A Jane Austen Life For Me
As I have mentioned, I have been carried away in planning my vacation this summer to England and Ireland. This week, It really hit me that I am going as I am booking train tickets and hotels.
I was talking with my friends that I'm going with and we decided on doing some day trips to Brighton and Bath. If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will recognize these towns as being mentioned in Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. Brighton is where the Bennett sisters meet the soldiers and go shopping and Bath is where Anne Elliot's family moves in Persuasion. If you have not seen these movies, go see them now and you're welcome. I am currently watching Persuasion (the 1995 version, which is the best) and they are in Bath. As I am watching the movie, I am imaging myself walking around in the galleries and shops.
Some questions for all of you that you probably have been dying ask (I'm sure...haha).
When did my love for Jane Austen start?
Blame my admiration for Jane Austen movies and romantic notions of England on my mother. We learn most things from our mother, right? I remember watching Jane Austen movies at a young age with my mom for our "girls nights". I'm sure you a Jane Austen fan, you have seen Austenland. It is making fun of people like me (I'm not that extreme but it is pretty funny). I think my favorite part of that movie is when she is rewatching the scene when Mr. Darcy comes out of his pond in front of his beautiful home in Pemberly. I remember watching the Pemberly scene with my mother including where he offers her uncle a fishing spot and then invites them over for dinner. Yes, I have this scene very much in my mind without watching the movie. I feel somewhat pathetic but proud of my knowledge of this scene.
My mom loves Jane Austen and introduced me to most of the movies as a kid and I remember falling in love with the language used in the movies, fashion, dancing, music, architecture and social interactions. PBS used to show a different Jane Austen movie on Sundays and she would always remind me of watching them with her. It became a ritual with my mom to watch the movies together.
Why do I love Jane Austen?
Jane Austen was a remarkable writer who wrote romantic stories. If you really want to understand Jane Austen, watch Becoming Jane as it fortells her life of never getting married. What? How does someone who writes the most romantic stories never get married? I have always thought to myself "Jane Austen is one person I want to meet in heaven" since she lived such a opposite life compared to what she wrote about in her books. But if you want to swoon, swoon away at some of the most romantic stories ever written with Jane Austen. Don't be ashamed to let you inner hopeless romantic syndrome to come out. We girls all have it even if it's small. Jane Austen will enlarge our hopeless romantic side to a point where sometimes we don't want to admit. I will admit that I am not as big of a fan of the new Pride and Prejudice because it cuts out so much goodness from the books. The only time that I will watch it is when I want to watch it but have limited time. The ending of the new one is amazing and will make all the hopeless romantics majorly want to fall in love with Mr. Darcy.
Another reason I love Jane Austen is because she wrote with such witty and funny stories that reflected the life of a single women. Her scenes of women often include them reading, playing with cards, discussing the men in their town as potential suitors, getting dressed, doing their hair, getting ready for a dance, eating or simply laying in a chair. The only way women get "become successful" according to society was to marry someone who had money. The more money, the better situation you created yourself. Just watch Pride and Prejudice when Mrs. Bennett is excited about two new men with money coming into town. Two new potential suitors and the job of the daughters are to woo them at the ball. When they find out how much money Mr. Darcy makes, Mrs. Bennett encourages her daughters to interact with him but then she perceives him as rude so Mr. Bingley is next in line and he is much more sociable. Jane Austen uses the society she grew up in and in a way makes fun of people who followed the society rules. I love how Mrs. Bennett is portrayed as this crazy lady who is overly emotional and just wants her daughters to marry men with some serious money figures (#lifegoals).
Jane Austen creates such strong female characters who end up getting the ultimate prize; love. Elizabeth Bennett and Anne Elliot are strong examples of this. They are not initially seeking for money and security (unlike most women in the time period). The best example of this is Charlotte Lucas who marries Mr. Collins because he provides a house (women can't own property). She wants to not live with her parents forever and Mr. Collins provides a stable house with a tea room where she can be alone for the majority of the day. Finances covered and limited time with husband- check! That was the ending outcome for her but Charlotte Lucas is not a hero in the movies. Elizabeth Bennett grew in her love for Mr. Darcy to a point where she married him for love (knowing that he owned Pemberly probably helped) but she refused him the first time he proposed because of their not so positive interactions. In the end, Lizzie gets her prince charming and actually likes him. What a concept. Anne Elliot also holds out for love despite a unfortunate ending in their first time courting. Anne Elliot marries her Captain Wentworth. These female characters got their happily ever.
Lastly, Jane Austen created stories that have continued to influence every time period. Even with old english language, people can relate to her stories currently. I just finished Persuasion and I can find some similarities with my life with this movie. How did she create such stories that have continue to be just as relevant as they were when they were written?
And can we just say...who inspired Mr. Collin's character?
Everyone who watches it now thinks about one and can identify at least couple in their life. I'm sure Mr. Collins was inspired by a true person who just made her cringe. There are too many awkward moments where I just want to turn it off because I can't handle his comments. Lizzie comes up with the best lines to combat him and then he has no idea what she just said. I would love to ask her when I meet her about who inspired this character.
