Author: bdelleman
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What is Unique about Jane Austen?
No one does it quite like Jane Austen! What is it that makes her writing so original? Watercolor by Cassandra Austen, c. 1804 Very Little Description Beyond tall, “noble mien,” and handsome, we have no idea what Mr. Darcy looks like, not hair or eye colour or even his skin tone (we get skin tone…
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Jane Austen: Delightfully Destroying Her Own Characters
She is the queen of character assassination. Her own characters that is. Here are some of my favourite Jane Austen take-downs, where the narrator destroys a character: Mr. Collins, Pride & Prejudice: The stupidity with which he was favoured by nature must guard his courtship from any charm that could make a woman wish for…
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Don’t Read Pride & Prejudice (again)
The following post is satire, I love Pride & Prejudice. This is only meant to highlight some of the merits of Jane Austen’s other works in an amusing way. And in fact, you should always read Pride & Prejudice again, why not? Here is EVERYTHING WRONG with Pride & Prejudice and why you should read…
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Edward Ferrars: Love for an Underappreciated Austen Man
Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars in Sense & Sensibility (1995) Edward suffers from two major problems when it comes to people liking him, I believe. Firstly, Jane Austen does not give him very many lines. He does hilariously make this comment about Marianne: And books!—Thomson, Cowper, Scott—she would buy them all over and over again: she…
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Emma Woodhouse is a Lovable Heroine (to me, at least)
Emma Woodhouse in various adaptations of the novel Emma is unlikable for a couple reasons, mostly her treatment of Miss Bates, but also because unlike the other heroines, her life seems charming at first glance. She is wealthy, she had a devoted parent in Mr. Woodhouse and a loving mother-figure in Mrs. Weston. She has…
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Wickham Didn’t Target Lydia for Revenge
Common Pride & Prejudice Misconceptions, Part 4 I know what you’re thinking, “This is a common misconception???” Let me tell you, about once a month someone comes up with this theory and posts about it online. The response is usually mixed, but I shall present evidence here that should make the answer an unequivocal “no”…
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Darcy Didn’t Pay Wickham £10,000 to Marry Lydia
Common Pride & Prejudice Misconceptions, Part 3 I blame this common belief on Pride & Prejudice‘s various adaptations. For example, in the 2005 movie, Mr. Bennet speculates about the amount and then nothing else is explained. However, it is untrue. When Mr. Bennet declared that: “Wickham’s a fool if he takes her with a farthing…
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Jane Bennet isn’t an Old Maid
Common Pride & Prejudice Misconceptions, Part 2 “Jane will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three-and-twenty! Lord! how ashamed I should be of not being married before three-and-twenty!” -Lydia Bennet, Pride & Prejudice There is a common perception that women married very young in the past, but this is not…
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Lady Catherine Can’t Fire Mr. Collins
Common Pride & Prejudice Misconceptions, Part 1 Something I see online and in Jane Austen fan fiction from time to time is the idea that Mr. Collins is so devoted to Lady Catherine because she could revoke his living and position as rector. This is absolutely false. So why is Mr. Collins such a suck-up?…
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Why the Tour of Pemberley Matters: Part 2
Pemberley as imagined by Pride & Prejudice 2005 Elizabeth is not mercenary, the tour at Pemberley did not sway her in regards to wealth, but it did provide a very important character reference about Mr. Darcy. I’ve already discussed the contents of the house in Part 1 and the real importance of the portrait. In…