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.
After listening to this episode a couple of years ago, I decided to throw a Michaelmas party for my TV Club. In 2023, after discussing the TV show, we watched the 2020 Emma in my backyard. In 2024, it was the 2007 Northanger Abbey. Coming up on the third annual Michaemas party, and I think we'll watch Love & Friendship this year.