Literature, Class 6: Period 3, Thursday, October 9

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Welcome back," Miss Elizabeth Bennet smiled. "As you recall, at the end of last week's class, I asked you to obtain a copy of either Randolph Park or Amelia, were you able to do so, or both, if you were particularly inclined. Rest assured that there is no punishment for not reading either, and I shall try to keep this discussion on a level which all of you will be able to follow.

"To begin. Why did I ask you to read these two works? Both are by author Jane Austen. Austen was from my own time, and her works largely involved the social strata with which she was most familiar. The upper class, though not the aristocracy, and the lives of women. For a genteel woman, there was but one goal: to marry, and to marry well. This may sound callous or frivolous to you, but please do consider that the situation of women in those times was not at all like modern society. Women were not to work; such was unseemly. If your family did not have wealth, you must marry someone with enough income to support the both of you. Do remember that those gentlemen could probably afford to be choosy; they would seek out wives with influential social connections or fortunes of their own. A single misstep in society could remove one's chances altogether.

"There, the backdrop. And now, the tales. Jane Austen once wrote that the lead character of her next novel would be, 'a heroine that no one but myself will much like.' She was speaking of Amelia Forrester, the girl for whom Amelia was named. Amelia was one of Austen's few heroines who did not have monetary concerns; she was well-off enough that she might marry anyone she fancied, and she fancied all she saw very little. She amused herself by making matches of those eligible men and women she saw around herself, though some were successful and others, miserable failures. At novel's end, she finds herself confronted with the idea that she has been in love, for a very long time, with her brother-in-law, Walter Bishop, while scarce realizing it to herself. The two are happily paired as the other matches untangle themselves. It is easily Miss Austen's lightest work: playful, coquettish, and somewhat inconsequential.

"Having said that, Miss Austen was quite wrong. Her audience largely embraced Amelia. They found her charming, and the work equally so. She is, of course, self-indulgent, but she seems earnest in her concerns for her friends and loved ones, and moved by a genuine desire to do good. Perhaps she's forgivable in that she seems terribly young. Many of her faults may smooth themselves out, with time. For whatever reason, Austen herself was not Amelia's only defender.

"Austen's quote is particularly fascinating when viewed in the context of another work of hers, Randolph Park. Randolph Park is her most divisive work. It is the tale of a young Fern Prince, who lives in a lower-class home in the city, and whose aunts decide to 'rescue' her and teach her good breeding and hope to make a fair match for her. They treat her somewhat contemptuously, always reminding her of her place -- which is, of course, decidedly beneath the Wooster cousins with whom she now lives. Fern is lonely, mistreated, and longs for the home she once knew. However, Fern has been told that she must be grateful, and grateful she is: quiet, loyal, and never wishing to disturb anyone else's peace for her own sake of mind.

"Why do I mention Randolph Park here? Quite simply, because Fern was a heroine that very few but Miss Austen much liked. Her demeanor is sweet, but she never stands for herself. She is pious, earnest, and sincere; she does what is right, and blessings eventually come to her. Many find her to be too timid, and wish she would display herself to have a spine. Many find her faith grating, in that it seems Randolph Park is a world of sinners and saints. Saints are rewarded, sinners are not, and one category can never cross to the other. Randolph Park is less a satire than a morality tale.

"Lest you think this a simple matter of time changing how a work is viewed -- of modern society viewing a heroine through its empowered lens and not seeing the reality of the social structures of the past -- Austen's very mother called Fern 'insipid.' However, there is something to be said for the way society has changed our priorities, and how tastes may change.

"Many of you have read one or both of these books. What is your interpretation? More importantly: how could Jane Austen be so very far off about the works she herself wrote?"

(OOC: I wrote up a meta-ing for the names of the major characters in the two books, so we wouldn't keep tripping over each other in inventing them. You can find that here.)

Comments

Sign-In [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

As the idle rich, or the poor relation.

Re: Sign-In [LIT-6]

[raspberryturk]

Reno

During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Take notes, pass notes, talk amongst yourselves, but do remember to keep it brief if you do not seek detention.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

Penelope had come to class today with a shirt wrapped around her face. She never did get her scarf back from Tino, but there was Claire's promise of getting her one today, after class.

As it was, she still paid attention to the lecture and took notes.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[withoutverona]

Romeo hadn't exactly gotten around to reading more than a few pages of the books -- events had overtaken him -- but he'd seen Not Clueful. That counted, didn't it?

He took notes, in any case.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[pyroliz.livejournal.com]

Liz took down detailed notes.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir was in class, not so much taking notes as listening a great deal. After a while, when he meant to wave hello to Penelope to perhaps settle things for the dance, he saw her hiding.

Having had to hide himself when he was green, and when he was younger and not green, Liir left her be for the moment.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

Anemone tried to take notes, she did, but she ended up doodling pictures in the margins of her notebook; tiny ladies dancing with gentlemen, all of whom ended up meeting some comic disaster.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

Sokka had actually read the books -- they were a nice break from trying to put together a new and better plan to defeat the Fire Lord -- but found himself unable to remember a lot of the details.

