Category: Pride And Prejudice (novel)

Ep72: The Thing About St. James's Palace

7/27/2023

Sir William Lucas has been to St. James's Palace, and he wants to make sure that everyone knows about it. This episode we get into the particulars of Sir William's knighthood and stop by his favorite spot for a ball. If you have ever danced the minuet under the watchful gaze of a monarch, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Greig, Hannah. The Beau Monde: Fashionable Society in Georgian London. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Kielmansegge, Friedrich graf von. Diary of a Journey to England in the Years 1761-1762. Translated by Countess of Kielmansegge. London: Longmans, Green and Company, 1902. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Diary_of_a_Journey_to_England_in_the_Yea/NKgMAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
Lamb, Charles. A Book Explaining the Ranks and Dignities of British Society Intended Chiefly for the Instruction of Young Persons. London: Tabart and Co., 1809. https://www.google.com/books/edition/a_book_explaining_the_ranks_and_dignitle/9sETAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
“Royal Residences: St James’s Palace.” Accessed July 11, 2023. https://www.royal.uk/royal-residences-st-jamess-palace.
Stafford, Fiona J. “Introduction and Notes.” In Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Thompson, Allison. “Dancing at St. James’s.” Persuasions On-Line 33, no. 1 (Winter 2012). https://jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol33no1/thompson.html?
Walford, Edward. Old and New London: A Narrative of Its History, Its People, and Its Places. Vol. 4. London: Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, 1873. http://archive.org/details/oldnewlondonnarr04thor.

Ep69: The Thing About Lizzy's Needlework with guest Dr. Jennie Batchelor

6/16/2023

Needlework in Jane Austen's novels is commonly referred to as simply "work." But what exactly does this work entail, and why is it important to characters like Elizabeth Bennet? Guest Dr. Jennie Batchelor is here to answer these questions and more. We discuss the difference between plain and fancy needlework, the significance of needlework in the pantheon of ladylike accomplishments, and the ways in which needlework functioned as a Regency woman's CV.

Thank you so much to Jennie for joining us for this episode! You can learn more about her and her work at www.jenniebatchelor.net. Jennie's digital catalogue of embroidery patterns from the Lady's Magazine can be found at ladysmagazine.omeka.net. You can find Jennie on Twitter @JennieBatchelor and on Instagram @BatchelorJennie.

Ep67: The Thing About Darcy's First Proposal with Meredith Ammons

5/16/2023

This episode we're joined by Meredith Ammons to break down the first proposal of one Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. We also get into the letter that follows and discuss the ways that this critical interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth sets up the second half of Pride and Prejudice. If you have ever wished for a do-over, this episode is for you.
Thank you so much to Meredith for joining us for this episode! You can learn more about Meredith and her work at www.meredithammons.com. You can learn more about the Jane Austen Summer Program at www.janeaustensummer.org.

Ep63: The Thing About Polluting the Shades of Pemberley

3/11/2023

Lady Catherine has stopped by Longbourn for a little chat, and she clearly needs to read an article or two on appropriate guest etiquette. This episode we break down Lady Catherine's famous insult to Elizabeth and get into its many layers and possible meanings.

Selected Sources:

Curry, Mary Jane. “‘Not a Day Went by without a Solitary Walk’: Elizabeth’s Pastoral World.” Persuasions 22 (2000).
Ellington, H. Elisabeth. “‘A Correct Taste in Landscape’: Pemberley as Fetish and Commodity.” In Jane Austen in Hollywood, edited by Linda Troost and Sayre N. Greenfield, 90–110. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2001.
Gill, Richard, and Susan Gregory. Mastering the Novels of Jane Austen. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Ep57: The Thing About Mrs. Reynolds' House Tours

12/23/2022

We're headed back to Pemberley for this episode, where a gracious Mrs. Reynolds is ready to welcome us. We cover the history of country house tours and the role that someone like Mrs. Reynolds would play in facilitating such visits. If you have ever awkwardly run into your almost future fiancé at their house, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources:

Aslet, Clive. The Story of the Country House: A History of Places and People. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021.
Girouard, Mark. Life in the English Country House: A Social and Architectural History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1978.
Lupton, Christina. “Notes.” In Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019.
MacArthur, Rosie. “Gentlemen Tourists in the Early Eighteenth Century: The Travels of William Hanbury and John Scattergood.” In Travel and the British Country House: Cultures, Critiques and Consumption in the Long Eighteenth Century, edited by Jon Stobart. Manchester (GB): Manchester University Press, 2017.
Rothery, Mark. “Country House Visiting: Past, Present, and Future.” OUPblog, October 1, 2016. https://blog.oup.com/2016/10/country-house-visiting-jane-austen/.
Stobart, Jon. Travel and the British Country House: Cultures, Critiques and Consumption in the Long Eighteenth Century. Manchester (GB): Manchester University Press, 2017.

Ep50: The Thing About Michaelmas

9/29/2022

Netherfield Park is let at last! Mrs. Bennet has heard that a single man in possession of a good fortune will be moving into the neighborhood by Michaelmas, and she is very excited. This episode we cover the significance of Michaelmas, both as a holiday and as a marker of time in Austen's world.

