OSHER 337 - Jane Austen: Her Life, World, and Novels

This course will explore Jane Austen's life, novels, and the world she lived in. Each week a short introductory lecture will be followed by a discussion of her novels. This course will focus on her early life and works: her Juvenilia, i.e., Love and Freindship (misspelling intentional), Northanger Abbey, and Sense and Sensibility. Lectures will focus on her life and the historical context of her books, such as why Mr. Dashwood couldn't bequeath his property to his daughters, why it was so terrible for Catherine Moreland to travel alone, and why Jane found fainting fits so very funny. To fully benefit from the class discussion, students will be encouraged to read the novels and watch movie adaptations.