Tweetspeak Poetry

Understanding Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen’s Shin Bone

By 16 Comments

jane austen pride and prejudice
When my 16-year-old stepson brought home a school-issued copy of Pride and Prejudice early in his sophomore year, I could barely control the superlatives that threatened to burst out of my mouth. “Best first line, ” “Favorite book ever, ” “Important perspective for changing women’s . . . “

“I can’t even understand what I’m reading, ” Nicholas told me.

“I’ll help you, ” I said. “It’s one of my favorite books.”

But try as I might to uphold Jane Austen’s masterpiece as a classic worth wrestling with, my son became despondent. When I printed out lists of characters and themes, he just shook his head. “I don’t understand it.”

I was shocked. How could someone not like Pride and Prejudice? I chalked it up to youthful ignorance and hoped he’d at least finish the book and pass the exam.

During finals week, Nicholas posted a Facebook link to Pride & Prejudice – Thug Notes Summary and Analysis,  a YouTube video by a guy named Sparky Sweets, PhD, summarizing the book in modern youth slang. Dr. Sweets begins, “This book tells the story of Elizabeth Bennett and her fiiiine sisters. Now, Momma Bennett be trying to get them girls to strut their stuff in order to find some husbands.” (Editor’s note: Dr. Sweets’ language might be too much for some viewers.)

I felt a little woozy the first time I heard it. This? This is the only way for modern youth to understand Austen’s beloved work?

“Sorry Mom and Dad but this is for the good of the people, ” Nicholas posted with the link. “Don’t hate me.” He didn’t even mention me in the comment. He probably thought I wouldn’t survive it.

Thankfully, he did survive the first trimester of English. He did well, even, but not because of Jane Austen. Shakespeare saved the day, and Julius Caesar gave us a reason to celebrate.

A few weeks later, I was preparing to teach a workshop when I stumbled on another Jane Austen hater. America’s beloved Mark Twain, the “Dr. Sweets” spokesman-for-the-people of his own day, had a few harsh words of his own about Pride and Prejudice.

“I often want to criticise Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can’t conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin, ” Twain wrote in a letter to his close friend Joseph Twichell in 1898. “Everytime I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin bone.”

My stepson felt vindicated when I told him about Twain’s impression. “See!?!” Nicholas said, convinced that there must be no more than one or two Austen fans in the whole world. I wanted to convince him otherwise, but with someone like Mark Twain on his side, all persuasion would be useless.

It felt a little like trying to convince my father, who has never been nor likely ever will be a writer, that he wasn’t the target audience of the recent book I co-authored with Ann Kroeker, On Being a Writer. One afternoon, we were talking about the book. “I’ve read through part of chapter one, ”my dad told me over the phone, “and I have to tell you: it’s not riveting.”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure riveting was what we were going for, ” I responded.

“If I were a writer I’d probably love it, ” he said. “And there are a lot of writers out there.” I nodded, though he couldn’t see me.

“What you really need is to go viral, ” my dad coached. “Going viral will sell books.”

Jane Austen went viral—as viral as one could go in early nineteenth-century England—achieving more than a modicum of success even in her short life. Her true popularity, though, is proven by the virality she experiences generation after generation, even in twenty-first century America, including recent adaptations reaching a whole new segment of Austen fans: Emma and the Vampires of Wayne Josephon’s Jane Austen Undead Novels series and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben Winters.

But going viral doesn’t mean everyone will appreciate the style or voice or language of a book—even one written by a universally recognized writer.

Just ask my son. Or maybe Mark Twain. If you dig him up, make sure to steal a shin bone, and save Jane Austen from his vexing prejudice.

Photo by David Wright,  Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Charity Singleton Craig, co-author of the newly released On Being a Writer.

Looking for more great Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice resources? You might like these:

The Simpleton’s Guide to Pride and Prejudice (an infographic)

Ten Great Pride and Prejudice Resources

A Pride and Prejudice Playlist

Five Amusing Pride and Prejudice Quotes (Wet Shirt Included)

Charity Singleton Craig
Latest posts by Charity Singleton Craig (see all)

Try Every Day Poems...

About Charity Singleton Craig

Charity Singleton Craig is the author of The Art of the Essay: From Ordinary Life to Extraordinary Words and co-author of the popular title On Being a Writer: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life That Lasts. She has served as an editor, contributing writer, and workshop leader for Tweetspeak Poetry and currently writes for corporate clients and publications such as Edible Indy. She is also a two-time recipient of the Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, to write about the state parks and present writing programs to park visitors.

Comments

  1. Elizabeth W. Marshall says

    Oh Charity, your Dad’s words :), she says nodding her head in empathy.

    Love your words here. Mark Twain has a salty trove of word treasures buried or not so much. I’ve been unearthing some of his “gems” of late.

    He was a mess (as we say in the South)

    Your dad may in fact be surprised, if he just patiently waits for the impact of your book. Seen and unseen.

    Reply

    • Charity Singleton Craig says

      Elizabeth – Thanks for your comment. My dad and I have had lots of good laughs about his comment. He was one of the first people to purchase our book, though, and he arrived, book in hand, to one of our book signings and stayed almost the whole time. He’s one of my biggest fans. And he’s still not past chapter one yet, he told me recently!

      I’m learning a lot by writing a book that won’t appeal to everyone. The temptation is to try to make it more so, but its real strength is letting it be what it is and finding its true audience on its own merit.

      Thanks, Elizabeth!

      Reply

    • Charity Singleton Craig says

      Darlene – I’m so glad you clarified because I was trying desperately to imagine that scene from Pride and Prejudice, and all I could think of was Anne of Green Gables, reenacting The Lady of Shalott!

      Thanks for your comment! This piece caused a lot of ha-ha in me, too!

      Reply

    • Charity Singleton Craig says

      Thanks, L.L. I’ve written a few things like this. For some reason, it’s harder for me to muster my inner comic than, say, my inner cynic or my inner mystic. But I love it when a good essay comes together and has a little sense of humor, too.

      I’m going to take the humor challenge! I’m going to try to start writing more playfully in 2015! Not everything, of course, but more!

      Reply

  7. Marcy Terwilliger says

    Charity Singleton Craig I don’t believe we have ever met so I say hello to you and how much I enjoyed your lively article. I simply love humor & laughing and this article was so light, airy really. Refreshing is a good word also.

    Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austin, how many times have I read them or watched the movies. The English Department at the High School where I worked, they used the Library a lot. I must say back then they were straight back and nose in the air ladies. Yes, I to read to my son when it came to those “Girl” books. He didn’t care at all for the English accent I suddenly took on either. He passed, that was all that mattered. He’s 38 now and a awesome Father of three.

    Reply

  9. Diana Trautwein says

    It makes me sad that anyone doesn’t love this story. Any way you tell it, though I happen to like Austen’s way the best. BBC 6-parter a close second, Joe Wright’s version immediately behind that. Oh, yeah, I’d be an Austen groupie, I fear. This was a fun essay, Charity. Thank you.

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *