepatienceandwaiting?

After Viewing1. TheCrawfordscomedownfromfashionableLondonandshakeupthemoreconservativecountryworldofMansfieldPark.AreMaryandHenrylikeable?WhyisMaryattractedtoEdmund,andhowdoesshewanttochangehim?WhydoesHenrybecomeseriouslyinterestedinFanny,andhowdoeshehopeshewillchangehim?Canyouthinkofafilmoraworkofliteratureinwhicha“good”charactersavesorredeemsa“bad”one?Whydoesn’tthathappeninMansfield Park?Doyouwishithad?

2. FannyPricehasbeencalledtheleastlikeableofJaneAusten’sheroinesbecausesheistoopassive,consistent,andgood—notinterestinglyflawed.Doyouagree?AsagroupbrainstormalistofwordstodescribeFanny.HowisshelikeorunlikethemaincharactersinotherAustennovelsorinothernovelsyouhaveread?IsBilliePiper,whoplaysFanny,“invisible”enoughtofadeintothebackgroundwhencomparedtoMary?WhatotheractressesmightyoucastasFanny?

3. AskstudentstopickoneofthecharactersinMansfield Parkandcreateascrapbookpagethatrepresentshisorherinterests,personality,andactionsthroughoutthenovelorfilm.Usemagazineclippings,drawings,andquotesfromthebookorfilm.Trytomakethescrapbookpagereflectthecomplexityofthecharacteritrepresents.

4. WhatelementsoftheCinderellastoryarepresentinMansfield Park?IfFannyPriceisCinderella,whoisherFairyGodmother?DoesEdmundfindandrescueher,ordoessherescuehim?

5. Atdifferentpointsinthefilm,threeofthecharactershavemomentswhentheylookatFannyandsuddenly“see”herastheyhavenotbefore.Whenisthismomentforeachcharacterlistedbelow?WhatdoesherecognizeinFanny,andwhywasheblindtoitbefore?Askstudentstodrawafigurerepresentingeachcharacterandfillin“thoughtbubble”showingwhatheisthinkingatthismomentofrealization.

a) Henryb) LordBertramc) Edmund

Fanny Price and Henry Crawford



Mary Crawford


Web SitesTheAustenBlogwww.austenblog.comThisWebsiteofferscommentaryandnewsaboutAusteninpopularculture.

TheJaneAustenCentreinBathwww.janeausten.co.ukThissiteprovidesbackgroundonRegencyEngland,articlesonAusten,reviews,andanonlinesequeltoNorthanger Abbey.

JaneAusten’shistoryofenglandwww.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/ttpbooks.htmlHostedbytheBritishLibrary,thissiteisaninteractiveversionofAusten’shandwrittenHistory of England(aparodyoftheschoolroomhistorybooksofhertime),writtenwhenshewas15.

Molland’swww.mollands.netAnonlinecommunitynamedforashopinBaththatappearsinPersuasion,thissiteprovidese-textsofAusten’sworksandworksabouther,links,messageboards,printablecards,andillustrations.

Selected Resources

22

nicetiesandCourtesies:MannersandCustomsinthetimeofJaneAustenchuma.cas.usf.edu/~runge/MasonJA1.htmlThisWebsiteprovidesquotesfromandlinkstomanyresourcesaboutpropersocialbehaviorinRegencyEngland.

Aregencyrepositoryregencylady.net/repositoryThissiteprovidesinformationonmanyaspectsofRegencylife,includingart,literature,politicalandmilitarymatters,andmore.

TherepublicofPemberleywww.pemberley.comThiscomprehensivesiteprovidesdetailedinformationonAusten’snovelsandletters,acompletelistingoffilmadaptations,andbiographicalandculturalbackgroundtothenovels.

BiographiesAusten-Leigh,J.E.A Memoir of Jane Austen and Other Family Recollections.OxfordUniversityPress,2002.ThiseditionofthefirstAustenbiographycombinesthememoirofhernephewJamesEdwardAusten-Leighwiththerecollectionsofhissisters,AnnaLefroyandCarolineAusten.

Honan,Park.Jane Austen: Her Life.St.Martin’sPress,1987.ConsideredthedefinitiveAustenbiography,thisbookemphasizeshowthebroadhistoricalandsocialcontextofRegencyEnglandinfluencedAusten.

Spence,Jon.Becoming Jane Austen.ContinuumPublishing,2007.The2007filmBecoming JaneisbasedonSpence’sbiography,whichminesAusten’slettersandwritingforcluestothepeopleandevents,thatshapedherasawriter.

Tomalin,Claire.Jane Austen: A Life.Knopf,1997.ThisbiographyexamineseachofthenovelsinthecontextofAusten’slifeeventsandinfluences.

Austen and Her WorldBlack,Maggie.The Jane Austen Cookbook.McClelland&Stewart,2002.ThisbookincludesGeorgianandRegencyrecipessetinthecontextoftheera’ssocialanddomestichistory.

Hughes,Kristine.Life in Regency and Victorian England: From 1811—1901.Writer’sDigestBooks,1998.ThisresourceprovidesdetailsaboutdailylifeinEnglandduringthisperiodinhistory.

KlingelRay,Joan. Jane Austen for Dummies.ForDummies,2006.AfunandinformativeguidetoAusten’snovelsandtheintricaciesofAusten’sworld,byaformerpresidentoftheJaneAustenSocietyofNorthAmerica.

LeFaye,Deirde.Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels.FrancesLincoln,2006.AnAustenscholarandbiographeroffershistoricalandculturalbackgroundtothenovels.

