Jane Austen Throwdown

Ah, the dog days of summer have arrived at last! Excessive heat encourages one to do no more than lounge under the shade or languish near a cooling body of water, waiting for others to do our bidding. Two of Jane Austen's characters need no encouragement to sit and be waited upon: Lady Bertram from Mansfield Park or Mr. Woodhouse from Emma.

In your estimation, which character relied most upon the kindness of their servants and family to do their bidding?

Mr. Woodhouse: Hypochondriac

Lady Bertram: Dog lover

Jane Austen Movie Throwdown

The third episode of Emma 2009 will be shown tonight on PBS (in competition with the Super Bowl!) You have had the opportunity to visit a number of fabulous houses used for the location shots. This week we ask you,

Whose drawing room best suits your taste?

Mr. & Mrs. John Knightley, Brunswick Square, London

The Woodhouse's drawing room, Hartfield in Highbury

Mr. Knightley's drawing room, Donwell Abbey

Whose drawing room in Emma 2009 best suits your taste?
	Mr. and Mrs. John Knightley's, Brunswick Square
	The Woodhouse's in Hartfield
	Mr. Knightleys in Donwell Abbey
pollcode.com free polls

Jane Austen Movie Throwdown

Emma 2009 airs tonight on PBS at 9 PM EST! Oh, what joy for Jane Austen fans. Laurel Ann from Austenprose, Kali from Emma Adaptations, and I (Jane Austen's World) will be hosting a twitter party in conjuction with PBS. Click on this link for details. In tonight's broadcast, three mansions in Highbury will be showcased. Which one catches your fancy?

"Emma Woodhouse’s home, Hartfield, was filmed at Squerryes Court, just off the M25 in Kent, and Mr Knightley’s Donwell Abbey at Loseley Park, near Guildford. Both houses were intended by Austen to represent the solidity of the old landed gentry as opposed to flashy new Regency fashions." - Times Online

Hartfield, Mr. Woodhouse and daughter Emma Woodhouse (Squerryes Court, Kent)

Donwell Abbey, Mr. Knightley (Loseley Park, near Guilford)

Randalls, The Westons (Can anyone help to identify this wonderful house? Is that an oast house attached to the outbuildings?)

More on the topic:

• Historic homes in the BBC version of Emma
• Country Houses in Jane Austen's Emma

Which house in Emma 2009 catches your fancy?
	Hartfield, The Woodhouse family
	Donwell Abbey, Mr. Knightley
	Randalls, The Westons
pollcode.com free polls

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Comical Character

Frederick Wentworth's letter pierced your souls and he won the last throwdown with his eloquent words. Jane Austen, known for her sharp observations and satire, peopled her novels with eccentric characters we all recognize, for in our own lives we have met variations of these types. Each in their own way is a superb creation. Who can forget Mr. Collins' obsequiousness, Mrs. Elton's presumptions of superiority, or Sir Walter Elliot's vanity and pride? There are others equally outstanding, but we had to settle on two. This week we ask you: Which Jane Austen character is more comical? Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Woodhouse?

Comical Character

Mrs. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

Mrs. Bennet's artless pronouncements made both Lizzy and Darcy squirm, but for different reasons. Darcy, because he did not suffer fools gladly, and Lizzy from sheer mortification, as in this instance: "When you have killed all your own birds, Mr. Bingley," said her mother, "I beg you will come here, and shoot as many as you please on Mr. Bennet's manor. I am sure he will be vastly happy to oblige you, and will save all the best of the covies for you." Mrs. Bennett, once a pretty young girl, has long ago lost her husband's respect for her lack of intellect or sense. Intent on getting her five daughters married, she is more concerned about their security than their happiness, yet her silly behavior often undermines their chances for marriage. Her presence enlivens any scene she is in, especially when she gets the vapors or when her jealousy of Charlotte Lucas's marriage to Mr. Collins brings out her mean streak, egged on by Lady Lucas's crowing. "A week elapsed before she could see Elizabeth without scolding her, a month passed away before she could speak to Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude, and many months were gone before she could at all forgive their daughter."

Mr. Woodhouse, Emma

A masterful comic character, Mr. Woodhouse is seriously against change and overly preoccupied with everyone's health, including his own. Jane Austen describes him best: "Upon such occasions poor Mr. Woodhouses feelings were in sad warfare. He loved to have the cloth laid, because it had been the fashion of his youth; but his conviction of suppers being very unwholesome made him rather sorry to see any thing put on it; and while his hospitality would have welcomed his visitors to every thing, his care for their health made him grieve that they would eat. Such another small basin of thin gruel as his own, was all that he could, with thorough self-approbation, recommend, though he might constrain himself, while the ladies were comfortably clearing the nicer things, to say: "Mrs. Bates, let me propose your venturing on one of these eggs. An egg boiled very soft is not unwholesome. Serle understands boiling an egg better than any body. I would not recommend an egg boiled by any body else—but you need not be afraid—they are very small, you see—one of our small eggs will not hurt you. Miss Bates, let Emma help you to a little bit of tart—a very little bit. Ours are all apple tarts. You need not be afraid of unwholesome preserves here. I do not advise the custard. Mrs. Goddard, what say you to half a glass of wine? A small half glass—put into a tumbler of water? I do not think it could disagree with you."