He took very careful notes.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-6]

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Chad was taking his usual, attentative notes, glad that he'd easily managed to read through both the book without problem.

He wasn't sure if he'd admit to that, though.

Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Which work, if either, did you read? What was your response to it? If you did not read either, what are your initial impressions on the two works, based on the descriptions above? If you had to read one of the two, which would you pick, and why?

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[spiritandsword]

Annja had read both of them last time she was in school.

"I enjoyed reading Amelia. It was engaging and I enjoyed Amelia's character. I wasn't very fond of Randolph Park, though."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"I read Amelia," Penelope said, self-conscious of the shirt wrapped around her face. "I found her sweet and easily endearing. Her concerns for others were true and heartfelt. The book was light, an easy read, and I knew, or had this feeling from the very beginning, that she'd end up with her very dear friend, Mr. Bishop."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[darkangelsawyer.livejournal.com]

I read them both," Peyton said, "But neither of them really did anything for me."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[withoutverona]

"I didn't get a chance to read much of either, but I started Amelia," Romeo confessed. "I think I will like it if I finish it, as I appreciate light romances."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

The works, from a time and place that seemed in many ways very much like home, had resonated with him and thus he felt the need to speak up especially today.

"I read both," he said with a lift of his head, "and they both seemed... familiar stories, in a way.

"I have to say that it would be hard to pick between them. I can... I suppose, feel for Fern more than I can for Amelia, but the experience of reading Amelia was more entertaining."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't really fond of either book," Anemone admitted. "I think they were both disgusting people, using other people to further their own agendas. That sort of thing makes me sick, especially when it's being passed off as 'being charming' or nonsense like that."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[mrodneymckay.livejournal.com]

"I read both." It was homework, Rodney couldn't not do it even if he was bored to tears. "But, I didn't exactly connect with either of them. I don't think this society translates well to the present day. Their conflicts just seem so trivial."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

"Well, I read them both," Sokka answered, "but... I dunno. I didn't really understand what they were all about, you know? I mean, marriage is cool, but it's not THAT important, right? Rich people are weird."

It wasn't the concept of needing to get married to have money that Sokka was having problems with -- it was the concept of needing money that badly. Sure, he wouldn't want to try it, but theoretically he could be thrown into a forest bare naked and empty-handed, and be able to make everything he needed for a comfortable life on his own.

Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Why are Amelia's flaws considered charming, but Fern's largely seen as grating? Which heroine do you favor? What are some good qualities and bad qualities of each? Why do you think audiences reacted more positively to Amelia than Fern? More positively to Amelia than Randolph Park?

Re: Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-6]

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Because Amelia has charm and wit," he said.

"Most people will forgive anything if charmed and a laugh heals a thousand irritations. Goodness, by and large, is only rewarded when it is nestled in other virtues."

And yes, there is a touch of, not bitterness, but understanding. Perhaps even mourning.

"More than likely, the greatest irritation to readers is the knowledge that in the real world, Goodness is not rewarded and so Fern's story is unreal."

It was obvious enough where his sympathies lay.

Discussion #3: Jane Austen was Wrong [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

How is it that Miss Austen so greatly miscalculated the impact of these two characters? Are authors too close to their own works and characters to properly predict audience response? Why do you imagine Austen thought Amelia would be disliked? Why do you imagine she thought Fern would be embraced?

Re: Discussion #3: Jane Austen was Wrong [LIT-6]

[senor-chado.livejournal.com]

Chad scratched the back of his neck with a pencil, thoughtfully, as he looked over his notes, and considered everyone's discussions before voicing his own on this particular one.

"Do...you think," he proposed, "that maybe Austin just said that 'cause it was what she was expected to think? Or some kind of attempt to seem modest, since, you know, the era an' everything...?"

Speak to the TAs [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Determine which is Fern, and which is Amelia?

Re: Speak to the TAs [LIT-6]

[thankgoditsme.livejournal.com]

Friday was here, just mostly keeping to himself today.

Speak to Miss Bennet [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

She would love to chat with you.

Re: Speak to Miss Bennet [LIT-6]

[raspberryturk]

"Didn't read it," Reno said, approaching Miss Bennet after class.

This was his method of greeting, today. It was tired and it was almost distant, but there it was.

"I wanted to. Things came up. Kinda still do want to read 'em, yo." He fidgeted a little, and then gave his shoulders a shrug, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Library's probably got 'em, right?"

OOC [LIT-6]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Lo, for I tiptoe through the minefield of meta. Please tread carefully around P&P, should it come up?

Also, I wanted Fanny Fern to marry Henry Charles. She would've made him fly straight, he would have gotten her to lighten up. Just me?

Re: OOC [LIT-6]

[mrodneymckay.livejournal.com]

Have you seen Lost in Austen? I was actually rooting for Wickham.