The question of why I was forgetting Jane was forming somewhere in the recesses of my mind, but before the question had time to become fully formed I had tripped over the springs and mirrors operating Miss Bates.
Tag: emma
The Miss Bates Traveling, Talking Circus: Chapter by chapter
It wasn’t until later—once the unmistakable pattern was clear—that I went, “OH MY GOD, THE LETTER! Of course! That little minx has been toying with us all along!”
Miss Bates is a circus. Miss Bates is a blind.
Like, I know Jane Austen didn’t literally say, “I will write a circus, and I will call her Miss Bates,” but I am going to pretend that she did, and you can’t stop me.
Jane, Jane! What’s in a name? Mrs. Elton’s most unpardonable sin.
What Mr. Knightley cannot fathom is that anyone—even Mrs. Elton—could address someone with the dignity and pride of Jane Fairfax like an inferior to her face. And by calling Miss Fairfax “Jane,” Mrs. Elton is indeed “continually insulting” her.
The conversation between Mrs. Weston, Mr. Knightley and Emma about why Jane Fairfax “consents to be with the Eltons” in which Emma calls EVERY SINGLE POINT right can lead me into what I need to say about Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’
I like it not only because it’s a very particular way of bringing forward points that the author wants us to be aware of—like the conversations in Pride and Prejudice at Bingley’s when Jane is sick—but also because half of what Mr. Knightley says needs the “rules of address” translation tweak to be properly understood, plus the bonus to make it all perfect, because Jane Austen counterintuitively allows Emma to be very precisely and exactly right on every point in her summation. (And you need her saucy lead-in to make the perfection fully sparkle.)
Regency Dinner Parties and Mrs. Bennet’s “two full courses”
WTF does Mrs. Bennet mean by “courses”? Your intrepid reporter went in search of answers.
“…she had the consolation of thinking that Mr. Bingley would be soon down again, and soon dining at Longbourn; and the conclusion of all was the comfortable declaration, that, though he had been invited only to a family dinner, she would take care to have two full courses.”
Exact Words 