Jane Austen (1775-1817) Study Objectives: 1.Understand literary term of Realism. 2.Appreciate Jane Austen's narrative style. 3.Learn to understand Austen's view on marriage. Understanding the Author: IANE AUSTEN (1775181） English literature of early 19th century was mainly an age of poetry.The predominant literary mode was Romanticism,which was expressed almost entirely in poetry.This period saw little development in drama and produced some major novelists such as Sir Walter Scott,a pioneer of historical novels,and Jane Austen,whose works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Although Austen belonged to the 19th century,she was closer to the 18thcentury predecessors in both moral outlook and prose style.She is a neo-classicism!advocator and believes in order, Neoclassicism is a type of classicism which draws its name from its finding in classical literature of ancient Greek and Roman writers.It dominated English literature in the Restoration Age and in 18"century.The neoclassicists believed that the artistic ideals should be order,logic,restrained emotion and accuracy.They followed some fixed laws and rules in literature.Poetry should be lyrical,epical,dialectic,satiric and dramatic. Prose should be precise,direct,smooth and flexible.Drama should be written in heroic couplet;the three unities of time,space and action should be strictly observed
Jane Austen （1775-1817） Study Objectives: 1. Understand literary term of Realism. 2. Appreciate Jane Austen’s narrative style. 3. Learn to understand Austen’s view on marriage. Understanding the Author: English literature of early 19 th century was mainly an age of poetry. The predominant literary mode was Romanticism, which was expressed almost entirely in poetry. This period saw little development in drama and produced some major novelists such as Sir Walter Scott, a pioneer of historical novels, and Jane Austen, whose works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Although Austen belonged to the 19 th century, she was closer to the 18 th century predecessors in both moral outlook and prose style. She is a neo-classicism1 advocator and believes in order, 1 Neoclassicism is a type of classicism which draws its name from its finding in classical literature of ancient Greek and Roman writers. It dominated English literature in the Restoration Age and in 18 th century. The neoclassicists believed that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy. They followed some fixed laws and rules in literature. Poetry should be lyrical, epical, dialectic, satiric and dramatic. Prose should be precise, direct, smooth and flexible. Drama should be written in heroic couplet; the three unities of time, space and action should be strictly observed
reason,accuracy and gracefulness Jane Austen completed six major novels,Northanger Abbey,Sense and Sensibility,Pride and Prejudice,Mansfield Park,Emma and Persuasion,which describe a narrow range of society and events,mainly about the lives of middle class circle in provincial surroundings.Her subject matter is primarily about the young leisure class lady's intention to get married.Though her subject matter,character range,moral,physical and social setting and plots are restricted to the 19th century England gentry life,she can deal with the recurring situations with absolute accuracy and sureness,allowing a closer analysis of characters.It is no exaggeration to say that within her limited sphere,Austen is unequalled. Austen's novels are brightened by her tight plotting,witty conversation and omnipresent humor.Her stories are skillfully woven together;her plots never leave the path of realism,and have always been sensible.Her language is graceful,elegant,and refined,but never showy. Pride and Prejudice combines romance with a sensitive portrait of a young woman's development and offers an honest and realistic depiction of a change in English society as it affected people in their everyday lives.For most readers,the novel is a romantic love story with a Cinderella conclusion in which the provincial heroine marries one of the most eligible bachelors of the realm.It is a realistic portrayal of a particular segment of late 18th century society,its conventions,and its values.Austen begins by focusing on the injustices of an entail system that denies inheritance to the female heirs.She exposes the desperation of women whose sole sense of security resides in the marriage contract. Understanding Realism: Realism is a literary movement in the writing of novels during the 19th century that included writers such as Honore de Balzac in France,Charles Dickens in England and William Dean Howells in America.Writers of this category strive to represent life as it really is.Realistic fiction is written to give the effect that it represents life and the social world as it seems to the common reader,evoking the sense that its characters might in fact exist,and that such things might well happen.To achieve such effects,realistic writers may prefer the commonplace and the everyday, represented in minute detail,and they render their materials in ways that make them the very stuff of ordinary experience. The beginnings of the realist narrative style can be attributed to French novelist and playwright Honore de Balzac.His portraits of ordinary French life are remarkable in his careful attention to details.He expresses the idea that characters come to life through the painstaking accumulation of environmental details and puts enormous emphasis on the settings of his stories
