Pride & Prejudice
Written by Jane Austen
Virtual Writing Workshop
Date: May 27 – 29, 2024
Time: 9:30am – 11:00am
Much Ado About Writing celebrates a literary mastermind, Jane Austen. Through her eloquence, Austen captivates her audience by capturing the authenticity of the every day life, drawn from her own experience, in her masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, set during the Regency Period in Britain.
It is suggested that Austen started writing First Impressions, the novel we know as Pride and Prejudice, in October 1796 and finally completed it 10 months later in August 1797. Pride and Prejudice was well-received and The Critical Review emphasized it as “very superior to any novel… [that] met with in the delineation of domestic scenes.”
The main focus of the Virtual Advanced Writing Workshop will be on the heroine of the novel, Elizabeth (“Lizzy”) Bennet, who with her authentic and virtuous nature, wins our heart… and her grounded character and quick wit sees through ingenuine acts set in an unfair society… Austen describes Lizzy “… as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know.” And yes, the audience agrees… Lizzy is the most “delightful” character in literature. And then, let’s not forget Fitzwilliam Darcy, “Mr. Darcy”, who the audience loves so dearly… because he reveals his humility and knows he is not perfect, and we love him… and it is his imperfections that make him the perfect match for Lizzy and the romantic hero of the novel… Additionally, Pride and Prejudice would not be Pride and Prejudice without the comic relief character of Mr. Collins and his exaggerated and idiotic wit… We will examine his essential relevancy in reference to our protagonist in the novel. Furthermore, we will be focusing on comic conventions and the rhetorical techniques employed by Austen to create transitions in mood and tone that contribute to the themes of pride, honor, class, inheritance, marriage, etc., just to name a few.
The Syllabus will be provided to students before class commences and the entire novel must be read before class begins as essay writing will start immediately…
Please note this course is an accelerated advanced writing workshop where students will produce 10 original analytical essays in 5 day period (class meets 3 times, 90 minutes lecture/discussion & students will write 2 papers per day… plus 2 independent work days).
Fee
$300 (10 students max per workshop)
Registration Deadline
May 10, 2024 or until full
Recommended Text
Pride and Prejudice – hardcover
Fingerprint! Publishing; Reprint edition (January 6, 2023)
ISBN-13 (978-9387779679)
(any unabridged, full-length version of Pride and Prejudice will do)
Optional Resource
Pride and Prejudice
(2005 movie with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen).
Email: naz@muchadoaboutwriting.us