Volume the Second (My version starts over again numbering the chapters from one as the volume changes)

Grace brought up an interesting question about Austen’s books being published anonymously, but not in a male or gender netural way. This site speculates, “Walter Scott published anonymously (most women did not), so maybe Jane Austen took her cue from that quarter - I simply don't know. She published under the title "by a Lady". That was always curious to me because I thought that the word "Lady" meant a little something different then. I think I am right about that because if you read about the guesses her contemporaries made about the authorship of the novels, you will find that the speculations most often centered upon women of the aristocracy.” Other references just simply say, “as was the custom."

Questions:

1) We are introduced to Jane Fairfax in Chapter II. We learn, “Emma was sorry;—to have to pay civilities to a person she did not like through three long months!—to be always doing more than she wished, and less than she ought! Why she did not like Jane Fairfax might be a difficult question to answer; Mr. Knightley had once told her it was because she saw in her the really accomplished young woman, which she wanted to be thought herself; and though the accusation had been eagerly refuted at the time, there were moments of self-examination in which her conscience could not quite acquit her. But "she could never get acquainted with her: she did not know how it was, but there was such coldness and reserve—such apparent indifference whether she pleased or not—and then, her aunt was such an eternal talker!—and she was made such a fuss with by every body!—and it had been always imagined that they were to be so intimate—because their ages were the same, every body had supposed they must be so fond of each other." These were her reasons—she had no better. (page 150 in my version) Why do you think that Emma doesn’t like Jane? How is Jane portrayed throughout this section, and what do their interactions say about the character of Emma? How do they impact the plot?

2) Frank Churchill travels to London in Chapter 7 to have his hair cut. Emma, who had set her hopes on Frank, “moralises” in Chapter 8: "I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. Wickedness is always wickedness, but folly is not always folly.—It depends upon the character of those who handle it. Mr. Knightley, he is not a trifling, silly young man. If he were, he would have done this differently. He would either have gloried in the achievement, or been ashamed of it. There would have been either the ostentation of a coxcomb, or the evasions of a mind too weak to defend its own vanities.—No, I am perfectly sure that he is not trifling or silly." (page 192) What do you think of the character of Frank? Is Emma’s assessment true of him? Is he a good match for Emma?

3) In Chapter 11, a dance is proposed. What did you think of Mr. Woodhouse’s objection to having a dance? What do these plans say about the character of Emma, of those in her social circle, and of the town that she lives in?

4) After professing his love for Emma, and rebuffing Harriet, Mr. Eton is quickly married. In Chapter 15, we get to know the new Mrs. Eton. What do you think of her character? What is your assessment of Emma’s reaction to the character? And, how does Jane Fairfax fit into this?

5) In Chapter 17, Austen has Jane looking for employment
"Excuse me, ma'am, but this is by no means my intention; I make no inquiry myself, and should be sorry to have any made by my friends. When I am quite determined as to the time, I am not at all afraid of being long unemployed. There are places in town, offices, where inquiry would soon produce something—Offices for the sale—not quite of human flesh—but of human intellect."
"Oh! my dear, human flesh! You quite shock me; if you mean a fling at the slave-trade, I assure you Mr. Suckling was always rather a friend to the abolition."
"I did not mean, I was not thinking of the slave-trade," replied Jane; "governess-trade, I assure you, was all that I had in view; widely different certainly as to the guilt of those who carry it on; but as to the greater misery of the victims, I do not know where it lies. But I only mean to say that there are advertising offices, and that by applying to them I should have no doubt of very soon meeting with something that would do." (pg 269-70)
What is Austen saying about the role of women in English society, of employment, and of being a governess?

(quotations copied from Emma online)

Questions for Volume the First (through Chapter 18)

Firstly, I want to give a shout-out to the lovely Presbytera Kathy!
I was delighted to win her drawing and received a set of her beautiful cards – you can purchase them here and thanks again!

A bit about Jane Austen
(I want to be sure that the questions don’t feed into blogreaders so there aren’t any spoilers - let me know if this is appreciated or annoying, thanks!)

Jane Austen, one of England’s foremost novelists, was never publicly acknowledged as a writer during her lifetime. She was born on December 16, 1775, at Steventon Rectory in Hampshire, the seventh child of a country clergyman and his wife, George and Cassandra Austen. She was primarily educated at home, benefiting from her father’s extensive library and the schoolroom atmosphere created by Mr. Austen’s live-in pupils. Her closest friend was her only sister, Cassandra, almost three years her senior.

