Understanding Pride and Prejudice: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series) [Hardcover]

Debra Teachman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313301263 | ISBN-13: 978-0313301261 | Publication Date: November 30, 1997

This is the only book about Pride and Prejudice to combine both analysis of the novel and excerpts from significant primary documents of Austen's own time. These materials will help the reader to understand the complexities of both the novel and English society at the beginning of the 19th century, and to compare those issues to contemporary society. Teachman provides commentary and primary materials on inheritance, marriage, and women's roles in society at the time of Austen's life. Excerpts from 18th- and 19th-century etiquette books, moral treatises, histories of women, legal documents and commentary, newspapers, magazines, and collections of letters provide evidence of the social and legal differences between Austen's time and our own--enabling the reader to understand the legal, historical, social, and cultural context of the novel. Each section of this casebook contains study questions, topics for research papers and class discussions, and lists of further reading for examining the issues raised by the novel. The plot of Pride and Prejudice turns on three aspects of early 19th-century English society: marriage as a social institution, inheritance laws and customs, and acceptable roles for women. Following a literary analysis of the novel, the casebook contains documents and commentary on the following topics: inheritance and marriage laws and customs, 18th-century views on marriage, the status of unmarried women, women's education and moral training, and issues in the 1980s and 1990s that can be contrasted with those in the novel. These documents illustrate the social and legal differences between Austen's time and our own that enable the reader to fully understand the archaic details of the novel. They also indicate the continuities between Austen's time and ours in their emphases on love, marriage, the importance of property, and arguments about the role of women. Among the documents are excerpts from Samuel Johnson, Daniel Defoe, William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft, advice from a mother to her absent daughters, and a number of letters on the "proper" role of women, their education, and moral training. The final chapter of this book brings into focus the relevancies of Austen's fiction to present day readers and provides discussion of many of the issues of the novel as they are handled by law and the media at the end of the 20th century. This is an ideal companion for teacher use and student research in interdisciplinary, English history, and English literature courses.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-As with other titles in this series, this volume presents a variety of materials that enhance and elucidate the reading of a classic piece of literature. Students will find the writing style engaging and easy to understand and will appreciate the liberal use of primary sources that will further their understanding of the cultural, social, and political climate of the time. Chapters include a literary analysis of the book and discussions of inheritance and marriage laws and customs, 18th-century views of marriage, women's education and moral conduct, and other issues. Each chapter concludes with topics for written or oral exploration and a list of suggested readings. While literature classes will find this book informative, history classes will also want to be aware of it.
Marilyn Heath, Greenwood High School, SC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“As with other titles in this series, this volume presents a variety of materials that enhance and elucidate the reading of a classic piece of literature. Students will find the writing style engaging and easy to understand...”–School Library Journal

“This well-documented casebook will be useful for students and teachers who want to extend their knowledge of Austen's novel beyond purely formal analysis.”–Nineteenth-Century Literature

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (November 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313301263
• ISBN-13: 978-0313301261
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For private study as well as classroom use!, April 5, 2006

By 

Elizabeth A. Root (Laurel, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Understanding Pride and Prejudice: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series) (Hardcover)

I did not use this book in the manner intended, i.e., as a textbook for literary studies, but I found it very valuable for my own personal instruction. Unlike Cliff Notes and some other literary studies, it focuses on understanding the context of the novel, not in-depth exploration of its themes, writing style, etc. I learned things that I had not known from the previous twenty or so books that I had read on the era and on Jane Austen. Given the debates over JA's "failure" to discuss contemporary politics, it was quite interesting to read that literature was heavily censored at athe time, and she would not have been able to comment freely, even if she had wanted to. The book's intended audience of young adults has resulted in its being clearly, but not simplistically written.

The book should be very helpful for anyone intending to do serious research on the issues that are covered (see table of contents). There is an at least one-page bibliography on every topic covered, which should provide a jump-start into the literature.

Teachman begins with a brief but excellent literary analysis of Pride & Prejudice. I particularly enjoyed her comments on Mr. Bennet. Although JA delineated his failings as a parent, I think that readers (and perhaps his creator) tend to be so taken with his wit and charm as to gloss over them. If Mrs. Bennet wasn't naturally fretful, living with such an unsupportive, indeed quietly hostile spouse, facing widowhood on her dowry with no provision for her five daughters would fray stronger nerves than hers.

The main body of the book is composed of excerpts from various writings contemporary with Jane Austen. Teachman first gives a general overview of the subject of the chapter, then an introduction to each author, followed by the excerpts of their writing. There is a brief summation at the end of the chapter. These are fascinating as first hand experiences of both thought and writing style. There are a few that I would like to read in full. The chapter includes a list of suggested questions and projects. I hated these things as a student, and as an adult, I enjoyed skipping them.

The last chapter "Pride & Prejudice: Issues in the 1980s & 1990s" considers our continued fascination with Jane Austen's work and the issues that are still current today. I was very impressed with this chapter. Teachman was able to calmly and nonjudgementally discuss marriage, romance, sex and celibacy, subjects that are so emotional fraught that most people cannot mention them without ranting.

The book includes both a detailed table of contents and index for ease of access. There are three illustrations: one from an illustrated edition of P&P, one of a portrait of Jane Austen based on CAssandra's drawing, and a picture of Chawton Cottage.

I will certainly look for Teachman's general companion to Jane Austen and keep this series in mind for other favorite works.