Jane Austen Character Throwdown

Presenting Anne Elliot, our longest suffering heroine and winner of the first Jane Austen Character Throwdown contest! Elinor Dashwood never stood a chance, gaining 26% of the votes for one shining moment but always hovering close to the bottom. Anne's quiet stoicism in the face of losing the love of her life and being subjected to years of negative comments from her father and sisters won her the honor. Long-suffering Fanny Price took a distant second.

So, are you ready for the next throwdown? In this contest, six fathers will vie for the Worst Father category. Remember the rule: to vote for the candidate who you think most closely fits the description. (Voting for your favorite or least favorite character won't work.) Here are the first two candidates for:

Worst Father

Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park
Sir Thomas's sins are those of omission and self-delusion. While he loves his children, his ambition to increase his wealth and refine his social connections are in conflict with his family's best interests, leading to a ruinous marriage for Maria. He generously invites Fanny Price to live with his family, yet he allows Mrs. Norris, a cruel woman, control over Fanny. His social ambitions cause him to influence Fanny to consider Henry Crawford's suit, despite her aversion to the man. Sir Thomas realizes his mistakes after Maria runs off with Henry Crawford, but by then the damage has been done. Maria is ruined and Fanny must live with the consequences of years of verbal abuse.

Mr. Woodhouse of Hartfield House
Emma's father seems more like a child than the family patriarch. A fearful hypochondriac (or aging old man), he must be cossetted by his daughter and family at every turn. Mr. Woodhouse suffers from another affliction: a foolish and dim mind. His love for gruel, slow walks, pure air, and a cozy fire away from draughts drive his conversations. And his lack of parenting skills are legendary. After learning of his daughter's engagement to a fine man, his first reaction was to think about her abandonment of his poor, lonely self.

pollcode.com free polls

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Worst Father

Sir Thomas Bertram Mr. Woodhouse

Mr. Woodhouse: Emma's Bad Daddy

[Emma] dearly loved her father, but he was no companion for her. He could not meet her in conversation, rational or playful. The evil of the actual disparity in their ages (and Mr. Woodhouse had not married early) was much increased by his constitution and habits; for having been a valetudinarian all his life, without activity of mind or body, he was a much older man in ways than in years; and though everywhere beloved for the friendliness of his heart and his amiable temper, his talents could not have recommended him at any time. - Jane Austen, Emma, Chapter One


This post continues the bad daddy theme from Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Mr. Woodhouse might not be as vain as Sir Walter, manipulative as General Tilney, indifferent as Mr. Bennet was towards his three younger daughters, or blindly ambitious as Mr. Bertram was for Maria, but this childlike and fearful man is one of Jane Austen's most memorable and comical secondary characters. Mr. Woodhouse's utter dependence on his youngest daughter, and inability to release her to make her own life with Mr. Knightley makes him a poor standard bearer for fatherhood.

You can tell that actor Bernard Hepton relished playing the part of Mr. Woodhouse. Even during the scenes in which he did not have any lines, his body language and facial expressions were priceless. In many ways Bernard's portrayal of Mr. Woodhouse tipped my preference towards the A&E version of Emma over the theatrical release with Gwynneth Paltrow. Mr. Woodhouse's bits and pieces of advice are captured in this wonderful Republic of Pemberley site, The Benevolent Society for the Preservation of the Good Name of Mr. Woodhouse. Below sit a few fruits of his wisdom as translated in movie scripts:

Mr. Woodhouse: Must the church be so drafty, Mr. Elton? It is difficult to surrender one's soul when one is worried about one's throat.
Mrs. Weston: Perhaps some tea and cake would revive you, Mr. Woodhouse.
Mr. Woodhouse: Cake! Surely you're not serving cake at your wedding, Miss Taylor! Far too rich, you put us all at peril! Where is Mr. Perry, the apothecary? I'm sure he will support me!

Mr. Knightley: Triumph? You made a lucky guess!
Emma: Have you never known the triumph of a lucky guess? Had I not promoted Mr. Weston's visits and given encouragement where encouragement was needed, we might not have had a wedding today.
Mr. Woodhouse: Then please, my dear, encourage no one else. Marriage is so disrupting to one's social circle.

Mr. Woodhouse: "Mrs. Bates, let me propose your venturing on one of these eggs. An egg boiled very soft is not unwholesome. Serle understands boiling an egg better than any body. I would not recommend an egg boiled by any body else—but you need not be afraid—they are very small, you see—one of our small eggs will not hurt you. Miss Bates, let Emma help you to a little bit of tart—a very little bit. Ours are all apple tarts. You need not be afraid of unwholesome preserves here. I do not advise the custard.

Emma: Has an invitation arrived for a party at the Coles?
Mr. Woodhouse: No, thank Heaven. The Coles are nice people, but we should have to go outside to get there.

Learn more about Bernard Hepton at these two sites:

• Interview with Bernard Hepton: British Library Theatre Archive Project

• Those Old Familiar Faces, Jane Austen Centre Magazine

Posted by Ms. Place, Jane Austen's World