Students in this seminar are reading and discussing all six major novels by Jane Austen and will view and discuss many of the film or television adaptations of the novels. The development of this collaborative seminar is part of a larger project, "Talking Toward Techno-Pedagogy: A Collaboration Across Colleges and Constituencies", supported by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The Hamilton team working on this course includes, in addition to John O'Neill, Janet Simons (ITSST), Kristin Strohmeyer (Library Reference Department), and Colleen Fenity, '02.
John has collaborated with ITSST to produce brief clips of the films for comparison of scenes among film interpretations to the original text of Jane Austen. The Reference department in Burke Library has assisted John with instructional classes for his students on library resources pertaining to Jane Austen and her times. The Media Library and Audiovisual Classroom Services have made the films available via the campus cable channel. John is also hosting showings of the films.
The following is an example of the comparisons of text to film treatments using Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice (Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1892):
Text
---"Come Darcy," said he, "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance."
"I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with."
"I would not be so fastidious as you are," cried Bingley, "for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several?of them you see uncommonly pretty."
"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room," said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.
"Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld!? But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say, very agreeable.? Do let me ask my partner to introduce you."
"Which do you mean?" and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men."? ----
You must have QuickTime 5 installed to view John's audio commentary and the video clips below. On campus viewing only.
Audio Commentary by John O'Neill
Comparison of Pride and Prejudice Scenes