reason, accuracy and gracefulness. Jane Austen completed six major novels, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion, which describe a narrow range of society and events, mainly about the lives of middle class circle in provincial surroundings. Her subject matter is primarily about the young leisure class lady’s intention to get married. Though her subject matter, character range, moral, physical and social setting and plots are restricted to the 19 th century England gentry life, she can deal with the recurring situations with absolute accuracy and sureness, allowing a closer analysis of characters. It is no exaggeration to say that within her limited sphere, Austen is unequalled. Austen’s novels are brightened by her tight plotting, witty conversation and omnipresent humor. Her stories are skillfully woven together; her plots never leave the path of realism, and have always been sensible. Her language is graceful, elegant, and refined, but never showy. Pride and Prejudice combines romance with a sensitive portrait of a young woman’s development and offers an honest and realistic depiction of a change in English society as it affected people in their everyday lives. For most readers, the novel is a romantic love story with a Cinderella conclusion in which the provincial heroine marries one of the most eligible bachelors of the realm. It is a realistic portrayal of a particular segment of late 18 th century society, its conventions, and its values. Austen begins by focusing on the injustices of an entail system that denies inheritance to the female heirs. She exposes the desperation of women whose sole sense of security resides in the marriage contract. Understanding Realism: Realism is a literary movement in the writing of novels during the 19 th century that included writers such as Honoré de Balzac in France, Charles Dickens in England and William Dean Howells in America. Writers of this category strive to represent life as it really is. Realistic fiction is written to give the effect that it represents life and the social world as it seems to the common reader, evoking the sense that its characters might in fact exist, and that such things might well happen. To achieve such effects, realistic writers may prefer the commonplace and the everyday, represented in minute detail, and they render their materials in ways that make them the very stuff of ordinary experience. The beginnings of the realist narrative style can be attributed to French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac. His portraits of ordinary French life are remarkable in his careful attention to details. He expresses the idea that characters come to life through the painstaking accumulation of environmental details and puts enormous emphasis on the settings of his stories
His most famous work,which was left unfinished,is The Human Comedy,an assortment of interwoven tales and novels which depict life in early nineteenth century France.Like the realists who would follow in his footsteps,Balzac rely on the external details of the social environment to capture the nuances that made up the experience of typical French life.In this sense,these writers fall into the category of social realism. Writers such as Charles Dickens,William Makepeace Thackeray and George Eliot are also called critical realists.Critical Realism flourished in the 1840s and the beginning of 1850s.Its chief task is to criticize capitalist society from a democratic viewpoint and delineate the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality.Charles Dickens,for instance,with a striking force and truthfulness,creates pictures of bourgeois society,describing the misery and sufferings of common people.He exposes and criticizes all the injustice,hypocrisy and corruptness he sees all around him,although his social attitudes are very complex:he wants improvement in the life of the poor,but is afraid of a real revolution;as a bourgeois writer,he cannot supply any practical solution to the social plights,but hopes to call people's attention to the existing problems so as to effect some reform or amelioration to the social system.Dickens is a humanitarian who pours all his love and sympathy for those poor,weak,innocent,injured,and neglected good people and fights on their behalf against the cruelty of an inhumane society.Thackeray's novels,on the other hand,mainly contain a satirical portrayal of the upper stratum of society.He holds the opinion that the existing society could never be any healthier if people valued wealth,comfort,and prestige more than kindness,diligence,humor and love.Unlike Dickens,Thackeray portrays upper-middle class life in a very satirical way as he regards the major traits of upper-middle class people, snobbery,greed,hypocrisy and money-grabbing with all possible means as the chief vice in his society. By the end of the nineteenth century,Realism in the pure sense had given way to another form called Naturalism.With Naturalism,authors looked to heredity and history to define character.Ironically,many of the qualities that people found distasteful in realism-the obsession with character,the superficially mundane plots-were all intensified in Naturalism. In addition to the social realism as one of the subgenres,in 20th century some modern writers, influenced by the development of psychology,paid more attention to the psychological reality of the characters.Writers such as Virginia Woolf favor psychological realism as they believe that human consciousness is far more complicated and various than had previously been considered. Writers should focus more on the representation of the inner workings of the mind and the delicate play of emotions rather than the external reality inhabited by the characters.Both the two paradigms---the social realism and the psychological realism---advance the development of
His most famous work, which was left unfinished, is The Human Comedy, an assortment of interwoven tales and novels which depict life in early nineteenth century France. Like the realists who would follow in his footsteps, Balzac rely on the external details of the social environment to capture the nuances that made up the experience of typical French life. In this sense, these writers fall into the category of social realism. Writers such as Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray and George Eliot are also called critical realists. Critical Realism flourished in the 1840s and the beginning of 1850s. Its chief task is to criticize capitalist society from a democratic viewpoint and delineate the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality. Charles Dickens, for instance, with a striking force and truthfulness, creates pictures of bourgeois society, describing the misery and sufferings of common people. He exposes and criticizes all the injustice, hypocrisy and corruptness he sees all around him, although his social attitudes are very complex: he wants improvement in the life of the poor, but is afraid of a real revolution; as a bourgeois writer, he cannot supply any practical solution to the social plights, but hopes to call people’s attention to the existing problems so as to effect some reform or amelioration to the social system. Dickens is a humanitarian who pours all his love and sympathy for those poor, weak, innocent, injured, and neglected good people and fights on their behalf against the cruelty of an inhumane society. Thackeray’s novels, on the other hand, mainly contain a satirical portrayal of the upper stratum of society. He holds the opinion that the existing society could never be any healthier if people valued wealth, comfort, and prestige more than kindness, diligence, humor and love. Unlike Dickens, Thackeray portrays upper-middle class life in a very satirical way as he regards the major traits of upper-middle class people, snobbery, greed, hypocrisy and money-grabbing with all possible means as the chief vice in his society. By the end of the nineteenth century, Realism in the pure sense had given way to another form called Naturalism. With Naturalism, authors looked to heredity and history to define character. Ironically, many of the qualities that people found distasteful in realism – the obsession with character, the superficially mundane plots – were all intensified in Naturalism. In addition to the social realism as one of the subgenres, in 20 th century some modern writers, influenced by the development of psychology, paid more attention to the psychological reality of the characters. Writers such as Virginia Woolf favor psychological realism as they believe that human consciousness is far more complicated and various than had previously been considered. Writers should focus more on the representation of the inner workings of the mind and the delicate play of emotions rather than the external reality inhabited by the characters. Both the two paradigms---the social realism and the psychological realism---advance the development of
fiction Lead-in Questions: 1.How much do you know about Jane Austen? 2.Are you familiar with any of her works? 3.Do you know anything about the social context of early 19th century England? Pride and Prejudice Chapter 1 【Ceparich4与Gw,l Mr.and Ms.Bennet by Hugh Thomson,1894 1 It is a truth universally acknowledged,that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. 2 However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood,this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families,that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. 3 "My dear Mr.Bennet,"said his lady to him one day,"have you heard that Netherfield Park2 is let at last?” 2 The name of an estate in the neighborhood of the home of the Bennets
fiction. Lead-in Questions: 1. How much do you know about Jane Austen? 2. Are you familiar with any of her works? 3. Do you know anything about the social context of early 19 th century England? Pride and Prejudice Chapter 1 Mr. and Ms. Bennet by Hugh Thomson, 1894 1 It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. 2 However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. 3 “My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park 2 is let at last?” 2 The name of an estate in the neighborhood of the home of the Bennets
4 Mr.Bennet replied that he had not. 5“But it is,”returned she,“for Mrs.Long3 has just been here,and she told me all about it..” 6 Mr.Bennet made no answer. 7 "Do not you want to know who has taken it?"cried his wife impatiently. 8 "You want to tell me,and I have no objection to hearing it." 9 This was invitation enough. 10 "Why,my dear,you must know,Mrs.Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England:that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place,and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr.Morriss immediately;that he is to take possession before Michaelmas,and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week." 11 What is his name?” 12“Bingley.n l3“Is he married or single?” 14 "Oh!single,my dear,to be sure!A single man of large fortune;four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!" 15 "How so?how can it affect them?" 16 "My dear Mr.Bennet,"replied his wife,"how can you be so tiresome!You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them." 17“Is that his design in settling here?” 18 "Design!nonsense,how can you talk so!But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them,and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes." 19 "I see no occasion for that.You and the girls may go,or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better,for,as you are as handsome as any of them,Mr.Bingley might like you the best of the party." 20 "My dear,you flatter me.I certainly have had my share of beauty,but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now.When a woman has five grown up daughters,she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty." 21 "In such cases,a woman has not often much beauty to think of." 22 "But,my dear,you must indeed go and see Mr.Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood.” 3 A neighbor of the Bennets. A lightweight carriage drawn by four horses. 5 The owner of Nethefield Park. A church festival held on September 29 in honor of the archangel Michael
4 Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. 5 “But it is,” returned she; “for Mrs. Long 3 has just been here, and she told me all about it.” 6 Mr. Bennet made no answer. 7 “Do not you want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently. 8 “You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.” 9 This was invitation enough. 10 “Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four 4 to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris 5 immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas 6 , and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.” 11 “What is his name?” 12 “Bingley.” 13 “Is he married or single?” 14 “Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!” 15 “How so? how can it affect them?” 16 “My dear Mr. Bennet,” replied his wife, “how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.” 17 “Is that his design in settling here?” 18 “Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.” 19 “I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.” 20 “My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.” 21 “In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.” 22 “But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighborhood.” 3 A neighbor of the Bennets. 4 A lightweight carriage drawn by four horses. 5 The owner of Nethefield Park. 6 A church festival held on September 29 in honor of the archangel Michael