Happy Birthday to Jane!

Yes, indeed, it is the birthday of Jane Austen today. If she were still alive, besides being famous for her novels, she’d be famous for being 231 years old.  (She was born the year before America, in 1775.)  If you’d like to read a mini bio of Jane, go here.

Last night, Libby and I went to see The Nativity Story, the new movie.  I was pleased at how good it was. They didn’t deviate from the Bible any more than they’d have to to make a two-hour movie.  Scripture was quoted straight without alteration, and the Jewish people actually looked like Jewish people! (That’s one thing which frustrates me sometimes in movies featuring Christ’s life.)  The movie wove the stories of Herod, the three wise men (whom they named the traditional Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar.), Elizabeth and Zacharias, and Mary and Joseph together.  Seeing the Romans and their taxes, village life in Israel, and the journey to Bethlehem was interesting.  I had no idea how long the movie lasted because it was interesting. Of course, when Jesus was born, it sent a thrill through my heart. Even though that wasn’t Jesus, it reminded me that He was born!

Today, Rachel is headed to a birthday party, and I’m going to run a few errands and park myself at the library. For the most part, all my Christmas shopping, wrapping, and mailing is done.  I’ve not done anything about Christmas cards, and if I don’t want to, I won’t bother to send any this year. But, the Christmas letter spirit might hit me this week.  I do need to make the calendars. Every year since 1992, I’ve been making photo calendars of the kids.  I used to take pictures to Kinko’s, but now I make them at home on the computer and print them on card stock.  It’s my grandma’s favorite present.

I’ll leave you with some quotes from Jane Austen to further the birthday celebration.

Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?

One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.

Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.

Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.

There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

And, lest you think Miss Austen only had talent with a pen, here is a photo of a quilt she made.

Pride and Prejudice Returns

Lest you think I’ve abandoned the P&P discussion, here I am again!  I thought I’d share some interesting insights from an essay in Flirting with Pride and Prejudice concerning Mary. The author wondered why Mary had such a position of non-importance in the novel. It wasn’t her embarrassment level; Lydia and Kitty and Mrs. Bennet were just as bad. It wasn’t her pedantic moralizing. Mr. Collins was far more annoying.  So why does Austen give poor Mary short shrift?  The author proposed that she didn’t advance the ideal of the book, marriage. 

Mary wasn’t going to be married (pun on her name?).  She doesn’t have any beaus, she doesn’t ogle the officers, nor does she cast the longing looks at Mr. Collins that the movies seem to imply.  As a matter of fact, her position is often replaced by another who is more central to the marriage plot.  When the girls walk to Meryton, Mary does not go. Mr. Collins, a marriageable prospect, takes her place.

Although a quick Google search didn’t turn up anything, I recall reading that Jane Austen liked to tell her father and sister what befell her characters after the novel ended.  I believe that Mary was resigned to a fate of spinsterhood.  If so, then Austen had it in her mind all along that there was no man to be had for Mary. The last chapter of the book alludes to this fact: “Mary was the only daughter who remained at home.”

I wonder what you think of Mary.  It will be hard to separate the movie version adaptations of this character from what is actually in the text, but it bears thinking.  What is her chief fault?  Do you think that she wanted to be married?  What do you think she thought of her sisters? Why was the gaining of accomplishments so important to her?  I realize that a strict reliance on the text will not yield all these answers, so have some fun! 

Now, I’m off to continue reading The Thirteenth Tale, which is an interesting read. 

Salvation Belongs to Our God!

Although two posts in one day might not be “de rigeur,” here is number two anyhow.

This past Sunday, the Youth Group visited homes to deliver Christmas gifts purchased by church folk to Angel Tree children and some lower-income children. I was the driver for one group of teenage girls, and the Hunter was in another group.

My group visited a single mom with three children.  The girls shared the gospel using evangecubes, and acted out the Christmas story.  After presents were opened, two of the girls played with the younger children,  and the third girl and I shared the gospel specifically with the mother.  When I asked her if she would like to know for sure if she would go to heaven or hell, she quickly said, “Yes,” her eyes bright.  I was able to lead her in a prayer of salvation, which was wonderful. What’s even more wonderful is that her next-door neighbor is a amazing, Godly woman from our church who had been sharing her life and the love of God with this lady. She’ll be there for the discipleship and follow-up which are so vital for new Christians.

