Hi Gu! I really liked your presentation! (Almost as much as I liked the lady fingers you brought in. :) )
First, I really enjoyed how you tied the novel to a larger theme of feminist social commentary. I thought that your analysis on slide 17: Social Hierarchy and Defining Status was especially interesting. I agree with Austen's viewpoint a lot of the times and her comment on the role of women (which, unfortunately has not changed that much). For women, much of the time, appearance takes precedent over what they have to say as expressed through how women were constantly fussing over how they looked and relied on invitations before action throughout the novel. This relates back to themes from Their Eyes Were Watching God and She Walks in Beauty Like the Night. Yay for synthesis of texts!
Second, I learned a lot from your analysis on Neoclassicism and Romanticism because I struggle with time periods. It was eye opening to see that Jane Austen's novels weren't just Romantic as they are often seen because of the topic at hand (women trying to find their husbands per usual) but also Neoclassical because of its political commentary prevalent during the time period. This is also seen through Austen's education as a genteel woman.
Hi dear ☺ So with the whole idea of the impact of cultural surroundings, my novel totally relates. The characters in my novel were also shaped by rigid cultural expectations. I love how you connected the binary opposite qualities of the characters with the expectations of society and how it enabled them to find a balance on the spectrum of sense and sensibility. The connection to the bildungsroman was also really helpful in terms of use for the AP exam. You also included really insightful commentary on gender roles/rules of the time (with the letter writing style and such), which developed your point about the definition of the ideal woman very well.
Your take on the definition of ideal woman as it relates to this time period was fascinating. I loved how you highlighted aspects of etiquette and social appearance to make the point that it is the outward projection that is highly valued in a woman. Also, your point on how education was not as important for a woman as it was for a man really resonated with me, and it made me realize how far we have come in terms of gender equality. Your analysis was #onfleek (just like your adorbs business casual outfit) and I know you will continue to dazzle the world at OSU next year.
Hi Christina! I really enjoyed your presentation today. You are clearly very well-informed on not just Jane Austen but the wider social characteristics of the time period. All of the information you presented was not just very helpful but also intriguing to learn about. I especially enjoyed learning about Jane Austen’s own genteel background and how her writing is, interestingly enough, a criticism of the genteel way of life. It’s very refreshing to see how an author’s personal background and life experiences manifest themselves in particular nuances of his or her writing style. I can definitely say that my author’s (Leo Tolstoy’s) life experiences significantly shaped the content and structure of his writing. Also, I appreciated that you briefly summarized Sense and Sensibility before delving into your deep structural analysis – it helped me get a better idea of relationships between characters and allowed me to better understand how a writer’s style creates meaning in the text.
The research paper ideas that you shared on your presentation were very articulate and complex. I truly loved your thesis and how you focused on how maturation helps characters evolve from stark opposites (sense and sensibility) to meet somewhere in the middle and find a balance. I was also very impressed by your ability to weave perceptive social commentary on Victorian England and the limited role of women during the time period into your discussion on Austen’s writing style.
Thank you for the very informative presentation, and thank you for the food you brought in!
I love how clearly you can hear Austen's tone in this prose paragraph. The sassy undertones are incredibly prominent as Austen describes Miss Dashwood's "indignation". This sass is perceivable through, as you spoke about in your presentation, Austen's specific word choice and her juxtaposition. I also found it interesting that Austen uses so many antithesis, a common technique for sassy comments. For instance, I like how Austen prefaces her final point with, "instead of..." choosing to name the actions Mr. Willoughby was supposed to take in order to show the reader exactly how wrong the actions he did take were.
Your underlining was immensely helpful for me as an audience member to follow your train of thought and analyze the prose essays the same way. Additionally, I appreciated you pointing out that Austen's writing is satirical and sarcastic. When the prose ends and call the letter's writer, "deep in hardened villany", I know Mr. Willoughby is not, in fact, a dangerous villain, but Austen is simply drawing a hyperbole. Had you not listed Austen's literary devices prior to this, I would not have understood Austen's exaggeration after taking this paragraph out of the context of the book.
I was blown away by the depth of analysis in your presentation. I have seen excerpts of Jane Austen’s work on several standardized exams (e.g. SAT) and I have always found them the most difficult. Thus I was looking forward to your presentation with the hopes that I could be better prepared for the AP exam. You reminded my about the traits of the Romantic and Neoclassical eras and gave an example of how the styles were meshed in Sense and Sensibility. The faith in senses and feelings is a characteristic aspect of the Austen’s novels and of the Romantic era. Yet, I also learned that the political commentary in the time period made Austen’s writings have some Neoclassical elements. I leaned that the strong influence of social hierarchy in Austen’s novels is demonstrated by the Latinate word usage. On the AP exam I will be sure to carefully look at the manners and etiquette present both in the direction and in the actions of the characters in order to discern complex meanings of the text as a whole. For example, the use of free indirect speech creates a mocking tone and understatement can create a cold mood. An interesting topic you discussed in your presentation was the art and form of the letter. You pointed out the limited space lead to a clearer confessional style. I noticed this in the novel I read, Crime and Punishment. In it the mother and sister of the protagonist send him long and detailed letters that are very formal and descriptive. There seems to be a unique quality in letters that is lost in this digital age.
