The most delightful news has reached my ears;in addition to the sweet celebration of All Hallow's Eve later this month,there is another joyous occasion near the end of October to make ready for.
Granted,Talk Like Jane Austen Day is an unofficially declared holiday at best,but to celebrate the one hundred and ninety ninth anniversary of the publication of Miss Austen's first novel,nothing short of a royal ball will do to honor this definitive moment in literary history properly.
To some,this style of speaking may appear to be nothing more than an exercise of fanciful speech that fills the air with more heat than any summer's day can bring. However,even in this modern era the nuances of the language employed by Jane Austen in her works does prove to have it's benefits.
Since Sense and Sensibility does hold the privilege of being the first book to publish,if not written,from Miss Austen's brief but timely canon,it shall be the first example of verbal practicality to be showcased in our forum:
UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS: There are times when one runs into a person to whom saying far too much to in the company of others can be quite the risk of one's heart,not to mention good manners.
Elinor Dashwood may not have been as lively and as bold as her younger sister in such matters but she did possess the quickness of mind to endure the raptures of her rival Lucy Steele,particularly when the man foremost in their affections walked into the midst of a visit that was most awkward to begin with.
With a seemingly calm and ready poise,Elinor managed to keep her true feelings regarding this inelegant reminder of her personal pain well hidden or in common vernacular,under her bonnet :
OFFER GIVEN AND REJECTED: Proposals of marriage were to be expected for eligible women of Miss Austen's time and in addition to hoping for the right one to come from the gentleman you most wished to offer his hand to you,a lady had to be prepared to politely decline any such offers from any person she was rather hoping would not do so instead.
A fine example of the appropriate refusal can be seen as Elizabeth Bennet endeavors not only to laugh out loud at her pompous cousin Mr. Collins' self serving proposal but to convince him that she is entirely sincere in her disinclination to be his bride. The fault of understanding in this case is all on him and does no credit to his supposed intelligence:
GIRL TALK: Confiding in another female about which romantic direction to go forth in is something that many ladies do either very well indeed or rather poorly. Such a great power of persuasion is truly a great responsibility to have and best to exercise for the best interest of your companion rather than yourself.
Miss Emma Woodhouse,I'm afraid,felt that she was doing right by her sweet natured but easily lead friend Harriet by turning her interests away from the likes of Robert Martin and towards Mr. Elton in finding a suitable lover. However,the true cause of her campaign was in actuality seeking a situation for Harriet that would fit into her notions of proper persons to associate with. Influence is a double edged sword that can cut deeper than anticipated,so it must be handled with care:
LISTEN TO YOUR HEART: Speaking of Persuasion,Anne Elliot was clever enough to know when to keep still and let others do the talking. That way,she gained plenty of information,such as the availability of former love Captain Wentworth,without becoming known as a gossip.
What she did desperately need to learn was to seize her moments of speech and make a strong show of where her affections truly lie to the man she most wanted to make them known to. Not an easy thing to do at any age but a skill necessary to master in order to establish your future happiness in life and love:
In celebrating Talk Like Jane Austen Day on October the 30th,it is hoped this occasion will not be the last one in which this enterprise is to be undertaken. After all,many people the world over have enjoyed engaging in pirate speak for a day for over a decade now and one would hope that piracy is not our only option in honoring fictional dialect.
Austen talk can be just as amusing and in many cases,most rewarding. As long as there are new theatrical adaptations of her works,the need to speak in Austenesque tones will prove to be a handy skill for performers as well as writers who wish to capture the essence of Jane Austen's words on film:
2 comments:
A delightfully amusing diversion, Lady T! I am charmed ~ quite charmed ~ by your witty drollery.
I thank you for your compliments,Ms K.,and am exceedingly pleased to hear that my scribblings and visual accompaniments on this subject were most entertaining to you.
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