Catalog Search Results
Author
Language
English
Description
At the age of ten, Fanny Price leaves the poverty of her Portsmouth home to be brought up among the family of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, in the chilly grandeur of Mansfield Park. There she accepts her lowly status, and gradually falls in love with her cousin Edmund. When the dazzling and sophisticated Henry and Mary Crawford arrive, Fanny watches as her cousins become embroiled in rivalry and sexual jealousy, she struggles to retain her...
Author
Language
English
Description
Northanger Abbey was among the last of Jane Austen's novels to be published, in 1818, but the first to be written, mostly in 1798-9. Centred on the loves and friendships of Catherine Morland, an endearing young girl extremely fond of novel-reading, it remains the most youthful and optimistic of Jane Austen's novels. During an eventful season in Bath, Catherine meets the sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney who invite her to stay at their father's...
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Look at Austen's heroes and other men that populate her stories, and examine the professions available to well-born men of her day, especially in the clergy, the law, the military, and medicine. Although social class might dictate what kinds of labor were considered most acceptable for men, Austen considered employment and activity essential to good character.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
If any novel invites an enriching experience through multiple readings, it's Emma. See why many consider Austen's fourth published novel to be her masterpiece and how this story rewards those who revisit it over time. Consider the many dimensions that make Emma more than just a love story and discover why the personal development of a heroine like Emma Woodhouse is so deeply satisfying.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
A generation and more ago, critics accused Austen of ignoring the larger political events of the day in her fiction. That myth hasn't stood up to scrutiny. The early 19th century was a time of revolutions and upheaval, as Austen well knew and as her fiction demonstrations. In this episode, you will learn how Austen viewed the events of her day and how they influenced her life and fiction.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Austen's plots all end with marriages, but do her novels really endorse matrimony? As you look at various examples from her work, you will see how a deep thread of skepticism about the idealized nature of marriage makes its way into her stories. Look below the surface of Austen's bright, comedic work to uncover her perspective on the inner workings of the marriage bargain.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Take a tour of the finer points of Regency clothing and luxury items, and see how Austen uses descriptions of dress and accessories to make subtle (and not-so-subtle) observations on both the social status and the moral values of her characters. Better understand how "frivolous" distinctions about what one wears take on significant meanings in Austen's fiction.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
As Jane Austen's health declined near the end of her life, she continued to work on a manuscript that she would never finish: a would-be seventh novel entitled Sanditon, which satirized health fads and introduced new complexities of character into her fiction. Despite only consisting of 11 incomplete chapters, this unfinished work nevertheless shows us a novelist at the height of her powers.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Austen's stories may seem obsessed with money. But to understand the characters and relationships in her novels, it is vital to grasp her culture's economic and social structures. Learn about money, inheritance, and ownership in Regency England and see why so many characters are concerned with the financial situations of others.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Look at some of the forms of travel and leisure activities in Austen's fiction, and how entertainment was dictated by gender, money, and social class. See how travel outside the country was affected by the Napoleonic Wars. Also, gain invaluable insight into the rules of visiting, public dances, and other social occasions, which serve an important role in the novels.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Begin your journey with a brief look at the aims of the seres, and get a quick overview of the historical, cultural, and literary context that shaped the life and work of Jane Austen. Grasp why it is so vital to understand Austen's place in history to better appreciate the impact of her novels on literature and the world.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Despite the treasure trove of information that we have about Jane Austen's historical time and place, we actually have very little direct knowledge about her life. Look at what we do know from her surviving letters, and take a closer look at the facts and fictions that have persisted over time about her life.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Consider wellness, sickness, and the finer points of the medical profession in Austen's fiction and in her day to deepen your knowledge of the genius of her books. From valetudinarians and deadly fevers, to sprained ankles and gout, look at the important role that physical health -- both good and ill -- plays in Austen's novels and how medical professionals treated patients in the Regency era.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Turn now to the realities of Regency life with a look at romance and courtship, something that lies at the heart of every Austen plot. Examine the power dynamics between the genders and how they shaped courtship, the opportunities young people had to meet, and how various couples in Austen's novels exemplify or subvert the heavily controlled nature of Regency romance.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Jane Austen's first published novel is often overshadowed by her second; but as you will see, Sense and Sensibility is a deeply felt and complex look at romantic and familial relationships. Meet the Dashwood sisters and follow the ups and downs of their pursuit of happiness as you also get an introduction to Austen's moving style and her clever humor.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
How has Jane Austen been remembered? Consider both the myths and the realities of Jane Austen's fame over the years following her death in 1817, beginning with her brother Henry's caricaturing, if loving, biographical essay. Then, look at a few of the famous figures who loved her -- and some who didn't -- and close with an examination of her first full biography and her enduring legacy.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Many readers come to Austen's fiction thinking that they are about to encounter sedate, small-scale, realistic stories. But as you will see, when Austen first began writing as a teenager, her style and her subjects were far more risk-taking and boisterously comic. Explore her juvenilia and discover the surprising beginnings of her literary efforts.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Both Jane Austen's reputation for literary greatness and her pop-culture cachet continue to grow with each new adaptation and every new generation that encounters her work. How has pop culture helped shape Austen's long afterlife? Answer this question and more as you close the series with an examination of the lesser-known twists and turns of Austen's popularity in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Author
Series
Language
English
Description
Regency England was a highly stratified world, with well-known cues to signal one's rank in the social hierarchy. Investigate the intricacies of early 19th-century social status and what it communicated about one's supposed worth. Learn the vocabulary of rank and status, as well as the many ways that Austen's fiction offers a pointed critique of the world in which she lived.
Didn't find it?
Can't find what you are looking for? Try our Materials Request Service. Submit Request