From Jane Eyre to Pride and Prejudice
[SIZE="3"][FONT="Garamond"]When I was in the sixth grade, my mother made me and my siblings sit down to a BBC adaption of Jane Eyre. I was determined to be bored, and eventually left without absorbing any of the movie, to take a welcomed call from a friend.
It wasn't until I picked up the copy of Jane Eyre I had become accustomed to seeing dusty on my book shelf, and started reading, that I fell in love with it. I was so pleased with it, I decided that I would try Pride and Prejudice. Imagine my shock when I loved Pride and Prejudice even better!
I recently read Persuasion (I am just now finished the seventh grade), but remain that Pride and Prejudice is my favorite, and read some everyday. This summer I plan to attempt to read the rest of Austen's works.
My brother Cruce (just finished fifth grade) just recently started reading Pride and Prejudice, under my supervision. He's doing okay, just with some confusion over some of the dialogue, where a "said he," or "said she" would not be unappreciated.
I made him and my sister endure hours upon hours of the BBC Pride and Prejudice adaption, so he knows the story pretty well. I recently discovered that, among his other accomplishments, Cruce can do a darn good impression of Mrs. Bennet; I have thus adapted scripts from the novel, and acted out scripts with him and my sister. He plays Mrs. Bennet, I Mr. Bennet, and my sister whoever else happens to be in the scene.
By acting out scenes such as the opening dialogue of the first chapter, we are able to also discuss the irony and satire of Austen's writing, as well as our views of the characters.
I've been surprised by my brother's understanding, but equally shocked at the ignorance of my classmates. One girl failed to correctly pronounce "Prejudice" as she read the cover. My English teacher, when I suggested Pride and Prejudice for the eighth grade reading list, maintained that Austen's books were classics, to be read in class and discussed with teachers and classmates; and besides, Pride and Prejudice was a high school book. Never mind that I had read Pride and Prejudice in the sixth grade with no effort of support from any of my teachers.
I'll end my first post with a question: did anyone else find themselves spelling as Jane Austen does (staid, chuses, etc.), or even talking differently?
I had problems in English class when I spelled humourous on a spelling test. My teacher assumed I was snooty and unpatriotic.