Literature, Class 8: Period 3, Thursday, March 5

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"I trust all of you are well-rested from your vacation," Miss Bennet said brightly. "I heard the weather was exquisite. I do hope you found time over break to engage in a spot of reading, as I did ask, last class, that you obtain a copy of either Randolph Park or Amelia. Both were in the school library. However."

This was a quite generous smile that she was granting her students. "I am prepared to be quite understanding, if the excitement of tropical weather and a cruise meant that the matter slipped your mind entirely, and you have read neither work for today's class. Everything belongs in its right place. I could never talk of books in a ballroom, and I must confess, I doubt that any of you could focus on romance and social intrigue in paper form while so much was going on around you. Therefore, if you haven't read either work, there is no penalty for saying so, and I shall try to keep today's discussion accessible to all."

"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; land-owners, and those who did not work to support themselves, but perhaps managed an estate. She also chose to focus upon 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 modern ears, but please do consider the situation of women in those times. A woman was not to work; such was unseemly beyond the telling of it. If her family did not have wealth, she must marry someone with enough income to support her as well as himself. 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. Let us go on to note that society, in that time period, was harsh and exacting. A single misstep, an unfortunate faux pas, and one's standing could drop considerably. That would, in turn, reduce the chances of marrying well.

"There lies the backdrop. And now, the tales. Jane Austen once wrote that the lead character of her next novel would be, in her own words, '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 wealthy, and might marry anyone she fancied. She found herself quite bored, and little amused by her own lifeShe 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 discovers that she is quite taken with her brother-in-law, Walter Bishop, and has been for quite some time. The two are happily paired as the other matches untangle themselves. Amelia is easily Miss Austen's lightest work: playful, coquettish, and somewhat inconsequential.

"It may surprise you to hear that Miss Austen was, in fact, quite wrong. Her readers 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 is forgivable in that she seems terribly young. Many of her faults may smooth themselves out, with time and the wisdom of experience.

"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, born to a mother who married beneath her to an unfortunate man of little money and great vulgarity. Fanny's aunts decide to 'rescue' her, from her crowded but happy home, and teach her good breeding and manners. They hope, in doing so, to make a fair match for her. However, they treat her 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 her family. Yet Fern has been told that she must be grateful, and grateful she is: quiet, loyal, and never wishing to disturb anyone else's wishes for her own.

"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 asserts 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 backbone. 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.

"There is something to be said for the way society has changed our priorities, and how tastes may change. A quiet, docile and pious heroine might be far more acceptable to a nineteenth century audience than to a twenty-first. And yet, this rift over Randolph Park is not new. Austen's very mother called Fern 'insipid.' Clearly, there is more at work here than a cultural divide.

"Many of you have read one or both of these books. What is your interpretation? Why are Amelia's sins more palatable than Fern's? What makes a character likeable or prevents one from being so? And why was Jane Austen's prediction so far from the reality of how her works were received?"

(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-8]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

As the idle rich, or the poor relation.

Re: Sign-In [LIT-8]

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

Harper Finkle (definitely more of the poor relation type)

During the Lecture [LIT-8]

[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-8]

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

Harper took extensive notes, as usual. She was still a little pink getting too much sun last week, but the sunburn was healing.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-8]

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

Angela was scrawling down notes during the lecture. Of all her classes, this was the one that really required that sort of attention, and it gave her something to concentrate on aside from her kind of crappy week, which she liked.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-8]

[iamnotallgirl]

Jill took frantic, copious notes, looking up at the teacher to show she was totally paying attention at key points.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-8]

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes -- who had stayed behind and had PLENTY of time to read both books -- took detailed notes.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-8]

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, the books. Katchoo's copy of Amelia had probably ended up wedged beneath a lounge chair cushion on the Crown Princess somewhere, and it's not as if she remembered since she'd been too drunk the entire time to have any clue.

She'd just be sitting here sketching in her notebook.

Re: During the Lecture [LIT-8]

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara took notes throughout the discussion. She hadn't loved either novel in particular, but she liked the author well enough to decide to browse through her other works.

Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[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-8]

[flashesforinfo.livejournal.com]

"I started reading Amelia," Angela said. "I've tried to do some matchmaking in my time, so it... struck a chord, I guess."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

"I just read Randolph Park last fall for something else, so I read Amelia this time. Actually, I've read that one before, too, and I saw the movie not too long ago," said Harper. "Amelia is a really fun character. I'm surprised that Jane Austen thought no one would like her."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[iamnotallgirl]

"I read both," Jill said. "But then something happened to my books." That 'something' was named 'Jack' and Jill was so not looking forward to paying the library for them. "Amelia was fun, but, I don't know, I really liked Randolph Park."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"I read them both," Agnes answered, "and quite liked them both. I'm never going to have the idle life of a member of Society, but it's nice to pretend, for a time." Agnes shrugged. "Although I do wish Randolph Park had ended differently."

Re: Discussion #1: Randolph Park vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I read both of the novels, and while I found Amelia charming, I didn't find that it taught me anything new about the world. An idle girl, interfering in the lives of those around her? Yes, she may have had the best of intentions, but she could have caused great harm instead. People need to be able to decide for themselves what is best for them."

Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[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-8]

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

"Amelia seems to drive the actions in the book with her scheming and matchmaking, while Fern seems to sit back and let things go on around her. Maybe that's why people like Amelia better, because she makes things happen," said Harper. "Personally, I'd like to be more like Amelia but feel like I'm more of a Fern."

Re: Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[shiniernyours.livejournal.com]

"People don't like to know they deserve what's coming to them. No-one's as good as all that," said Bender, ignoring his position on the slippy waterslide of morality. "Who wants to be preached at for their faults and told that if they'd been like that girl - nicer," he bit off the word, "Their life wouldn't suck as badly."

Re: Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[iamnotallgirl]

"Fern seemed like a really good role model," Jill said. "You know, the kind of person my mom people's mothers want them to be. Maybe people resented being reminded they're not like that." Jill's issues: totally showing. "Emma's kind of a troublemaker."

Re: Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes thought for a bit. "Perhaps because Fern is more true to life," she decided. "Her flaws are the sort that you might find in someone likely to read books for escape... Someone who secretly wished they were more like Amelia. To be honest, they're both fairly annoying, but... Well, I just can't dislike either of them. They're awfully charming in their own ways."

Re: Discussion #2: Fern vs. Amelia [LIT-8]

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"I think Amelia is a more realistic character," Inara explained. "Most people have a friend who acts like she did, or act like her themselves, particularly if they have money. Fern, on the other hand, has very little life or personality to her--she just watches things go on around her, and because she doesn't seem to care, she's not as intriguing to read about."

Discussion #3: Jane Austen was Wrong [LIT-8]

[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 liked?

Re: Discussion #3: Jane Austen was Wrong [LIT-8]

[chic-harper.livejournal.com]

"Amelia has everything going for her while Fern has nothing. Maybe that's why Miss Austen thought that Fern would be more likable. She had to work to make Amelia more agreeable to the reader but missed the opportunity to do that with Fern," mused Harper.

Speak to Miss Bennet [LIT-8]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

For she is here.

Speak to the TA [LIT-8]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Once she has pinged in.

OOC [LIT-8]

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

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

More importantly: what did you guys think about Emma and/or Mansfield Park? I sort of wanted Fanny Fern to marry Henry Charles. She would've made him fly straight, he would have gotten her to lighten up. And I thought Emma Amelia was adorable.