Jane Austen on Film

This module unit will enhance your skills in analysing narrative texts by the example of the works of the mistress of English romance novels, Jane Austen. In four-hour blocks, we shall first focus on a selection of Austen’s novels: Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Persuasion. Employing the knowledge of analytical tools and theoretical approaches you gained in your -Introduction” courses, we will analyse these novels with regard to plot structure, character, setting and narrative perspective before reading the novels in their socio-historical and cultural contexts, paying particular attention to issues such as gender, class or individual identity. In a second part of the course, we will expand our analytical skills to filmic adaptations, especially of Pride and Prejudice (including the BBC series starring Colin Firth, the movie version starring Keira Knightley, the Bollywood-style Bride and Prejudice and the mini-series Lost in Austen), as well as to biopics on Austen (Becoming Jane Austen and Miss Austen Regrets). Time permitting, and if participants are interested, we may also consider further adaptations, such as the popular inclusion of vampires and zombies into the Austenverse. Apart from catering to our craving for romance and fluffiness, the course will, of course, also pursue the serious academic agenda of introducing students to the world of Austen criticism and of enabling them to contribute to this world themselves by learning how to write proper academic term papers. As evident in the course description, this course requires the readiness to read at least four novels in addition to spend a considerable time watching Austen movies in general and all sorts of P&P in particular. It is therefore aimed at students who not only love romances and happy endings, but who especially love reading, too. Students who are not that much into reading books are strongly advised to look for other course options. By the beginning of the term, students must have bought their own copies of Jane Austen’s novels Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Persuasion and must have read at least one of them. It his highly recommended that you should also be familiar with at least two of the films or series discussed in class by the beginning of the term. Anglistik - Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaft BITTE BEACHTEN SIE VOR IHRER ANMELDUNG: Für einen LP-Erwerb im Lehramt BA-GY und BA-BK, jeweils Modul 2.1 muss zuvor Modul 1 komplett erfolgreich abgeschlossen sein. Für einen LP-Erwerb im BA-LKM 2011, Modul 2.2 und 2.3 müssen zuvor die Modulelemente 1.1 und 1.2 (Studienleistungen in Modul 1) erfolgreich abgeschlossen sein. Für einen LP-Erwerb im BA-LKM 2009, Modul 5.2 müssen zuvor Module 1-3 erfolgreich abgeschlossen sein. 2 LP/ 3 LP Studienleistung: regular, active participation in class; oral or written assignment (to be specified before the beginning of the term) 5 LP: same as above, plus written elaboration of assignment (ca. 1200-2000 words) 3 LP Prüfungsleistung: written academic term paper (ca. 4000-5000 words) 7 LP: see requirements for 3 LP Studienleistung PLUS requirements for 3 LP Prüfungsleistung Universität Siegen SoSe 2014 Univ.-Prof. Dr. Müller Anja