JANE AUSTEN

Jane Austen

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life

novel of manners

pride and prejudice

analysys of character

life

Jane Austen was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire. She spent her uneventful life with her family and her inseparable companion was her sister, Cassandra. She was educated at home by her father and showed an interest in literature and writing very early, in fact she started writing in 1787. She then produced a large output of prose, between 1795 and 1797, including Pride and Prejudice. When her father died, Jane, her sister and mother settled at Chawton, a small country village a few miles from her birthplace, where she produced many works. She died probably of Addison's disease in Winchester in 1817, and was buried in Winchester cathedral. All her novels were published anonymously, her identity was later revealed by her brother.

works

Pride and Prejudice, 1813

Emma, 1815

Sense and Sensibility, 1811

Persuasion, 1817

novel of manners

• the master of the novel of manners

• she learned the insight into the psychology of the characters and the ordinary events of life

• omniscent narrator and the technique of bringing the character into existence through dialogue

• style: verbal and situational irony
• deals with the country gentry

analysis of character

1. faithful to common sense and moral principles 2. themes: love, marriage, parenthood 3. happy ending is a common element->marriage of the hero and heroine 4.she is against the social code which supports marriages for money 5.emotions regulated by private reflections 6. the heroine's reflection is a usual feature

pride and prejudice

It' s set in Longbourn where Mr and Mrs Bennet live with five daughters (Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia and Kitty). One day, a rich bachelor, Charles Bingley, after a series of parties, falls in love with Jane, and his friend, Mr Darcy, begins to feel attracted to Elizabeth. But she dislikes him because of his snobbish behaviour. When Mr Darcy declares his love, he cannot help showing contempt for her inferior social position; so Elizabeth rejects him and accuses him of ill-treating George Wickham. Darcy writes her a letter where he reveals that Wickham is an unscrupulous adventurer. Meanwhile, Wickham elopes with Lydia. Darcy traces them and provides for their marriage. Elizabeth realises that she was mistaken about Darcy and accepts his renewed proposal. Bingley comes and becomes engaged to Jane, so the novel with a happy marriages of the two couples.

pride and prejudice

The main characters are Elisabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy

STYLE

THEMES

-Mr. Darcy: he is self-centred and unsociable

CHARACTERS

The novel involves both hero and heroine in a journey towards self-awareness and self-knowledge. Other are lovers, marriage, status and wealth, decorum and propriety. Marriage is presented from several point of view.

It's very important the vividness of the characters and the brightness of dialogue. Jane Austen uses third-person narration and she often presents the action from her point of view. The first-person narration also play a part in the novel by means of the many letterd. It's used frequently the epistolary technique and the irony.

-Elisabeth Bennet: she has a lively mind, she is intelligent and she has a strong spirit of independence

They both show an imperfect understanding oh themselves and each other. She accuses him of pride and he accuses her of predjudice

Other minor characters are almost caricatures, flat or objects of ridicule

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Thanks to the popularity of the book, many film and television adaptations have been made over the last century:

• Pride and Prejudice, 1940

• Pride andPrejudice, 1995

• Pride and Prejudice, 2005

Thanks for the attention!

Battaglia, Fimmanò