Pool,Daniel.What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew.Touchstone,1994.Thisguideprovidesdetailsaboutdailylifein19thcenturyEnglandinshort,easytoreadchapters.

Ross,Josephine.Jane Austen’s Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades, and Horrible Blunders.Bloomsbury,2006.ThisguidetocorrectsocialbehaviorinRegencyEnglandisbasedonthecorrespondencebetweenJaneAustenandhernieceAnna.

Sullivan,Margaret.The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World.QuirkBooks,2007.Thishandbookoffersstep-by-stepinstructionsforleadingaproperaristocraticlifeinRegencyEngland,frommannerstodressing,dining,andcourtship.

Enter The JASNA Essay Contestwww.jasna.org/essaycontest/index.htmlTheJaneAustenSocietyofNorthAmerica( JASNA)isdedicatedtotheenjoymentandappreciationofJaneAustenandherwriting.Itpublishesanannualjournal,Persuasions,andanewsletter.TheJASNAholdsanannualessaycontestopentostudentsatthehighschool,college,andpost-graduatelevels.Fullinformation,includingwritingtopicsandprizes,isavailableatwww.jasna.org/essaycontest/index.html.


CreditsThisguidewasproducedbytheEducationalOutreachDepartmentofWGBH.

Director, Educational OutreachJulieBenyo

Manager, Educational ContentSonjaLatimore

Associate Manager, Editorial ContentCyrisseJaffee

Editor, AmyHubbard

Contributing Writers, CarolCashion,RosieSultan

Design, CathleenSchaad

Print Production, LenoreLanierGibson

Photo Research, DebbyPaddock

Consultant JulietteWells,AssistantProfessorofEnglishManhattanvilleCollege,Purchase,NY

AdvisorsMichelleBoncek,BrocktonHighSchool,Brockton,MA

RonnaFrick,WellesleyHighSchool,Wellesley,MA

JohnGould,PhillipsAcademy,Andover,MA

AlisonPiazza,BostonCollegeHighSchool,Boston,MA

ColleenRoh,WellesleyHighSchool,Wellesley,MA

KimSmith,BostonCollegeHighSchool,Boston,MA

MASTERPIECE,MASTERPIECETHEATREandMYSTERY!aretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksofWGBHEducationalFoundation.

FundingforMASTERPIECEisprovidedbytheCorporationforPublicBroadcastingandpublictelevisionviewers.

Closedcaptionedforviewerswhoaredeaforhard-of-hearing.

©2007/2010WGBHEducationalFoundation.Permissionisgrantedforreproductionofthisprintedmaterialforeducationaluseonly.Allotherrightsreserved.OtherthanasdiscussedabovenopartofThe Complete Guide to Teaching Jane Austenmaybereproduced,usedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutwrittenpermissionoftheWGBHEducationalFoundation,OneGuestStreet,Boston,MA02135.•1001003

Pride and PrejudiceisaproductionofBBCTelevisionandBBCWorldwideAmericas,Inc.inassociationwithA&ENetworks.TheMasterpiecebroadcastofPride and PrejudiceisthefirstintheU.S.otherthanonA&ETelevisionNetworks.

Photo Credits: 1:©ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page2:Courtesy©2005Accoutrements;ReprintedwithpermissionTheHartfordCourant.Page3:©ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page4:TheGrangerCollection,NY.Page6:JonHall/ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page8:©ITVplc(GranadaInternational);CourtesyAndrewDavies.Page9:©ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page11:©ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page12:NickBriggs/ClerkenwellFilms.Page13:©BBC2007.Page14:NickBriggs/ClerkenwellFilms.Page15:JonHall/©ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page16:©DavidTenni/BBCforMasterpiece.Page18:©BBC1994;NickBriggs/ClerkenwellFilms.Page20:©ITVplc(GranadaInternational).Page21:JonHall/©ITVplc(GranadaInternational)(2).

Austen and FilmFlavin,Louise.Jane Austen in the Classroom: Viewing the Novel/Reading the Film.PeterLang,2004.ThisguideoffersapproachestoreadingAusten’snovelsandviewingtheirfilmadaptations.

Golden,John.Reading in the Dark: Using Film as a Tool in the English Classroom.NCTE,2001.Thisgeneralresourcehelpsteachersincorporatefilmintothestudyofliterature.

Parrill,Sue.Jane Austen on Film and Television: A Critical Study of the Adaptations.McFarland,2002.ThisisacomprehensivefilmographyofAusten’sadaptations,organizednovelbynovel,withcomparativeanalysis.

Troost,LindaandSayreGreenfield,eds.Jane Austen in Hollywood.UniversityPressofKentucky,2001.Thiscollectionincludes13essaysonrecentadaptationsofAustennovels.

Just for FunFowler,KarenJoy.The Jane Austen Book Club.Plume,2005.Thisisanovel,anexplorationofAusten’swork,andaresourceforyourownAustenbookcluballrolledintoone.

Henderson,Lauren.Jane Austen’s Guide to Dating.Hyperion,2005.ThisbookdrawsonthewisdominAusten’snovelstoadvisethosesearchingfortheperfectmatetoday.IncludespersonalityquizzestorevealwhichAustencharacteryoumostresemble.

Hannon,Patrice.101 Things You Didn’t Know about Jane Austen: The Truth about the World’s Most Intriguing Romantic Literary Heroine.AdamsMedia,2007.ThisbookofferstriviaandtidbitsfromAusten’slife.

Sutherland,JohnandDeirdreLeFaye,So You Think You Know Jane Austen? A Literary Quizbook. OxfordUniversityPress,2005.ThisbookoffersquizzesonAusten’snovels,ontheactionsandmotivationsofcharacters,andonthemeaningofevents.


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