ENG 206 - Reading Austen

1 course unit

This course explores the novels of Jane Austen and their contemporary revisions. Roughly half of the course consists of an intensive and historically-contextualized study of four of Austen’s novels along with a reading of a biography of Austen. The other half consists of a cultural materialist study of the revisions, sequels, and film adaptations of Austen produced predominantly in the 1990s and 2000s. In this way, we explore the continuing importance of Austen to contemporary readers as well as the structure and significance of fan culture. In addition to several of Austen’s original novels, texts and films may include Jon Spence, Becoming Jane Austen; Linda Berdoll, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife; Pamela Aidan, An Assembly Such as This: Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman, Part 1; BBC Mini-Series, Pride and Prejudice (1995); Clueless (1995); Joan Aiken, Jane Fairfax: The Secret Story of the Second Heroine in Jane Austen’s Emma.
Meets departmental Transformations approach.
Meets general academic requirements L and W and effective Fall 2013 HU and W.