Meanwhile, Nathan’s group visited another family, and Nathan, for the first time ever, shared his faith and the plan of salvation. He spoke with a 13 year old boy, and when Nathan asked him if he’d like to pray, the boy agreed, and Nathan was able to lead him in a prayer of salvation!   Amen!

You’d think that I spent the rest of the night praising God. But, instead, I was so convicted. What about MY neighbors? Why aren’t I bold to share Christ with them? What about discipleship of others? Why aren’t I investing the time?  My selfish heart was convicted, which was a good thing.  

Fire and Ice

Today is John Jay’s birthday. He was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and I’ve always thought he was quite interesting. One of these days I’m going to read a biography of him.  (Go HERE if for some reason you happen to be interested in learning a bit about him.)

I finished Dante’s Inferno last night. Cross that goal off my list!  Although I usually don’t have any problem with books, I had to get the Cliff’s Guide for this one.  And, even with that, I was left wondering more than I was left understanding. Who ARE these people Dante encounters in hell?  Yes, some of them, the Greeks, I recognize. But, all the Italians left me puzzled. (Cliffs didn’t help too much with who they were, either.)  One of the most interesting points of The Inferno was that the center of hell, instead of being a burning pit of fire, is a lake of ice.   The imagery went along well with the Robert Frost poem we have for English this week.

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To know that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Great poem, is it not?

This morning, TGD and I signed our will. It’s our second will, but since the first only had us as having two toddlers, we thought it was time for an updated one. Tonight, the Hunter has his homeschool orchestra concert. He’s the principal (and only) trumpet and has a solo or two.

I finished Charles Frazier’s newest book, Thirteen Moons. It’s similar to Cold Mountain in that it has a male narrator, an unrequited love, lots of history, and the mountains of South Carolina. This story takes place in 90 years, but much of it deals with the Cherokee Trail of Tears and the Cherokees left in the east after the removal.

Frazier’s writing is wonderful. I was trying to think of a good way to describe it. Image coming across a rustic cabin in the woods, not a picturesque Hollywood one, but one with chickens, mud and a wood pile, and the smell of smoke.  Make it sturdy and well-cared for. When you enter the cabin, you find pine boards and raggedly clean quilts, the smell of smoke and bodies, and an original Monet on the wall.   His writing is simple, plain, realistic, and lovely.  “A day bruised blue” after a night of restless sleep–that’s writing that makes you sit up and take notice.

A caveat: he is not a Christian, and neither are his characters. They act in ways and speak in ways which might offend.  It’s not explicitly foul, by any stretch, but there is some foul language and a non-married relationship.

Now I’m reading another thirteen book!

Charlotte

My tooth is much better after fussing with it all day and some super-duper fluoride rinse. Thanks for your concern! David and Michael return home from Florida tomorrow. It’s hard to believe that yet another week has gone by.  I spent some of the afternoon wrapping Christmas gifts, and I was pleased to discover that I have more for each child than I thought. Still, I have much to do, especially for the extended family.

Tonight, TGD and  the Hunter head to a Penn State wrestling match.  LibbyK and I are planning to watch the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s never seen any version of the real story. I’m looking forward to it!  Perhaps next week, we can start watching the A&E version. I’ve only seen it once, and that was many years ago.

Speaking of Pride and Prejudice,  Mamaglop asked a wonderful question, “Here’s what I want to know:  for all her brave talk, was Charlotte happy in her marriage, or did she resign herself to being unhappy long before she married anyone?” 

About how many of the husbands in your church or husbands of your friends do you say, “I don’t know how she could have married him! I certainly couldn’t have married him!”  I bet you might need more than one hand to count.  Yet, these people have happy marriages!  How can that be? 

Mr. Collins is described well in Chapter 15.  (I’ve made the passage numbered by points for easier reading.)

1. Mr. Collins was not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society.
2. The greatest part of his life [had] been spent under the guidance of an illiterate and miserly father.
3. Though he belonged to one of the universities, he had merely kept the necessary terms, without forming at it any useful acquaintance.
4. The subjection in which his father had brought him up had given him originally great humility of manner.
5. [His humility] was now a good deal counteracted by the self-conceit of a weak head, living in retirement, and the consequential feelings of early and unexpected prosperity.
6. The respect which he felt for [Lady Catherine's] high rank and his veneration for her as his patroness, mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector,  made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance and humility.