Though Austen lived a quiet life, she had unusual access to the greater world, primarily through her brothers. Francis (Frank) and Charles, officers in the Royal Navy, served on ships around the world and saw action in the Napoleonic Wars. Henry, who eventually became a clergyman like his father and his brother James, was an officer in the militia and later a banker. Austen visited Henry in London, where she attended the theater, art exhibitions, and social events and also corrected proofs of her novels. Her brother Edward was adopted by wealthy cousins, the Knights, becoming their heir and later taking their name. On extended visits to Godmersham, Edward’s estate in Kent, Austen and her sister took part in the privileged life of the landed gentry, which is reflected in all her fiction.

As a child Austen began writing comic stories, now referred to as the Juvenilia. Her first mature work, composed when she was about 19, was a novella, Lady Susan, written in epistolary form (as a series of letters). This early fiction was preserved by her family but was not published until long after her death.
In her early twenties Austen wrote the novels that later became Sense and Sensibility (first called “Elinor and Marianne”) and Pride and Prejudice (originally “First Impressions”). Her father sent a letter offering the manuscript of “First Impressions” to a publisher soon after it was finished in 1797, but his offer was rejected by return post. Austen continued writing, revising “Elinor and Marianne” and completing a novel called “Susan” (later to become Northanger Abbey). In 1803 Austen sold “Susan” for £10 to a publisher, who promised early publication, but the manuscript languished in his archives until it was repurchased a year before Austen’s death for the price the publisher had paid her.

When Austen was 25 years old, her father retired, and she and Cassandra moved with their parents to Bath, residing first at 4 Sydney Place. During the five years she lived in Bath (1801-1806), Austen began one novel, The Watsons, which she never completed. After Mr. Austen’s death, Austen’s brothers contributed funds to assist their sisters and widowed mother. Mrs. Austen and her daughters set up housekeeping with their close friend Martha Lloyd. Together they moved to Southampton in 1806 and economized by sharing a house with Frank and his family.

In 1809 Edward provided the women a comfortable cottage in the village of Chawton, near his Hampshire manor house. This was the beginning of Austen’s most productive period. In 1811, at the age of 35, Austen published Sense and Sensibility, which identified the author as “a Lady.” Pride and Prejudice followed in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1814, and Emma in 1815. The title page of each book referred to one or two of Austen’s earlier novels—capitalizing on her growing reputation—but did not provide her name. Austen began writing the novel that would be called Persuasion in 1815 and finished it the following year, by which time, however, her health was beginning to fail. The probable cause of her illness was Addison’s Disease. In 1816 Henry Austen repurchased the rights to “Susan,” which Austen revised and renamed “Catherine.”

During a brief period of strength early in 1817, Austen began the fragment later called Sanditon, but by March she was too ill to work. On April 27 she wrote her will, naming Cassandra as her heir. In May she and Cassandra moved to 8 College Street in Winchester to be near her doctor. Austen died in the early hours of July 18, 1817, and a few days later was buried in Winchester Cathedral. She was 41 years old. Interestingly, Austen’s gravestone, which is visited by hundreds of admirers each year, does not even mention that she was an author.
Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published together in December 1817 with a “Biographical Notice” written by Henry, in which Jane Austen was, for the first time in one of her novels, identified as the author of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma.

Jane Austen’s novels have never been out of print and are often included on lists of readers’ favorites. Her surviving letters are also a source of entertainment and biographical information (Jane Austen’s Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye, Oxford University Press, 1995). Maps of real and fictional places in Austen’s novels are available on this site.

On to the questions:
1) What are your impressions of the character of Emma as we begin, and of the readability of the book?
2)Emma’s father is contrasted to Emma several times (my introduction alludes to him being “old before his time” ) what purpose does this contrast serve, and what do you think about his character, and the character of Emma’s sister, Isabella, who is introduced as being more like Mr. Woodhouse.
3) In Chapter 4 we are treated to the creation of Harriet’s quarto. What are the subtleties and subtexts of this quarto?
4) In Chapter 5 Emma says, “I have none of the usual inducements of women to marry. Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing; but I never have been in love: it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall. And, without love, I am sure I should be a fool to change such a situation as mine. Fortune I do not want; employment I do not want; consequence I do not want: I believe few married women are half as much mistress of their husband’s house as I am of Hartfield; and never, never could I expect to be so truly beloved and important; so always first and always right in any man’s eyes as I am in my father’s” (page 76 of my edition) - what do you think this passage tells us about Emma’s character?
5) Emma completely misreads Mr. Elton’s intentions and fails in her quest to set him up with Harriet. What were your thoughts and what did this tell us about Emma, Mr. Elton, and Harriet? (Chapter 13)
6) We end this section with an argument between Emma and Mr. Knightly. What stage is this scene setting?

