What is what in Jane Austen’s work.

A London professor explained why divorce ruined the English romance.

Text and photo: Tatiana Shipilova.

In the capital’s library, N. A. Dobrolyubov, professor at University College London, John Mullan, gave a lecture on the work of the “first lady” of English literature, Jane Austen.

Professor Mullen himself called her a key figure in world literature and modestly remarked that “this will not be quite a lecture, but rather a seance: the spirit of Jane Austen will speak to you through me.”

“What Matters in Jane Austen?” – that was the title of the first slide of the presentation.

“What is what in Jane Austen’s art? And necessarily interrogative intonation, – says the professor. – What do you need to know to understand her books? The answer is simple: everything. You need to know everything – this is just such a writer. The motto of my lecture: “Of all the great writers, she is the most elusive in terms of her greatness.” It’s much easier with Shakespeare, Milton or Dickens. You can take any passage from them, for example, Hamlet’s monologue, and admire it. Miss Austin is different. A thirteen-year-old schoolgirl can read it and understand everything, and a fifty-year-old professor of English literature will read her novel for the fifteenth time and suddenly some scene, and bam: “Yes, this is amazing! How did I not notice this before ?! ” Therefore, I want to point out to you what you can and should admire in the novels of Jane Austen. “

Promising to ask questions and advising not to relax, the professor immediately asked: “Raise your hands, who have read at least one novel by Jane Austen. Everything? Wonderful! And who has read all of Land & Plots For Sale in Nyarugenge her novels? ABOUT! Well, this is the cream of society! So here is the main question for connoisseurs of all her works: you are the heroine of Jane Austen’s book. How do you know in a novel that you are compatible with a man? ” A modest voice from the audience: “I will dance with him …” – “Exactly! Well, do not move in with him in fact! You will dance with him! “

Professor Mullen recalled that virtually the entire first volume of the famous novel Pride and Prejudice is about dancing. And even the BBC film company, the record holder for Austin film adaptations, always focuses on dance scenes.

There are three dance scenes in Pride and Prejudice. At the city ball in Maryton, where new people from London appear – Mr. Bingley with two sisters, a son-in-law and a friend, Mr. Darcy. The latter, in principle, does not want to be introduced to anyone, that is, he refuses to dance at all. And this scene ends with a demonstration of his rudeness towards Elizabeth. The act is ugly and low. In the second dance scene at the Lucas’ reception, Mr. Darcy is already interested in Elizabeth, and therefore he almost agrees to the invitation of William Lucas to invite her to dance. But here Elizabeth herself destroys him much more subtle and graceful, as only a woman can do, declaring that, de, Mr. Darcy is a courtesy, but she does not want to dance. The third scene nevertheless ends with their joint dance – and what does this dance remind! Verbal swordsmanship, the struggle of two equal minds, Elizabeth’s taunts and Mr. Darcy’s arrogance!

To appreciate these scenes, you need to understand what the culture of dance in the 19th century carries. Having refused one man, the woman refuses all at once, which is why Elizabeth cannot but accept the invitation to the first dance from Mr. Collins, who is unpleasant to her. But how much does this scene mean both for the heroes and for the readers: the former are watching the dancing couple and are almost getting married, the latter can see that they do not look at all together. Further, while waiting for an invitation from the charming Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth unexpectedly for herself agrees to dance with Mr. Darcy.

Quoting a famous scene in the 18th chapter of the first book of the novel, Professor Mullan continues: “The elegant language of the 19th century and it seems that there is nothing special about it, but Jane Austen does what no one has done before: many writers show that about what does the character think, in the same scene the clever heroine does not understand what she has just done and how could this have happened ?!

For the first time in literature, the feelings and thoughts of the character are reflected, and besides, at the very moment when the heroine herself got confused in her thoughts!

It was Jane Austen who invented the literary technique of improperly direct speech somewhere at her desk in Hampshire! “

Further, the professor drew attention to the heroine, personifying female wisdom, to Charlotte Lucas: “Is this girl loved by all English readers? She is twenty-seven years old, poor, ugly and smart. It is she who shows how and what a woman should do to get a man. Just think: Mr. Collins has ten days to get married, of which the first day he looks at Jane Bennett, pays attention to Elizabeth Bennett for another six days, gets rejected and turns his attention to Charlotte. He takes care of her for about five hours. The next day he proposes to her, and they spend the rest of their lives together. And we see that now Jane Austen gives us a look at Collins not through the eyes of Elizabeth, but through the eyes of Charlotte herself. “