Pride and Prejudice

This module focuses on the works of one of the major novelists in the English language and places her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice in the contexts of both the Pre-Romantic sensibility of its historical period and the literary mode Comedy of Manners. 

In the analysis and interpretation of Austen’s novel, special emphasis will be given to the author’s use of irony and narrative technique in the portrayal of her characters. Aside from from the overall focus on the novel itself, this module will continuously compare the written work with later film and tv renderings and strive to bridge the gap between these genres through student adaptations of selected scenes.

Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (Novel, 1813: Excerpts)

Simon Langton (dir), Pride and Prejudice (BBC Mini-serie, 1995)

Background on Jane Austen and her period in Fields of Vision

Lesson	Reading	Focus
1	Chapters 1-4	Period, Historical Background, Comedy of Manners, Main Characters
2	BBC Episode 1	Narrator, point of view, Characterization
3	Chapters 5-10	Character development, narrative point of view
4	Chapters 11-13	Dialogue and character exposition
5	BBC Episode 2 + Half of Episode 3	Wickham, summary and film analysis
6	Chapters 27-32	Climax, narrative arc, suspense
7	Elizabeth’s letters	Student Drama Adaptation of Elizabeth’s Letters, Narrative Technique
8	BBC Episode 4	Students select focal points
9	Chapters 49-51	The resolution

Links

BBC Mini Series (1996) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2XwD8gwd6UP9lfMLBTUAYBbk451qKmE0