With the week progressing so quickly, I decided I must post Part 2 of my answers to the Jane Austen Week Questions. Miss Elizabeth Bennet has been running 'Jane Austen Week' over at her blog Elegance of Fashion, if you haven't already done so I encourage you to check out the lovely posts she has written in honor of this special event!If you missed out on reading the Part 1 of this post you can do so here:
Who are your top three favourite Jane Austen Heroines and why?
I adore Catherine, she is the un-heroic heroine of literature. She possesses little of the "traits" that a heroine is expected to. She is not wealthy, or exceptionally beautiful or altogether intelligent. And I feel she is just so easy to identify with because she comes across at the beginning of the novel as an ordinary young girl who in general is nothing special. But as the novel progresses we see such a transformation of her character where Catherine becomes a heroine in her own special way.
Fanny is one of those heroines that I wish I was more like. She is sweet, caring, polite, kind and selfless. I love Fanny for her strength, throughout her life she encountered so much heartache, she was bullied, misused, misunderstood and even forgotten about in some scenes of the novel. Yet she continues to be kindhearted and sweet rather than rebelling.
I am not sure if Jane is technically classed as heroine but never mind she is such a lovely character I had to included her. Jane (and Bingley) are my most favourite part of Pride and Prejudice. She is a kind sister who deeply cares for the people around her and has a tendency to always think the best of people. She is definitely the kind of sister I aspire to be.
Who are your top three favourite Jane Austen Heroes and why?
Oh my, where do I start...Okay this is best explained simply by saying if I lived in fictional England in 1798-1799 I would give Catherine a run for her money in gaining Henry's affections. He is everything a hero- and gentleman should be. He is comfortable enough in his 'manliness' to speak on womanly subjects and is terribly clever and witty. I cannot help but smile at many of his comments as I read Northanger Abbey and in general he is so kind. I don't know many people who would afford such grace and kindness if their 'love interest' accused their father of being a murderer... but such is Henry Tilney.
Captain Wentworth is just such a romantic character and that letter he writes to Anne- that is love! And it more than makes up for his past mistakes.
Because Mansfield Park was the first Jane Austen novel I read all the characters hold a special place in my heart. I love Edmund because he has a heart of gold, he clings to his morals and has a conscience.
Any honorable mentions for the above questions?
Charles Bingley is one of my very favourite characters so I must mention him. He is perhaps my favourite character in P&P. I also have great respect for Edward Ferrars, he is a true gentleman who stayed true to his word even though it was breaking his heart to do so.
Eleanor Tilney is another character I admire, she is just the kind of person I would love to be best friends (or sister-in-law) with.
Top three Jane Austen Adaptations and why?
Although there is a lot about this film that I really do not like, it is definitely my favourite JA Adaptation. A lot of the reason has to do with it being the adaptation of my favourite novel but mostly the its the portrayal of the characters I adore.
I loved Felicity Jones as Catherine and J.J Feild was all that I imagined Henry to be. Apart from Catherine's imagination scenes, I love this film pieces!
Not only was Mansfield Park the first novel I read, it was also the first Jane Austen film adaptation I watched. So this movie represents the beginning of my love for Jane Austen films.
I loved many of the actors in this film and thought Mansfield Park - the actual estate was beautiful!
It was really hard to name a 3rd because it is probably a tie between Emma (2009), Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Pride and Prejudice (2005). However Emma has been growing on me, it is my least favourite Austen novel but I absolutely loved this version, Romola Garai was Emma and Jonny Lee Miller was a dashing Mr Knightley! It was so close to the novel so I enjoyed it 10 times as much.
Top three Jane Austen characters that "take delight in vexing" you?
Mary is the only character in a novel who has made me want to throw/burn/jump up and down upon a book- and I love my books dearly! Mary is unfeeling, insensitive and altogether crazy! I am not quite sure how long her tales of woe- and excessive complaints go on for in the novel but to me it feels like it continues for pages and pages.
