Inquiring Readers,
Several news items about Jane Austen have piqued my interest! My friend Deborah Barnum, who oversees the excellent Jane Austen in Vermont blog, referred me to an article written in February by Catherine Bennet entitled Who’s going to be triggered by Northanger Abbey? It’s hardly Game of Thrones.
Greenwich University’s Trigger Warnings Towards Northanger Abbey
Question: Does catering to students’ sensitive sensibilities and possible antipathy towards a gently humorous and ironic novel prepare them for a successful adulthood and working life? Northanger Abbey, originally titled Susan, was written by a 23-year-old author around 230 years ago. Inquiring minds want to know.
Image: Wikipedia, public domain
Catherine Bennet sums up the article in one sentence, “Greenwich University is warning students to prepare themselves for the ‘toxic friendships’ Jane Austen satirises in her novel.”
TOXIC? I gasped as I read the reasoning this university gave for protecting students from gender stereotypes and toxic relationships so they won’t be upset. Do universities no longer teach classic literature in context of the historical times in which it was written? Do literature professors no longer supervise robust debates and healthy discussions? Or help their classes to understand how, over the course of her short life, Austen’s novels and her personal viewpoint changed and transformed her own understanding of the human condition?
Must our childrens’ tender sensibilities be given a safe space from a brilliant spinster writer who helped to revolutionize the novel? I’ll tell you what triggered me, Greenwich University, and forced my bosom to heave: It was your pandering where none was needed.
To quiet my suffering nerves, I must now reach for my smelling salts, drink some elderberry wine, and rest. A handsome companion holding my hand would not be amiss. Hint: humor and irony here. (My friend and editor would have merely added a wink emoji, but yours truly desires to dramatize her feelings à la Marianne Dashwood!)
Steventon House for Sale
Just as this article surfaced, another one popped up! While Jane Austen is more popular than ever, which has me chuffed, this account does not quite describe the before and after differences of the Steventon House. Here’s the description of the sale of Steventon House today.
The Austen family’s house was actually demolished in the early 19th century, soon after the George Austen family moved to Bath. All that remains to this day of the old Rectory is a pump surrounded by a tiny fence. The rest of the house is gone. The current sale article describes today’s site/situation as such:
“Steventon House was the birthplace of the iconic author Jane Austen,” said Ed Sugden, director of Savills, the estate’s listing agency, along with Knight Frank. “Although the original structure has since disappeared, the Georgian masterpiece that currently stands, envisioned by her older brother Edward, perfectly befits the milieu that Austen captured in her writing.”
Well, no. Take a look at the link to these images. Can you see anything that resembles late 18th C./early Regency furnishings? One must applaud the mystery that our spinster Jane still holds over her admirers today. The new owners would not be living in her family’s historic house, but they could still imagine trodding the same lanes that she and her family walked towards Steventon Church, to friends’ houses, and to purchase goods in nearby towns. They can still experience the landscape that nurtured her childhood and budding writing career. These imaginings alone should be worth the cost of their purchase.
Here’s a link to Remains of Jane Austen’s Steventon House Unearthed by the BBC
My previous thoughts are a perfect segue to:
Jane Austen’s Little Book of Wisdom: Words on Love, Life, Society, and Literature, Compiled by Andrea Kirk Assaf. (Click on link.)
This book provides the reader with a quote a day or the opportunity to devour swaths of her genius at a time. Be that as it may, let’s gauge how many of Austen’s sayings are as inspiring and witty as ever:
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!” – Pride & Prejudice, back cover
“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives” – Persuasion, p140
“I think it ought not to set down as certain that a man must be acceptable to every woman he may like himself” – Mansfield Park, p 49
For a lady who was never married, she sounds modern and reasonable. This lovely book will provide a daily diet of Austen sensibility every day of the year. My vote: 4 out of 4 teacups.
A friend Discovers Jane Austen
A fellow board member who serves with me on a local board asked me out of the blue about the two BBC Jane Austen films he had watched. They were Emma, 2009 (he stood up and applauded the film at the end) and Sense and Sensibility, 2007, which he also applauded. When I asked him why he began watching the films, he confessed to reading this blog and being intrigued by my devotion to Jane.
He then asked if Pride and Prejudice was worth watching. After a short conversation, I realized he had never read Jane’s novels. I told him that P&P was regarded as one of the top novels in literature, and asked him which version he had borrowed from the library. It was the splendid 1995 A&E/BBC Firth/Ehle mini series.
Jane Austen's World 
Universities on both sides of the Atlantic have lost their collective minds. Students are being taught that they are fragile, stupid, helpless, floundering specimens, unable to withstand imaginary suffering, let alone real trauma.
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div dir=”ltr”>I really appreciated this column! Wh
Poor little snowflakes, what will they do when they go out into the real world? and to answer one of the early questions, no, critical thinking is no longer taught, and debate is discouraged because it might lead to free thought. Imagine! people thinking for themselves! how horrifying! how universities have fallen of late, that they have hypnotised themselves into believing that they are there only as prophets of the One True Way [see: whoever funds them] not as instruments of education.
Long live Janeites and their subversive promulgation of the art of freedom of thought!
Yes! Lamentable in academia, is the increasing lack of any sense of rationality and nuance. Better off to reread Austen, Voltaire and Dante.
there seems to be a refusal, maybe even an incapacity, to view works written in the past in context. The past is a different country.
A wide variety of productions should be viewed savoring each ones merits, but Donald Eccles’ portrayal of Mr. Woodhouse defines the role for me (the 1972 BBC serial).