I will answer in the comments!

The read-along is here! I am excited to begin reading Emma tonight (I read part of the Introduction last night).

As we begin - I am curious as to your impressions of the novel, either from previous readings, movies, or just in general.

I have never read it, or seen any of the movies (not even Clueless) so my initial impression is only the vague notion that the lead character is not endearing.

Onward! First set of questions will be posted by the end of the week! The questions will encompass Volume The First (through chapter 18).

There’s an interesting Meme floating around, I first saw it on Elizabeth’s blog, then Deb’s and Maureen’s. While I fail miserably at it (getting exactly 1/15th of them), I thought I’d play along.

Here are the rules:

1. Pick 5 of your favorite books.
2. Post the first sentence of each book. (If one sentence seems too short, post two or three!)
3. Let everyone try to guess the titles and authors of your books.

Here are my five (hint: they are all fiction)
1) When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Elizabeth
2) Clare: It’s hard being left behind. Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffineger - Janelle
3) When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home. The Outsiders by SE Hinton - Deb
4) His two girls are curled together like animals whose habit is to sleep underground, in the smallest place possible. Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver - Suzanna!
5) Theirs was a land of awesome grandeur, a land of mountains and moorlands and cherished myths. Here be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman - Margaret (I hadn't thought about it being a Tolkeinesque opener, but it definitely is - I'm a Tolkein flunky, none of his books would ever float to the top of my favorites list, I've barely read any of them - but I loved what Margaret said about Tolkein and Wales.)

And the winner is...

Emma by Jane Austen.

We will begin on Monday, November 16, which gives us two weeks to get the book. I've never read it and look forward to reading a book about which, Austen said, "I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."

(photo source)

Nativity Read Along!

As we finished up the read along of Little Women in August, there was discussion of doing another one. As we are approaching the Nativity Fast (starting November 15th), I thought I’d gather some input as to what book we should read.

Some ideas I had were:

To continue our Louisa May Alcott reading and choose Old Fashioned Girl or Eight Cousins

We could continue the discussion by choosing Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

To prepare for the new movie, we could do Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

I am ashamed to admit that I’ve only read one Jane Austen, so we could choose Sense and Sensibility or Emma.

And, I’ve also got Middlemarch on my “To read” pile.

What say you? What sounds good? Suggestions welcome.

(Print source)

A Woman’s Daybook for Wednesday, October 14
Outside my window...We are having our first rain and wind of the season. We have not been nearly as hard hit as my family in Northern California, they were without power and with downed trees everywhere. Thankfully they all seem to be ok.
I am thinking...About St. Thais and the beautiful Massenet opera about her. I’d never heard it before, then saw it performed on October 4th. Imagine my surprise to discover that her Feast Day was the following Thursday (October 8th).
I am thankful for...the Xman enjoying the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. At the bookstore the other day, the display of the new 4th one reminded him that he enjoyed the first. We now own 2 & 3, with a promise to purchase the new one when he is ready
From the learning rooms...Conference week – the Xman seems to be very social and not always paying attention. Whistles. I’m sure I have no idea where he gets that.
From the kitchen...I’ve been enjoying the shift in foods from our summer bounty to the hearty squash and potato dishes. Yum.
I am wearing...a plaid wool skirt I bought for $1 at a yard sale this summer. I have a black tunic, black tights and some new Mary Jane shoes.
I am creating...The fabulous Janelle is hosting an ATC swap, and I have to assemble mine tonight. I have all the parts ready to go.
I am going...to my first Russian class tomorrow – it’s been about 14 years (I was pregnant with the Xman) since I took First Year Russian, I definitely need to start at the beginning (oooh, while I was typing this, I got pre-class homework. Eeek!)
I am reading...Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. My mom is the true “Anne with an e” aficionado, but I have read them all (as an adult) and am finding this a delight
I am hoping...would you believe the answer is still for the Oldest to get a job????
I am hearing...the aforementioned Opera
Around the house...I need to find some cool storage for squash, tomatoes, etc since a mouse moved into my vegetable storage box in the garage last year.
One of my favorite things...fresh carrots
A few plans for the rest of the week…Scrapbooking on Saturday with friends, and then seeing a local production of As You Like It with my Dh.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing…for reasons beyond my understanding, a local affiliate has a pet wallaby - I know Tracey and Ian are thinking that Americans are nuts right now - and he brought it into our office.