How does Elizabeth view herself in society?

Her honesty, virtue, and lively wit enable her to rise above the nonsense and bad behavior that pervade her class-bound and often spiteful society.

Marriage is the ultimate goal, courtship constitutes the real working-out of love. Courtship becomes a sort of forge of a person’s personality, and each courtship becomes a microcosm for different sorts of love (or different ways to abuse love as a means to social advancement).

Ch 19, pg 77 Mr. Collin's proposal: Elizabeth explains what time of girl she is NOT
Ch 19, pg 78 Mr. Collins' proposal: elegant female trying to plague him vs. rational creature speaking the truth from her heart
Ch 2, pg 85

Whereas Elizabeth is an idealist who will not marry solely for money, to either a fool (Collins) or a man she dislikes (Darcy, at first), Charlotte, six years older than her friend and lacking a fortune, is a pragmatist: she must capitalize on any opportunity that presents itself in order to avoid the societal scorn that accompanies old maid status. As Austen says of Charlotte: she “accepted [Mr. Collins] solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment.”
Though social strictures on marriage might be illogical and unromantic, were she to break them she would be negatively affecting her family.

The only individual who dares to stand up to the haughty Lady Catherine is Elizabeth (unsurprisingly, as elsewhere she sees through the pretensions of pompous and arrogant people like Mr. Collins and Miss Bingley). When Lady Catherine criticizes the Bennet sisters’ upbringing, Elizabeth defends her family, “suspect[ing] herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.”

The clunky language with which the narrator summarizes Elizabeth’s acceptance serves a specific purpose, as it captures the one moment of joyful incoherence for this supremely well-spoken character. She accepts Darcy’s proposal “immediately,” the narrator relates, but “not very fluently.” As Elizabeth allows herself to admit that her love has supplanted her long-standing prejudice, her control of language breaks down. The reader is left to imagine, with some delight, the ever-clever Elizabeth fumbling for words to express her irrepressible happiness.

Essay Question

4) How does Elizabeth define herself in society being an independent, mature, and wise young woman? Since she is before her time, does she intellectually regard herself as someone above the rest of her society? (O)

D.W. Harding (cont.)

Jot down one point from D.W. Harding that you either agree with or at least find interesting:

"The simplest comic effects are gained by bringing the caricatures into direct contact with the real people, as in Mr. Collins' visit to the Bennett's and his proposal to Elizabeth." (298)

During the scene of Mr. Collins' proposal, the contrast between both of their characters implements a comic effect. Between Mr. Collins' overly confident nature and Elizabeth's uncomfortable facial expressions, the caricatures create chaos and humor. Mr. Collins is the caricature who comes into direct contact with the "real human being", Elizabeth.

D.W. Harding

for Monday blog about DW Harding's article "Regulated Hatred": An Aspect in the Work of Jane Austen

                                                                        Name ________________________

Agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

(No middle ground, sorry, until we discuss it. You may jot down examples for evidence.)

From D. W. Harding’s “Regulated Hatred” (1943)

1. Jane Austen’s scope is extremely restricted, but within her limits she succeeded admirably in expressing the gentler virtues of a civilized social order. (Harding and Linklater)

X AGREE                                  DISAGREE

2. Austen as satirist is misleading; she has none of the underlying didactic intention ordinarily attributed to the satirist. Her object is not missionary; it is the more desperate one of merely finding some mode of existence for her critical attitudes.

AGREE                                 X DISAGREE

3. Austen’s method is to offer her readers every excuse for regarding as rather exaggerated figures of fun people whom she herself detests and fears.

AGREE                                 X DISAGREE

4. Readers enjoy the funny side of Mrs. Bennet but miss that Austen actually detests her.

AGREE                                  X DISAGREE

5. Austen’s light satire masks a rather bitter diatribe against 1800 social customs, but masked in exaggerated caricatures that disguise the bitterness.

X AGREE                                  DISAGREE

1) Is Lady Catherine inferior to a man of equal or lesser status than she? (O)
2) How does someone of Mr. Bennett's class obtain the connections of the aristocrats like he does in the novel? (O) X
4) How does Elizabeth define herself in society being an independent, mature, and wise young woman? Since she is before her time, does she intellectually regard herself as someone above the rest of her society? (O)
5) Why does Mr. Bennett allow his wife to stand as the dominant figure in the household, when it is usually the man, the father-figure, who is given complete power? (O) X
6) Does Mr. Darcy feel excluded from society because of his lack of interest in a spouse? (C) X

iPads

There are definitely some key points Tom Daccord presents in his article 5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make with iPads that I agree with. I believe that if Buckley would have better prepared the faculty to use this new device, classrooms would be moving at a much faster pace. We are aleady a full month into school and still trying to adjust to the new technology on campus. Tom declares, "Teacheres need instruction on how to incorporate the devices into the learning process, which is quite different than trying out a few apps." Although we as students are more technologically advanced than most teachers on campus, accessing our textbooks, annotating, typing, and navigating our on the device can still be quite confusing. However,  there are absolutely several positives to the new requirement of iPads in specific classes. For example, yesterday in my Astronomy class, Mr. Edelen assigned us to create short film during class. Our task for the period was to interview students or faculty members  with Astronomy misconceptions through the video camera on our iPads. Once we finished the interview, we were required to edit the individual interviews to make them all fit into on movie. This is a perfect example of one of the many benefits to the iPad because this encourages hands-on learning. Moreover, in English class today, we were assigned to film the Mr. Collins' proposal scene in the novel Pride and Prejudice and present our short scenes at the end of the class. As Tom said in the article: "Active consumption, curation, and creativity suit the device."

Mr. Collin's proposal

I imagine Mr. Collins and Elizabeth to either be in the drawing room or in another private, reserved setting for his proposal. I picture Mr. Collins leisurely pacing back and forth while delivering his "sermon" and Elizabeth quietly and uncomfortably sitting in her chair. While Elizabeth attempts to reject Mr. Collins' proposal politely and respectfully, her facial expressions should convey to the audience and uninterested she is with his offer. On the other hand, Mr. Collins' posture and tone should demonstrate his excessive pride and admiration he has for himself. His level of confidence and his incapability of accepting Elizabeth's decline is quite amusing.