I could write more but bedtime is calling my name. Jane Austen has definitely improved my life. This England trip may not be as anticipated if my romantic notions of England from her movies didn't exist.
I was talking with my friends that I'm going with and we decided on doing some day trips to Brighton and Bath. If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will recognize these towns as being mentioned in Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. Brighton is where the Bennett sisters meet the soldiers and go shopping and Bath is where Anne Elliot's family moves in Persuasion. If you have not seen these movies, go see them now and you're welcome. I am currently watching Persuasion (the 1995 version, which is the best) and they are in Bath. As I am watching the movie, I am imaging myself walking around in the galleries and shops.
Some questions for all of you that you probably have been dying ask (I'm sure...haha).
When did my love for Jane Austen start?
Blame my admiration for Jane Austen movies and romantic notions of England on my mother. We learn most things from our mother, right? I remember watching Jane Austen movies at a young age with my mom for our "girls nights". I'm sure you a Jane Austen fan, you have seen Austenland. It is making fun of people like me (I'm not that extreme but it is pretty funny). I think my favorite part of that movie is when she is rewatching the scene when Mr. Darcy comes out of his pond in front of his beautiful home in Pemberly. I remember watching the Pemberly scene with my mother including where he offers her uncle a fishing spot and then invites them over for dinner. Yes, I have this scene very much in my mind without watching the movie. I feel somewhat pathetic but proud of my knowledge of this scene.
My mom loves Jane Austen and introduced me to most of the movies as a kid and I remember falling in love with the language used in the movies, fashion, dancing, music, architecture and social interactions. PBS used to show a different Jane Austen movie on Sundays and she would always remind me of watching them with her. It became a ritual with my mom to watch the movies together.
Why do I love Jane Austen?
Jane Austen was a remarkable writer who wrote romantic stories. If you really want to understand Jane Austen, watch Becoming Jane as it fortells her life of never getting married. What? How does someone who writes the most romantic stories never get married? I have always thought to myself "Jane Austen is one person I want to meet in heaven" since she lived such a opposite life compared to what she wrote about in her books. But if you want to swoon, swoon away at some of the most romantic stories ever written with Jane Austen. Don't be ashamed to let you inner hopeless romantic syndrome to come out. We girls all have it even if it's small. Jane Austen will enlarge our hopeless romantic side to a point where sometimes we don't want to admit. I will admit that I am not as big of a fan of the new Pride and Prejudice because it cuts out so much goodness from the books. The only time that I will watch it is when I want to watch it but have limited time. The ending of the new one is amazing and will make all the hopeless romantics majorly want to fall in love with Mr. Darcy.
Another reason I love Jane Austen is because she wrote with such witty and funny stories that reflected the life of a single women. Her scenes of women often include them reading, playing with cards, discussing the men in their town as potential suitors, getting dressed, doing their hair, getting ready for a dance, eating or simply laying in a chair. The only way women get "become successful" according to society was to marry someone who had money. The more money, the better situation you created yourself. Just watch Pride and Prejudice when Mrs. Bennett is excited about two new men with money coming into town. Two new potential suitors and the job of the daughters are to woo them at the ball. When they find out how much money Mr. Darcy makes, Mrs. Bennett encourages her daughters to interact with him but then she perceives him as rude so Mr. Bingley is next in line and he is much more sociable. Jane Austen uses the society she grew up in and in a way makes fun of people who followed the society rules. I love how Mrs. Bennett is portrayed as this crazy lady who is overly emotional and just wants her daughters to marry men with some serious money figures (#lifegoals).
Jane Austen creates such strong female characters who end up getting the ultimate prize; love. Elizabeth Bennett and Anne Elliot are strong examples of this. They are not initially seeking for money and security (unlike most women in the time period). The best example of this is Charlotte Lucas who marries Mr. Collins because he provides a house (women can't own property). She wants to not live with her parents forever and Mr. Collins provides a stable house with a tea room where she can be alone for the majority of the day. Finances covered and limited time with husband- check! That was the ending outcome for her but Charlotte Lucas is not a hero in the movies. Elizabeth Bennett grew in her love for Mr. Darcy to a point where she married him for love (knowing that he owned Pemberly probably helped) but she refused him the first time he proposed because of their not so positive interactions. In the end, Lizzie gets her prince charming and actually likes him. What a concept. Anne Elliot also holds out for love despite a unfortunate ending in their first time courting. Anne Elliot marries her Captain Wentworth. These female characters got their happily ever.
Lastly, Jane Austen created stories that have continued to influence every time period. Even with old english language, people can relate to her stories currently. I just finished Persuasion and I can find some similarities with my life with this movie. How did she create such stories that have continue to be just as relevant as they were when they were written?
And can we just say...who inspired Mr. Collin's character?
Everyone who watches it now thinks about one and can identify at least couple in their life. I'm sure Mr. Collins was inspired by a true person who just made her cringe. There are too many awkward moments where I just want to turn it off because I can't handle his comments. Lizzie comes up with the best lines to combat him and then he has no idea what she just said. I would love to ask her when I meet her about who inspired this character.
I could write more but bedtime is calling my name. Jane Austen has definitely improved my life. This England trip may not be as anticipated if my romantic notions of England from her movies didn't exist.
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