Selected Sources:

Baublyté Kaufmann, Ruta. “Changing Seasons: The Cyclical and the Linear.” In The Architecture of Space: Time in the Novels of Jane Austen, 19–79. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90011-7.
Johnson, Ben. “Michaelmas.” Historic UK. Accessed September 19, 2022. https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Michaelmas/.
McGarry, Marion. “The Michaelmas Customs Associated with September 29th in Ireland.” RTÉ, August 17, 2021, https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0926/1078446-september-29th-michaelmas-ireland/.
“Michaelmas Day (Feast of St. Michael and All Angels).” In Salem Press Encyclopedia. Salem Press, November 1, 2018.

Ep48: The Thing About the Meryton Assembly

8/30/2022

It's dancing time! This week we are covering the origins of public assemblies before taking a look at the Meryton assembly scene in Pride and Prejudice. If you have ever wished your bestie would just let you sit one out, this episode is for you.

Select Sources:

Castelow, Ellen. “Assembly Rooms.” Historic UK. Accessed August 7, 2022. https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Assembly-Rooms/.
Chamber, Ephriam. Cyclopedia: Or, an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. London, 1728.
Girouard, Mark. The English Town: A History of Urban Life. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1990. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_English_Town/ny2HA2-ZHpEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=assemblies.
Kingsbury, Pamela D. “Assembly Rooms.” In Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T004633.
Ray, Joan Klingel. “Do Elizabeth and Darcy Really Improve ‘on Acquaintance’?” Persuasions 35 (2013): 34–49.
Richardson, Kristen. The Season: A Social History of the Debutante. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2020. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Season_A_Social_History_of_the_Debut/WPuKDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.

Ep42: The Thing About Lady Catherine's Chimney-piece

6/23/2022

Mr. Collins is here, and he is ready to enumerate the many fine qualities of all the furnishings at Rosings Park. No really, sit down. This could take awhile. This episode we're all about Lady Catherine's very fancy chimney-piece. If you have ever been given a dubious compliment involving a small summer breakfast parlour, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources:

Baker, Malcolm. “Public Images for Private Spaces? The Place of Sculpture in the Georgian Domestic Interior.” Journal of Design History 20, no. 4 (January 1, 2007): 309–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/jdh/epm030.
Burton, Neil, and Lucy Porten. Georgian Chimneypieces. London: The Georgian Group, 2000.
Chambers, Sir William. “Of Chimney Pieces.” In A Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture, 4th ed., vol. 2: 377–83. London: Priestley and Weale, 1825. https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Treatise_on_the_Decorative_Part_of_Civ/WJ4aAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
Gunnis, Rupert. Dictionary of British Sculptors: 1660-1851. London: Abbey Library, 1957.
“John Nost II (d. 1729) - Chimneypiece.” Accessed June 14, 2022. https://www.rct.uk/collection/1080/chimneypiece-0.
Laing, Alastair. “The Eighteenth-Century English Chimneypiece.” Studies in the History of Art 25 (1989): 241–54.
Pevsner, Nikolaus. “The Architectural Setting of Jane Austen’s Novels.” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 31, no. 1 (January 1, 1968): 404–22. https://doi.org/10.2307/750649.

Ep36: The Thing About Regency Theatre with Guest Lauren Wethers

4/28/2022

Raise the curtain! Guest Lauren Wethers is here this week to provide us with an introduction to attending the theatre in Austen's time. We also chat a bit about Bridgerton, so mild spoiler warnings for season one. If you have ever wanted to be on stage, this episode is for you.

Thank you so much to Lauren for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @LaurenWethers. You can learn more about the Reclaiming Jane podcast at www.ReclaimingJanePod.com and follow them on Twitter and Instagram @ReclaimingJane.

Ep30: The Thing About Lydia's Trip to Brighton

3/3/2022

Why exactly was Lydia Bennet so eager to visit Brighton and why was Elizabeth so right to be concerned? Brighton was the playground of the wealthy and free-wheeling in Austen's time, and we're here to give you the tour. If you have ever wanted to vacation with royalty, this episode is for you.

Selected episode sources

Cannon, John, and Robert Crowcroft. “Brighton.” In A Dictionary of British History. Oxford University Press. Accessed February 25, 2022. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191758027.001.0001/acref-9780191758027-e-508.
Dinkel, J. “The Royal Pavilion.” Historic England. Accessed February 25, 2022. https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1380680.
Imms, Adrian. “History of the Barracks That Came and Went.” The Argus, October 4, 2016. https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14781207.history-of-the-barracks-that-came-and-went/.
Le Faye, Deirdre. Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
Morrison, Robert. The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Bryon Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern. New York: Norton, 2019.
Sakula, Alex. “Doctor Brighton: Richard Russell and the Sea Water Cure.” Journal of Medical Biography 3, no. 1 (February 1995): 30–33. https://doi.org/10.1177/096777209500300105.
Royal Pavilion. “Short History of the Pavilion.” Accessed February 25, 2022. https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/history/short-history-of-the-royal-pavilion/.
Weis, Heather. “‘Brighton Possesses All the Requisites ... for Either Amusement or Dissipation’: Frivolity in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.” Pride and Prejudice: The Bicentennial, October 10, 2013. https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/celia_pride/preconference/posters/5.

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