Persuasion. I prefer the 1990s version with Amanda Root.
Agreed-along with Amanda Root’s very believable portrayal, I felt comfortably right in the middle of all the scenes.
Item #!, Vic – the versions pictured have always been my favorites. Perfect casting all around.
Item #2 – Why don’t the people at Greenwich just delete all those things they don’t like from the books, a lot like like what they’re doing to poor Agatha Christie? Better yet, just burn ’em! Yes, I’m being very sarcastic but I have just about had it with people thinking it’s acceptable to tamper with good literature…or any lit, for that matter. I think the wine and smelling salts will do for the time being…;-)
Lynne, I’ve had it too.
Prefacing it with historical context is all that is needed. I can only imagine what they would do to books by the Brontes if they can’t handle Jane Austen.
I’m one of the weird people who enjoys watching all of the film adaptations. I own many on DVD.
denise
hehe I’m one of the even weirder people who likes best the self-provided cinematic experience in my own head by reading….
Denise, I own most of the film adaptations and some variations, like Miss Austen Regrets and Clueless, one of my favorite modern takes on Emma. I think Emma Thompson’s script of Sense and Sensibility, while it does not follow Austen’s plot to a tee, captures her wit and spirit. Hugh Laurie’s take on Mr. Palmer is priceless. https://youtu.be/B8T53_req48
Yes. I love those, too.
Oh dear dear dear Vic! You triggered my funny bone! Whatever shall I do to recover? I hope that stories like the one from Greenwich University are aberrations, but I despair for the teaching of the Humanities if they are common occurrences. Congratulations for bringing your friend into the Austen fold – you did him a great favour.
A trigger warning for Northanger Abbey trivializes the real traumas young people experience, struggle to overcome and prefer to avoid evoking in daily life. Administrators are making a mockery of something developed to protect vulnerable people, still close to childhood. Instead of criticizing and mocking the ‘snowflakes,’ we should be criticizing those who make their jobs preying on the vulnerable whose educational life they could be improving by putting effort and personnel behind useful accommodations.
I agree. It’s the administrators who make a mockery of genuine vulnerabilities. I tried to channel Austen in today’s world. While I’m a pale moon shadow to her brilliance, I enjoyed my attempt at gentle satire. Thank you for stopping by.
Good day,
What an interesting article. Ties in so well with thoughts I’ve been experiencing of what we as 21st century are doing to Jane Austen novels.
Has anyone seen Sanditon S2 and S3 out now on PBS? I nearly needed some laudanum when they killed off the Sidney Parker character at the start of S2 just because the actor wasn’t returning. Sidney was an original Jane character in the original title “The Brothers” changed to Sanditon after her death. I understand artistic licence but this is travesty in my opinion. Maybe an article or thoughts on this please?
Having seen the Barbara Cartland grade hash that Andrew Davies made of the first season of Sanditon I didn’t bother to watch any more. I am astonished that he has managed to squeeze a third season out of it. Vic wrote an entertaining review of the start of Season 2 and if she could stomach watching so that we don’t have to I’d love to see more of her take on it.
Love your evaluation of Sanditon, Polly! Wouldn’t poor Jane be horrified at Andrew Davies idea of an “adaptation”?
I no longer review Sanditon episode by episode. I do like to satirize my reviews. I agree with your POV.
Brilliant post in all its components, Vic – hello from an old friend, and congratulations! So THEY are getting around to Jane Austen now, in their triggering erasure list. Sigh. It had to happen, but it’s horrific well beyond words. Post Part 2: I howled about the Rebuilt Steventon – I’d read the BBC account, and thought “Wait a minute…” but you spelled out the whole hilarious mendacity beautifully! As for the movies, I would keep at your friend to at least read Pride and Prejudice if no other text, I bet that sometime in his life the penny will drop. Having said that, as one who was never a fan of movie versions, I must admit that in my new widowhood I have taken to watching old movies on Turner Classics for the first time in my life, great ancient weepers like Anthony Adverse and The Corn is Green, and they have brought me some pleasure and comfort. Still won’t watch Austen adaptations though – wink. xxxxxx Diana
My dear Diana, so good to hear from you. Of course, Austen’s novels shine more brilliantly than the sun when compared to the film adaptations. Yet my friend is intrigued. I hope he’ll read her novels after viewing the films.
I am really concerned about the lack of contextualisation in literature.The works are the result of an era, and without knowing this, how can you really value them… is preposterous. I’ll suggest 1995 Persuasion.
My favorite Persuasion as well.
Thanks for the excellent essay! I retired from teaching creative writing at our university WWU just in time. My colleagues remaining are regaling me with the tales of woe regarding all the trigger warnings and sensitivity adaptations, not to mention student complaints. It does somewhat result from admin pushing for more enrollments and pleasing donors, etc. I am disgusted with this direction. And all hail Jane Austen as well as the lovely film versions you mention.
I’ve attended and taught many trainings during my university career and in another organization I won’t mention. The most interesting comment I received after delivering a workshop on using technology in instruction was of a freshman student who accused me of agism. I dare to say that at that time I could have been her parent’s parent. This world is turning topsy turvy, to use an old phrase.
my immediate thought was to flash back ‘of course I’m ageist, you youngsters drive me up the pole.’
HA! At times I’ll make a joke or a self-deprecating statement, but even such comments are suspect. I don’t want to bundle an entire generation together, it’s just that you never know who in your audience will be offended.
someone’s always offended. Make the rest laugh and they don’t have a leg to stand on.