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Tasks: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Still from the film Pride and Prejudice from 2005. We see six women and one man on a balcony. The women are dressed in white. The man wears a dark suit.
The Bennet family. Govva: Focus Features / CC BY-NC 4.0

Analyse

Work alone or with a partner. Write down your answers.

  1. Describe how direct speech is used in the excerpt. What does the author achieve by using direct speech in this way?

  2. What impression does the text give us of Mrs Bennet? Is it direct or indirect characterisation – or both – that create this impression?

  3. And what about our impression of Mr Bennet? Is it direct or indirect characterisation in the text that mostly forms this image?

  4. Below, you can read how the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, is first introduced in the novel. What impression do you get of her from these paragraphs?

"You are over scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy."

"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference."

"They have none of them much to recommend them,” replied he; “they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters."

Watch:

If you follow the link, you can watch an animated TED-talk by Iseult Gillespie called 'The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen'. You can also find the video through an internet search.

Link to 'The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen' by Iseult Gillespie

Sum up the main points Gillespie makes about Jane Austen's writing in the film.

Talk:

Work with two or more partners and go through the questions below.

  1. Did the excerpt make you want to read the novel? Why/why not?

  2. Apart from the excerpt, have you ever read anything by Jane Austen, or watched a film or TV-series based on her work? If so, what did you think of it?

  3. Jane Austen's work is beloved by readers all over the world. Why do you think that is?

Research:

Choose one of the tasks. Present your findings using a digital presentation tool.

  1. Find out more about Jane Austen's life and discuss how her life influenced her writing.

  2. Why is Jane Austen considered to be such a significant author? Is her writing more than just entertaining stories about romance?

  3. Watch a film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and analyse it.

Create:

  1. Write a humorous dialogue between two modern-day parents who are discussing their children's marriage prospects. Read or perform the dialogue.

  2. Turn the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice into a manuscript and perform the dialogue between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.


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