It seems many of these faults might be mended by a wife. Charlotte seems a sensible sort, the type of person who would call a spade a spade, and a man puffed up in self-importance could not fail to be affected by that type of woman.  He would no longer be living in retirement, and his prosperity would not be so new and unexpected as the years wore on.  As to Lady Catherine, how many of our husbands have a boss or colleague who is prideful or irritating?  More than a few, I’d bet!

Now, on to Charlotte.  I’ve not come across any real explanations of her yet (through Chapter 15–I’m keeping on track!), except that she belongs to a family of some size, is in her late 20s, and has sense.  Whether that sense is, as Elizabeth says, “not sound” (Chapter 6, “You know it is not sound, and that you would never act in this way yourself.”), stands to be seen.

I think that my ideas of Charlotte changed even more in her favor after reading Melissa Senate’s modern-day Charlotte story in Flirting with Pride and Prejudice. In this excerpt, Charlotte and Elizabeth (both 30-something career women) are talking. Elizabeth confronts Charlotte about dating Willy Collins. 

[Elizabeth] “But the point is they start our marrying someone they love–”
“I can love a life,” [Charlotte] said. “I can love not sitting home on Valentine’s Day or New Year’s. I can love that I never have to hear my relative tell me how bad they feel that I’m all alone, that ‘my day will come, especially if I lose a few pounds and straighten my hair.’ I can love that my mother will stop sending clippings for singles dances.  I can love that I don’t have to feel like no one chose me. I can love that I’ll be engaged, married.  That the option of having a baby isn’t suddenly wrested away from me because I couldn’t find the guy.”

Then later in the short story, Elizabeth says, “You know what I think, Charlotte? I think you compromised. But I don’t think you compromised yourself. There’s a big difference.”

Is Collins annoying? Sure he is!  Is he irredeemable? I don’t think so.  Is Charlotte doomed to a life of misery?  Not necessarily. 

We get a glimpse into their marriage when Elizabeth visits in Chapter 28. “She saw instantly that [Mr. Collin's] manners were not altered by his marriage; his formal civility was just what it had been, and he detained her some minutes at the gate to hear and satisfy his enquiries after all her family. [H]e addressed himself particularly to her, as if wishing to make her feel what she had lost in refusing him. But though every thing seemed neat and comfortable, she was not able to gratify him by any sigh of repentance; and rather looked with wonder at her friend that she could have so cheerful an air, with such a companion. When Mr. Collins said any thing of which his wife might reasonably be ashamed, which certainly was not unseldom, she involuntarily turned her eye on Charlotte. Once or twice she could discern a faint blush; but in general Charlotte wisely did not hear… To work in his garden was one of his most respectable pleasures; and Elizabeth admired the command of countenance with which Charlotte talked of the healthfulness of the exercise, and owned she encouraged it as much as possible.”

In Elizabeth’s eye, he is not changed at all. She still can’t stand him. But, recall that every narrator, even the beloved Miss Bennet,  is biased.  Perhaps Charlotte is happier than Elizabeth wants to believe?

PS-I got the BBW Christmas CD, Kristen, and like it very much. Since it was $10 and I had a coupon for anything up to $13 free with a $10 purchase, I got Warm Vanilla Sugar glitter spray for free. Thanks for the recommendation!

Ooh-ooh-owie!

I have a hurting tooth today. I’m hoping it’s just a tooth gone hyper-sensitive and not a problem with my crown. I only have one crown, and that’s right where the pain is. Praise God for 2006-era dental care!

Last night, TGD and I went out to Red Lobster with another couple for a fun dinner.  I’ve done another thing I’ve never done before for GhostFroggy‘s contest: I ordered popcorn shrimp.  (Usually, I order some sort of haddock or flounder).  So, my list of things I’ve never done before include hanging Christmas lights from the gutter (or rather having the Hunter do it), wearing the outfit I’m currently wearing (new!), the popcorn shrimp, and decorating the doorways with lights and garland. So far, I don’t think I’m in the running for champion, eh?

Kudos to aj1965 for her Pride and Prejudice comments!  I’ll answer my own questions now.  Maybe that will spark some debate or dissension or agreement.

The Bennets and their Marriage
I think that Mr. Bennet is an imprudent man in general. He married Mrs. Bennet, a woman of dissimilar temperament.  He was not careful in ensuring his daughter’s fortunes (beginning of chapter 7).  He plays favorites among his children (chapters 1 and 7).

