Instructor Access (Optional grading support) is available for this course. Please note: this is ONLY recommended if you wish to write the optional paper. All quizzes are internally graded in this course.
Fall in love with Jane Austen’s novels and discover the beautifully-written characters who are rewarded for being moral and having a strong character. See how living virtuously brings about a true fairy-tale ending. For all high school students
How to get the most out of The Literature and Mastery of Jane Austen, Part Two with Eleanor Bourg Nicholson:
- READ! Do the assigned reading (the beginning chapters of Mansfield Park) before the first class and read all assigned texts/chapters before all subsequent classes. IF YOU DON'T READ, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE CLASSES!! Reading will be the largest part of your workload for this class.
- Take the weekly identification quiz BEFORE each week's class. Refresh your memory on plot/character points you might have missed. Take the quiz a second time if you need to!
- As you read, note down themes or questions that occur to you.
- You do NOT need to take notes during class unless it helps you focus!
- Re-watch the recording and/or review the PowerPoint from class as needed.
- Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for each week.
- Repeat each week until the course is completed.
- Once the course is completed to the satisfaction of your teacher and your parents, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.
Special Notes: This is Part Two of a 2-part course. Students may join midyear only with instructor permission. Students can also sign up for an optional literary essay with 6 weeks to complete.
Total Classes: 12
Duration: 55 minutes.
Prerequisite: Willingness to read the assigned materials. Attendance in Jane Austen, Part One
Suggested Grade Level: 9th to 12th grade
Suggested Credit: One full semester of Literature.
Instructor: Eleanor Bourg Nicholson
Instructor Email: ebourgnicholson@gmail.com
Course Description: Come and explore comprehensively the "elemental genius" of Jane Austen (to use G. K. Chesterton's phrase). Over two semesters, we will study in-depth both the major and the minor works of Jane Austen. In this second class, we will study her last three finished novels, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion, as well as her unfinished novel, Sanditon. We will spend time as well exploring the legacy of Jane Austen, her biography, and her moral and literary impact upon Western culture. Ruthlessly critical attention will be paid to any and all film adaptations of her works. In addition to cultivating artistic appreciation and a love of reading, this class facilitates the development of critical reasoning, the disciplined use of the imagination, and a strong knowledge of historical and literary context.
Course Outline:
Class 1: Introduction; Mansfield Park, Vol. I (through Ch. 12). (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 1-12.)
Class 2: Mansfield Park, Vol. I (Chs. 13-18) and Vol. II (through Ch. 3). (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 13-21.)
Class 3: Mansfield Park, Vol. II (to its conclusion). (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 22-31.)
Class 4: Mansfield Park, Vol. III. (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 32-48.)
Class 5: Emma, Vol. I. (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 1-18.)
Class 6: Emma, Vol. II. (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 19-36.)
Class 7: Emma, Vol. III. (Without Volume Divisions: Chapters 37-end.)
Class 8: Persuasion, Chapters 1-8.
Class 9: Persuasion, Chapters 9-16.
Class 10: Persuasion, Chapters 17-24 & alternate ending!
Class 11: Sanditon.
Class 12: Review & Conclusion
Course Materials: The complete works of Jane Austen are available online for free via Project Gutenberg, from your public library, or inexpensively used.
In this class, we will be reading:
- Mansfield Park
- Emma
- Persuasion
- Sanditon
The Ignatius Critical Edition is strongly recommended for Mansfield: ISBN-13: 978-1586174187
Homework: Expect to spend approximately 3 hours per week on homework. This will mostly be reading, weekly identification quizzes, a handful of other small assignments, a concluding quiz/assignment, and recommended participation in Moodle-based forums. Students can also sign up for an optional literary essay with 6 weeks (plus Thanksgiving Break) to complete.
Optional Literary Essay Deadlines:
- Class 1: Commit to paper topic
- Class 2: Brainstorming document turned in
- Class 3: First Draft turned in
- Class 4: Second Draft turned in
- Class 5: Third Draft turned in
- Class 6: Final Draft turned in
- Teacher: Eleanor Nicholson