Victoria's Final Blog Project

Throughout the year, as we were reading Jane Austen's novels, I found myself wondering about the time when Jane Austen was writing them. When did she write each book/in what order? How old was she when she wrote each one? How long did it take for them to get published?

Therefore, in order to satisfy my own curiosity and to cater to my visual brain, I created a timeline (on photoshop) that outlines the journey Jane Austen's novels took before their publication.


-Victoria

Calleigh's Pride and Prejudice Quotes

Here are some of my favourite lines from P&P, though not all. There are many funny, witty, and thoughtful lines I have not included, but these are some of the ones that stood out to me most.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

“A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment.”

"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."

“Those who do not complain are never pitied."

"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me."

"For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?"

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."

~ Calleigh

Calleigh's Pride and Prejudice Blog Project.

Throughout Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice the estates and houses vary from person to person, station to station.  A house can tell a lot about its occupants, and give us hints about their personalities.

                                              

Pemberley is Mr. Darcy’s home.  Proud and stately, it echoes the man’s character.  It is well decorated, handsome beyond belief, and filled with hidden treasures.  It shows his extreme wealth, and while beautiful and extravagant in size, it is not overdone.  Much like his house, Mr. Darcy is well dressed, astonishingly good looking, and often surprises people with his true nature, rather than what he commonly shows.

                                                        

Netherfield Park is where Bingley spends most of the book.  It is a beautiful house, with wonderful grounds.  It is well furnished and grand, but still a home that allows “lesser” people to feel more comfortable than they would in a house as grand as Pemberley.  Like his house, Bingley is well dressed, and shows his wealth, but it isn’t his focal point. And then of course Mr. Bingley is at ease with everyone he meets, and at all times the perfect gentlemen.

                                               

                Longbourn is a well picked name for this house, as well as a play on words.  It has long born every ridiculous act with silence.  This trait is most personified in Mr. Bennet, the head of the house.  Through most of his family’s scandals, escapades and adventures, he remains a silent bystander, more content in the realm of his book, than in his own house.  But he is a gentlemen, and though the house is not luxurious, it is well kept and looked after, and not all together lacking in beauty.

                                               

                Rosings Park. A grand estate to be sure, and the home of Lady Catherine De’bourgh.  But although we are awed by the magnificence, we do not care about this manor as we care about Longbourn, Pemberley, or Netherfield, because we do not care about its occupants.  Lady Catherine is a proud busy-body who sticks her nose into everyone’s business, and is too controlling for her own good.  While her house is splendid, it holds no grandeur for us, as we are too focused on our dislike for its owner.

                                                     

                Last and quite possibly least, is Hunsford.  It is a tidy house with beautiful gardens, several rooms, and let us not forget, shelves in the closet.  Hunsford shows some of the eccentricities that its owners possess.   It is well kept, and pretty, offering consolation and peace to Charlotte, and happiness to Mr. Collins at it being so close to Rosings Park.  It shows Mr. Collins character in that it is very clean and well looked after, providing all the comforts he could desire.

                Well do the houses and manors fit their characters. From grand mansions to beautiful cottages, all the houses of Pride and Prejudice are perfect for the people who inhabit them.  From their character, to their sense of style, each house is thoroughly its own.

~ Calleigh

A Bonnet to Trim

Unbelievably, we are coming to the end of Conversations with Jane.  We put the final touches on Pride and Prejudice and in two weeks we will wrap the study up.  Our activity for Pride and Prejudice?  Bonnets.  In the words of Lydia, "Look here, I have bought this bonnet.  I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as not.  I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it up any better."  Only Tori's bonnet came with something actually on it, the others were plain and waiting to see if it could be made "up any better."    

We met at Sharon's for tea. She had some beautiful, bright decorations out with flowers from Tori's birthday.  Elizabeth, Skyeler, Calleigh, and Victoria

We spent some time sharing blog projects and doing a group word activity.  The girls had to think of their top ten words that described Pride and Prejudice.  They had trouble narrowing it down to just ten :) Once they eliminated the duplicates, they were able to make the word art.  Elizabeth has already posted the final project.  

We moved down to the basement so the girls could spread out and begin making something of their bonnets.  It turns out that one afternoon was not nearly enough time.  Tori's bonnet came with some ribbon around it.  Elizabeth and Skyeler's were plain.  The girls had brought home leftover fabric from their dresses to possibly use on their bonnets.  As you can see in the middle picture, Elizabeth and Skyeler got a little carried away.  No girls, we are not beekeepers but Regency ladies.  You will have to stay tuned for the finished product.

Calleigh chose not to do a bonnet.  She had fun video taping the abundant silliness. 


As usual, enjoy the blog projects and stay tuned for our wrap up.  


~Angel

Favorite Quotes from Pride and Prejudice

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?

Loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable; that one false step involves her in endless ruin; that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful; and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behavior towards the undeserving of the other sex.

No one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with.

Elizabeth

Printings of Profundity

My favorite quotes from Pride and Prejudice.

With a book he was regardless of time;

Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.

A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment.

From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced.

Everything nourishes what is strong already.

When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.

Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.

Do clear them too, or we shall be obliged to think ill of somebody.

We are each ... unwilling to speak, unless we expect to say something that will amaze the whole room, and be handed down to posterity with all the eclat of a proverb.

It needed all Jane's steady mildness to bear these attacks with tolerable tranquility

I must have my share in the conversation if you are speaking of music.

I should infinitely prefer a book.

"It is above eight months. We have not met since the 26th of November, when we were all dancing together at Netherfield." - Mr. Bingly :)

All was acknowledged, and half the night spent in conversation.

Skyeler

Skyeler's Pride and Prejudice Blog Project

For my blog project, I decided to write a letter from Lydia's point of view. It does not entirely line up with the book's timeline, but close enough that it still makes sense.

Dearest Kitty,

Since I have come to Brighton, I have scarce had time to write I have been so busy. Even today two invitations requesting me to join them have already come in. You will never guess who from. I could hardly believe it myself when I began to receive so many letters.

The first came from that droll cousin of ours, Mr. Collins. He thought it was his "duty" to pay his respects to me, for some reason so unimportant I have forgotten it already! He has been in town recently, and thought I would take a liking to a visit from him. To add to this scandal, he was wrongly informed that I would be near his area. Of course I have been intending to travel with a dear friend of mine (who is the other correspondent I mentioned previousy) but I had no intentions of paying a visit to our cousin. As it were, he could have no knowledge of my departure. It is a grand secret! To avoid having to meet him anyway, I informed Mr. Collins of a prior engagement of mine. Seeing as how I had no such engagement, I made one up and compensated by fixing a real commitment after. You would have done the same were you in my position.

The second is from the man of whom I can hardly cease talking. It is Mr. Wikham who wrote, and he also is the one I made arrangements with. It makes me laugh just to think that the two of us shall be traveling within a week. He will be here for tea, even within the hour (my idea to escape from the likes of Collins and his plan for a visit with myself.) Now I have little time to write, and I bid you adieu until I next write.

Yours and etc.

Lydia

Skyeler