Yet, for all his faults, he seems to truly love his wife, or at least he wants to please her. He compliments her, even if it is playfully teasing. (“You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them,  Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.’” Chapter 1)  He gently teases his wife in other ways (“[your nerves] have been my constant companions…”). He must have done other kind things, prompting Mrs. Bennet to say, “What an excellent father you have, girls. I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter.”  (Chapter 2)  He does what his wife wishes in visiting Mr. Bingley.

Mrs. Bennet, for all her faults, seems to love/respect him.  She praises him to the girls. She loves her children as well, although she, too, plays favorites.  Because she loves her girls, she wants to see them well-settled.  This desire and almost obsession could come from the fact that she knows if Mr. Bennet were to die, not only would she loose her home and the income from it (it was entailed to a male decedent, Mr. Collins), she would not have his support in trying to find husbands for her girls. She would be practically destitute, and no respectable man would consider one of her girls as a wife. 

I feel that many of her failings come from her own sense of pride, brought on by a small mind. She misses many of the jokes tossed her way. She cannot seem to understand a world larger than their “four and twenty families.”  She delights in gossip and in puffing up herself and her family.  I like the way her best friend, Mrs. Lucas is described in Chapter 5: ” Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to Mrs. Bennet.”

Even though they don’t seem to “match,” I think their marriage is happy enough. They have come to understand one another.

Chick-Lit versus Romance
A “chick-lit” novel  is a novel about a woman and her friends/family/colleagues. It may or may not have romance in it, but often does.  It describes the changes that take place in the life of the woman and the relationships she has with those around her. The woman is modern-day and in her 20s or 30s. Recall, that when P&P was written, it was a modern-day novel!

Romance novels, by contrast, focus almost exclusively on the budding romance of the characters and the struggles they must overcome to find true love. 

P&P could be argued into either category, but having read a large number of “romance novels,” I feel that this definition doesn’t fit. 

It’s not a social change novel, like a Dickens, because Austen doesn’t seem to be writing about her world in order to provoke changes. 

Next time, let’s talk about Mr. Collins.

1. Is Mr. Collins really all that bad?  What are his good points?

2. Start a collection of quotes about love, marriage, and what makes a worth marriage partner which characters in the book mention.  For example, Charlotte Lucas says, “I wish Jane success with all my heart; and if she were married to him to-morrow, I should think she had as good a chance of happiness as if she were to be studying his character for a twelvemonth. Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar before-hand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always contrive to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation; and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.” (Chapter 6)

You can find a number of searchable, readable texts of Pride and Prejudice online. One Place    Another Place
A Place to Download the Book

Writer’s Almanac

Here’s a poem for you from today’s Writer’s Almanac by Garrison Keillor.

Things You Didn’t Put On Your Resumé
by Joyce Sutphen

How often you got up in the middle of the night
when one of your children had a bad dream,

and sometimes you woke because you thought
you heard a cry but they were all sleeping,

so you stood in the moonlight just listening
to their breathing, and you didn’t mention

that you were an expert at putting toothpaste
on tiny toothbrushes and bending down to wiggle

the toothbrush ten times on each tooth while
you sang the words to songs from Annie, and

who would suspect that you know the fingerings
to the songs in the first four books of the Suzuki

Violin Method and that you can do the voices
of Pooh and Piglet especially well, though

your absolute favorite thing to read out loud is
Bedtime for Frances and that you picked

up your way of reading it from Glynnis Johns,
and it is, now that you think of it, rather impressive

that you read all of Narnia and all of the Ring Trilogy
(and others too many to mention here) to them

before they went to bed and on way out to
Yellowstone, which is another thing you don’t put

on the resumé: how you took them to the ocean
and the mountains and brought them safely home.

Fifteen Years Later...

The pageant is over. TGD was in the Curwensville Methodist Church’s Christmas pageant, The Search for Peace. My step-grandma wrote the play, and they’ve been performing it for 47 years. It’s turned into a community event, and some people have been in their roles for well over 20 years!  James filled the part of the blind beggar for all four performances.  He sang Some Children See Him a capella with children of different races and looked quite filthy and blind while doing so. Here are two shots of him.  The first was taken the last time he performed in the pageant, in 1991. He’s holding Nathan.  The second shows him this year, with Nathan. Oh, how time changes things!

David and Michael head to Florida with my mom and John tomorrow. Michael has been counting down the days until this Disney World trip for about a year.  I’m sure he’ll get a bit homesick, if only tonight. But, they will have so much fun!

I’m excited that so many people are interested in the Pride and Prejudice chat.  Here are some questions to get you thinking.