Hi Gu!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your presentation! (Almost as much as I liked the lady fingers you brought in. :) )
First, I really enjoyed how you tied the novel to a larger theme of feminist social commentary. I thought that your analysis on slide 17: Social Hierarchy and Defining Status was especially interesting. I agree with Austen's viewpoint a lot of the times and her comment on the role of women (which, unfortunately has not changed that much). For women, much of the time, appearance takes precedent over what they have to say as expressed through how women were constantly fussing over how they looked and relied on invitations before action throughout the novel. This relates back to themes from Their Eyes Were Watching God and She Walks in Beauty Like the Night. Yay for synthesis of texts!
Second, I learned a lot from your analysis on Neoclassicism and Romanticism because I struggle with time periods. It was eye opening to see that Jane Austen's novels weren't just Romantic as they are often seen because of the topic at hand (women trying to find their husbands per usual) but also Neoclassical because of its political commentary prevalent during the time period. This is also seen through Austen's education as a genteel woman.
Hi dear ☺ So with the whole idea of the impact of cultural surroundings, my novel totally relates. The characters in my novel were also shaped by rigid cultural expectations. I love how you connected the binary opposite qualities of the characters with the expectations of society and how it enabled them to find a balance on the spectrum of sense and sensibility. The connection to the bildungsroman was also really helpful in terms of use for the AP exam. You also included really insightful commentary on gender roles/rules of the time (with the letter writing style and such), which developed your point about the definition of the ideal woman very well.
ReplyDeleteYour take on the definition of ideal woman as it relates to this time period was fascinating. I loved how you highlighted aspects of etiquette and social appearance to make the point that it is the outward projection that is highly valued in a woman. Also, your point on how education was not as important for a woman as it was for a man really resonated with me, and it made me realize how far we have come in terms of gender equality. Your analysis was #onfleek (just like your adorbs business casual outfit) and I know you will continue to dazzle the world at OSU next year.
Hi Christina! I really enjoyed your presentation today. You are clearly very well-informed on not just Jane Austen but the wider social characteristics of the time period. All of the information you presented was not just very helpful but also intriguing to learn about. I especially enjoyed learning about Jane Austen’s own genteel background and how her writing is, interestingly enough, a criticism of the genteel way of life. It’s very refreshing to see how an author’s personal background and life experiences manifest themselves in particular nuances of his or her writing style. I can definitely say that my author’s (Leo Tolstoy’s) life experiences significantly shaped the content and structure of his writing. Also, I appreciated that you briefly summarized Sense and Sensibility before delving into your deep structural analysis – it helped me get a better idea of relationships between characters and allowed me to better understand how a writer’s style creates meaning in the text.
ReplyDeleteThe research paper ideas that you shared on your presentation were very articulate and complex. I truly loved your thesis and how you focused on how maturation helps characters evolve from stark opposites (sense and sensibility) to meet somewhere in the middle and find a balance. I was also very impressed by your ability to weave perceptive social commentary on Victorian England and the limited role of women during the time period into your discussion on Austen’s writing style.
Thank you for the very informative presentation, and thank you for the food you brought in!
I love how clearly you can hear Austen's tone in this prose paragraph. The sassy undertones are incredibly prominent as Austen describes Miss Dashwood's "indignation". This sass is perceivable through, as you spoke about in your presentation, Austen's specific word choice and her juxtaposition. I also found it interesting that Austen uses so many antithesis, a common technique for sassy comments. For instance, I like how Austen prefaces her final point with, "instead of..." choosing to name the actions Mr. Willoughby was supposed to take in order to show the reader exactly how wrong the actions he did take were.
ReplyDeleteYour underlining was immensely helpful for me as an audience member to follow your train of thought and analyze the prose essays the same way. Additionally, I appreciated you pointing out that Austen's writing is satirical and sarcastic. When the prose ends and call the letter's writer, "deep in hardened villany", I know Mr. Willoughby is not, in fact, a dangerous villain, but Austen is simply drawing a hyperbole. Had you not listed Austen's literary devices prior to this, I would not have understood Austen's exaggeration after taking this paragraph out of the context of the book.
I was blown away by the depth of analysis in your presentation. I have seen excerpts of Jane Austen’s work on several standardized exams (e.g. SAT) and I have always found them the most difficult. Thus I was looking forward to your presentation with the hopes that I could be better prepared for the AP exam. You reminded my about the traits of the Romantic and Neoclassical eras and gave an example of how the styles were meshed in Sense and Sensibility. The faith in senses and feelings is a characteristic aspect of the Austen’s novels and of the Romantic era. Yet, I also learned that the political commentary in the time period made Austen’s writings have some Neoclassical elements.
ReplyDeleteI leaned that the strong influence of social hierarchy in Austen’s novels is demonstrated by the Latinate word usage. On the AP exam I will be sure to carefully look at the manners and etiquette present both in the direction and in the actions of the characters in order to discern complex meanings of the text as a whole. For example, the use of free indirect speech creates a mocking tone and understatement can create a cold mood.
An interesting topic you discussed in your presentation was the art and form of the letter. You pointed out the limited space lead to a clearer confessional style. I noticed this in the novel I read, Crime and Punishment. In it the mother and sister of the protagonist send him long and detailed letters that are very formal and descriptive. There seems to be a unique quality in letters that is lost in this digital age.