Celebrate Jane Austen at Emma Fest
Jane Austen. Photo courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica
Emma Wodehouse fancies herself the village matchmaker as she tries to find the perfect mate for her friend and confidante, Harriet Smith.
Through this simple action, Jane Austen builds a world for readers of England during the early 19th century. Her eloquent language and simple storytelling brings her characters alive and shows us that even in those times, romance and life could be as high drama as any afternoon soap opera.
Stanford English Professor Alex Woloch said he doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t interested in Austen’s work.
“Austen is one of the biggest literary figures in English,” said Woloch, chair of the Department of English. “At this point, she is somewhat like Shakespeare, her centrality is so established.”
Austen’s writing stands out for its comedy, self-awareness and realistic, detailed portrayals of characters and their relationships.
“There is a level of intelligence in her work that the reader feels, and it has to do with her psychological perceptiveness and the sheer skill of her writing,” Woloch said. “When you read Jane Austen, you sense that you’re in the hands of someone authoritative and reliable … But there is always this feeling that she is one step ahead of you.” *
Why is it that we love Jane Austen and her characters, like Emma, Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet, Persuasion’s Anne Elliot and others so much?
They are authentic - they laugh, they cry, they get angry, jealous and indignant - they laugh at themselves and their foibles. In the end, everything always works out the way it’s supposed to - whether the ending is happy or sad. In a time where propriety was everything, Emma, Elizabeth, Anne and all the other Austen’s heroine were a little bit sassy and strong-willed, unafraid to speak their mind when give the opportunity.
Why do you love Jane Austen? Which of her characters is your favorite? How often do you find yourself asking, “What would Jane do?”
This month we’re celebrating Emma with several events:
June 7 | Romance and Rebellion in Jane Austen’s Emma
June 9 | Emma at Lifeline Theatre with special pricing for June 9th performance
June 10 | Emma, 2 pm matinee of the 1996 Gwyneth Paltrow version at Edgewater Library
June 20 | Lace and Muslin: Dress and Fashion in Jane Austen’s World
Join us for a month of celebrating Jane Austen at Emma Fest!
Programs are presented by Friends of the Edgewater Library in partnership with the Edgewater Branch Library and Edgewater Village Chicago.
* Professor Woloch quotes from an article on Jane Austen’s legacy in the Stanford News