1. Why do you think Austen starts the novel with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their marriage? Is their marriage a happy one? Why do you think it is or is not?  Use comments from the novel, when possible, to make your point.

2. Many people think that Pride and Prejudice is a romance novel.  However, in romance novels, the hero is normally portrayed right from the start as a good guy.  How does this differ from a “regular” romance novel?  How is Pride and Prejudice similar to a “chick-lit” novel?  How would you class this novel?

3. What sort of person is Mrs. Bennet? Is she really as awful as she is usually portrayed to be?  What are her good points?

If you have any other questions or insights, please share them! Also, if you are thinking of becoming “an expert” on a character, do let us know which one you are considering so we can look forward to the fun.

 

The Great Pride and Prejudice Read-a-thon!  

Come and join in a fun, group reading of Pride and Prejudice in the month of December!

Reading Schedule

Read Chapters 1 to 15 by December 8.

Read Chapters 16 to 30 by December 15.

Read Chapters 31 to 45 by December 22.

Read Chapters 46 to 60 by December 29.

Suggestions for Reading 

If you have never read the novel–  

            Watch one of the versions of Pride and Prejudice on DVD.  It will get you familiar with the story and it will allow you to better understand the social customs, outfits, and personalities of the characters.

If you are a slow reader—

            Try to read a certain number of pages per day or set an amount of time to read each day. Even ten pages a day or fifteen minutes will have you through the novel in no time flat.

            Consider getting the unabridged book on CD from the library.  You can listen to it instead of reading or use it to give you more time in the book. Folding laundry, driving, washing dishes—all these times could be spent with the Bennets!

 

If you are a fast reader—

            Consider savoring the novel. Only allow yourself to read a certain number of pages per day.  Also, you might want to try getting the book on CD.  It will slow your pace down, and it will provide a novel way to experience the book.

 

If you’ve read the book before—

            Instead of simply re-reading, why not become an expert on one of the characters?  Why is Mary such an unimportant person in the book, even though Mr. Collins is just as annoying as she is?  Why does Darcy Senior like Wickham so well?  Why are the Gardiners so different from the Bennets?  Is there anything loveable about Lydia? 

            Read an annotated version of the novel, one with notes explaining the different terms and words. 

            Get a book of literary criticism on Pride and Prejudice. See what others had to say.  Flirting with Pride an Prejudice  is a campy, fun start, but there are so many other books.  Hit up a college library, or go online and start looking. The Jane Austen Society of North America is a great place to start.

            Read a biography of Jane Austen or a book about England during the Regency Era (1800 – 1820 or so).  You’ll learn so much more!  I like Jane Austen: The World of her Novels by Deidre Le Faye because of all the color pictures and all  the information.

 

How Will This Discussion Work?

The idea is that we will all read the book mostly on the same schedule and share insights, comments, and questions we have about what we’ve read.  If someone becomes “an expert” on a character, it might be fun for her (or him) to answer the questions asked using the character’s voice.  I hope that I won’t have to make all the comments or ask all the questions!  Please, please share a lot and often!

If any of us have Regency costumes, interesting websites, or other books to share, be sure to do so.

You don’t have to officially “do” anything to participate. Read, comment when you want, and have lots of fun!

If you have a comment or question or observation, there are two ways to share it. One way is to come to this blog (TeacherPerson) and make your comment here. If you’d like to comment on your own blog, make sure you come to this blog and leave a comment with a link back to your own blog.

How to make a link to your blog entry:

1.      Type your entry and post it.

2.      Click on the “Leave a comment” link for that entry.  This will open the entry in its own page.

3.      Copy the ( web address) in the browser bar.

4.      Come to my comment section.

5.      Click on “Add link” at the top of the white comment box.

6.      When prompted, “Enter URL,” paste the copied address of your blog entry.

7.      When prompted “Enter title,” type in “Go here” or something like that.

8.      Copy the URL which appears in the box and click “OK.”

9.      Paste this URL into the comment box.  You can also type other words.  For example:  I have a lot of questions about social customs in the novel. GO HERE to read them.  (Where “GO HERE” is the active hyperlink.)

10. To check that you did things correctly, click “preview html” before you submit your entry.  When the box pops up, click on the link you made and see if your blog entry pops up.

 

If you have any questions, great ideas, or comments, please share!  Invite all your Pride and Prejudice loving friends to read along.  Encourage those homeschooling teens to read along!