Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Course Description

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." These are the memorable opening words of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Published in 1813, it has always been the most popular among Austen's novels, not least because of its delightful characters and subtle irony, which has made critics describe it as a "comedy of manners." We are going to deal with the work from different thematic angles, such as its place in the history of the English novel, its themes and structure, the presentation of society and of women's place in it, its narrative strategies, its modes of characterization as well as the book’s reception from the nineteenth century to the present.

Required reading:

Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Classics; latest edition).
Students are expected to have read the book before the start of the winter semester.

Prerequisites:

"Introduction to the Study of Literature"

Requirements for Credit:

Earning a course credit in this Proseminar presupposes that students have already taken the lecture course "Introduction to the Study of Literature" and that they attend the seminar on a regular basis. Apart from writing a term paper of between 10 and 12 pages, students will be asked to give a short presentation on a specified topic.

Registration:

To register, students are to send an e-mail to Dr. Baltes by 15 September, stating their name, semester standing and subjects.