Single Author (Session I)

Jane Austen and Pop Culture

In this class, we’ll study the beloved English author, Jane Austen. As one of the most popular authors of the late eighteenth/early nineteenth-centuries, her books and characters have become like precious friends to those twenty-first century fans who read and reread them. We watch adaptations and even sometimes dress up in Regency-era clothing to try to continuously revisit her world. But why? What is behind society’s deep love for an Austen novel? What draws us to the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy? Or Emma Woodhouse? And why do we thoroughly enjoy reliving that story through adaptations like The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Bridget Jones’ Diary, or Clueless? We will read several of Austen’s books and look at numerous adaptations from contemporary pop culture in order to further explore her far-reaching celebrity, influence, and appeal.

Note: We will be having tea and a snack once a week to accompany our discussions on Jane.

Assignments: The course will place a heavy emphasis on discussion, and you will be required to write one ~2-4 page close reading and one ~6-8 page comparative reading.

Texts:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Emma by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Longbourn by Jo Baker