The wicked wit of Jane Austen - Iseult Gillespie
-
0:08 - 0:11Whether she’s describing
bickering families, -
0:11 - 0:12quiet declarations of love,
-
0:12 - 0:14or juicy gossip,
-
0:14 - 0:19Jane Austen’s writing often feels as
though it was written just for you. -
0:19 - 0:22Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness
informs her heroines, -
0:22 - 0:28whose conversational tone welcomes readers
with a conspiratorial wink. -
0:28 - 0:32It’s even been said that some readers
feel like the author’s secret confidante, -
0:32 - 0:36trading letters with their delightfully
wicked friend Jane. -
0:36 - 0:39But this unique brand of
tongue-in-cheek humor -
0:39 - 0:42is just one of the many feats found
in her sly satires -
0:42 - 0:47of society, civility,
and sweeping romance. -
0:47 - 0:49Written in the early nineteenth century,
-
0:49 - 0:51Austen's novels decode
the sheltered lives -
0:51 - 0:54of the upper classes in rural England.
-
0:54 - 0:57From resentment couched in pleasantries
-
0:57 - 0:59to arguing that masks attraction,
-
0:59 - 1:04her work explores the bewildering
collision of emotions and etiquette. -
1:04 - 1:06But while romance is a common
thread in her work, -
1:06 - 1:11Austen dismissed the sentimental style
of writing so popular at the time. -
1:11 - 1:13Instead of lofty love stories,
-
1:13 - 1:17her characters act naturally,
and often awkwardly. -
1:17 - 1:20They trade pragmatic advice,
friendly jokes -
1:20 - 1:24and not-so-friendly barbs
about their arrogant peers. -
1:24 - 1:27As they grapple with the endless rules
of their society, -
1:27 - 1:29Austen’s characters can usually find humor
-
1:29 - 1:33in all the hypocrisy, propriety,
and small talk. -
1:33 - 1:36As Mr. Bennet jokes
to his favorite daughter, -
1:36 - 1:39“For what do we live,
but to make sport for our neighbors -
1:39 - 1:41and laugh at them in our turn?”
-
1:41 - 1:45And though her heroines might ridicule
senseless social mores, -
1:45 - 1:49Austen fully understood the practical
importance of maintaining appearances. -
1:49 - 1:51At the time she was writing,
-
1:51 - 1:55a wealthy marriage was a financial
necessity for most young women, -
1:55 - 1:58and she often explores the tension between
the mythical quest for love, -
1:58 - 2:02and the economic benefits
of making a match. -
2:02 - 2:07The savvy socialite Mary Crawford sums
this up in "Mansfield Park;" -
2:07 - 2:10“I would have everybody marry
if they can do it properly: -
2:10 - 2:14I do not like to have people
throw themselves away.” -
2:14 - 2:19Unsurprisingly, these themes were also
present in Austen’s personal life. -
2:19 - 2:21Born in 1775,
-
2:21 - 2:24she lived in the social circles
found in her novels. -
2:24 - 2:26Jane's parents supported her education,
-
2:26 - 2:30and provided space for her to write
and publish her work anonymously. -
2:30 - 2:33But writing was hardly lucrative work.
-
2:33 - 2:36And although she had sparks of chemistry,
-
2:36 - 2:37she never married.
-
2:37 - 2:41Elements of her circumstances can be found
in many of her characters; -
2:41 - 2:45often intelligent women with witty,
pragmatic personalities, -
2:45 - 2:48and rich inner lives.
-
2:48 - 2:51These headstrong heroines provide
an entertaining anchor -
2:51 - 2:53for their tumultuous romantic narratives.
-
2:53 - 2:57Like the irreverent Elizabeth Bennet
of "Pride and Prejudice," -
2:57 - 3:02whose devotion to her sisters’ love lives
blinds her to a clumsy suitor. -
3:02 - 3:05Or the iron-willed Anne Elliot
of "Persuasion," -
3:05 - 3:10who chooses to remain unmarried
after the disappearance of her first love. -
3:10 - 3:12And Elinor Dashwood,
-
3:12 - 3:15who fiercely protects her family
at the cost of her own desires -
3:15 - 3:18in "Sense and Sensibility."
-
3:18 - 3:20These women all encounter
difficult choices -
3:20 - 3:23about romantic, filial, and
financial stability, -
3:23 - 3:26and they resolve them without
sacrificing their values– -
3:26 - 3:29or their sense of humor.
-
3:29 - 3:32Of course, these characters
are far from perfect. -
3:32 - 3:35They often think they have
all the answers. -
3:35 - 3:37And by telling the story
from their perspective, -
3:37 - 3:42Austen tricks the viewer into believing
their heroine knows best– -
3:42 - 3:46only to pull the rug out from under
the protagonist and the reader. -
3:46 - 3:50In "Emma," the titular character feels
surrounded by dull neighbors, -
3:50 - 3:53and friends who can’t hope
to match her wit. -
3:53 - 3:56As her guests prattle on and
on about nothing, -
3:56 - 3:57the reader begins to agree–
-
3:57 - 4:02Emma is the only exciting character
in this quiet neighborhood. -
4:02 - 4:04Yet despite her swelling ego,
-
4:04 - 4:10Emma may not be as in control
as she thinks – in life or love. -
4:10 - 4:12And Austen’s intimate use of perspective
-
4:12 - 4:15makes these revelations doubly surprising,
-
4:15 - 4:18blindsiding both Emma and her audience.
-
4:18 - 4:21But rather than diminishing
her host of heroines, -
4:21 - 4:27these flaws only confirm “the
inconsistency of all human characters.” -
4:27 - 4:31Their complexity has kept Austen
prominent on stage and screen, -
4:31 - 4:34and made her work easily adaptable
for modern sensibilities. -
4:34 - 4:35So hopefully,
-
4:35 - 4:38new readers will continue
to find a friend in Ms. Austen -
4:38 - 4:42for many years to come.
- Title:
- The wicked wit of Jane Austen - Iseult Gillespie
- Speaker:
- Iseult Gillespie
- Description:
-
View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-wicked-wit-of-jane-austen-iseult-gillespie
Whether she’s describing bickering families, quiet declarations of love, or juicy gossip, Jane Austen’s writing often feels as though it was written just for you. Her dry wit and cheeky playfulness informs her heroines, whose conversational tone welcomes readers with a conspiratorial wink. Iseult Gillespie explores the sly societal satire and unique tongue-in-cheek humor of Jane Austen.
Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by Compote Collective.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:43
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Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for The wicked wit of Jane Austen | ||
Tara Ahmadinejad edited English subtitles for The wicked wit of Jane Austen |