Her terrible comments to Anne and the way she treats Anne as if she is a piece of dirt makes me so mad.
Mrs Ellen is a dear, well-meaning soul but the "That is very disagreeable. I wish we had a large acquaintance here", "upon my word...I wish I had a large acquaintance here with all my heartI had no acquaintance with her!
Mrs Jennings isn't really all that bad she does have good intentions I will admit but she is too fond of socializing and gossip. Once she jumps on the bandwagon there really is no stopping her! She loves a good joke but she has no thought for other peoples feelings and can be quite unfeeling- especially toward poor Marianne.
Which Jane Austen character do you think you're most like?
I found this question really hard to answer but I think I am a most like both Catherine Morland. Like Catherine I was a tomboy as a child but once I reached a certain age I was more interested in finery and pretty things. I am also very much like Catherine in the fact that I tend to have a problem with the whole "fiction vs reality" thing. I often judge certain events and people and compare them to characters and events that happened in novels I read.
Otherwise I am also a little like Elinor, but at times I also think I am a little (very little) bit like Fanny Price as I am quite, shy and largely forgotten in social circles when I am out, but at home in the comfortable setting it is I am much more like Catherine or Elinor.
2 comments:
Again I so enjoyed reading your answers! Catherine and Fanny made my favorite heroine list as well and Jane Bennet is so sweet, I actually like her and identify with her a lot more than Elizabeth.
Oh my goodness! I agree with absolutely everything you said about Henry Tilney! I fell in love with him when I first read the book (in 2001) and have been in love with him ever since! He's actually a bit like my dad which might be why I'm so attracted to his character! Captain Wentworth and Edmund were on my favorites list too and so was Edward Ferrars! Charles Bingley is so nice and a bit of a funny character; he definitely deserves Jane! Okay, so we might have to start an Eleanor Tilney appreciation club! I adore Eleanor almost more than Catherine! Her true elegance is everything I want to be! She's also the Jane Austen character whose back-story I've wanted to write more than any other, I even have the title all planned out!
I did like Northanger Abbey (2007) but J.J. Feild still wasn't Henry Tilney for me. He does have that big boyish countenance but I wish that was balanced more with Henry's good sense. And I wish more of Henry's wonderful witty speeches were included! Felicity Jones was Catherine to me, she's so lovely!
I also did like many of the castings in MP (2007) but it lacked a lot as well. I've often wished that that Catherine Steadman who played Julia would have been cast as Fanny instead of Billie Piper. I'd see Billie in The Ruby In The Smoke before I watched this MP for the first time and I had a bit of hope, but she just missed the mark with Fanny for me. She was too childish and tom boyish, the loose hair and low cut gowns didn't help either. I also wished Lady Bertram was more like the book but I thought the other actors were quite well cast. I love Emma 2009 too! Johnny Lee Miller was so dreamy as Mr. Knightley, I just loved what he did with the character!
Poor Mary! I can just see you jumping up and down on your copy of Persuasion! Ha ha ha! I really like Mrs. Allen, she is a silly character but she's a great source of humor in the book. I love Mrs. Jennings! She really is a kind motherly woman at heart. If she hadn't been looking after Charlotte and the baby she might have had more time to care for Marianne and Elinor. But she did take turns with Elinor at nursing Marianne in the book, she was there when it mattered most and I think that makes up for any teasing or past follies.
Mel, you sound so much like me! I'm very quiet in social circles too, but at heart I'm so much like Catherine. I wasn't as much of a tomboy but I too tend to look at life through books, especially Jane Austen. I'm so glad Ms. Austen wrote her characters and stories so true to life! I've learned so much from her!
~Miss Laurie :)
You made some very shocking statements here! haha ;-)
I just had to say that.
Like, Emma being you're least favorite JA novel? *gasps for breath* And...well, never mind.
Although I did enjoy looking through your post. tehe ;-)
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