The lost art of letter writing

Hello fellow bloggers,
Mrs Doctor Who has declared that she has grown some brain cells as a direct result of her literature studies. Could this be quantified? How many brain cells? What was there before? Is there a direct correlation between growth of said cells and Pride and Prejudice? Hmmm... much to ponder.

Even more interesting to ponder, and I'd like your thoughts on this, is the way we all communicate with each other. Regularly, there will be an article in the papers or magazines, lamenting that people no longer write letters - really write, pen to paper. JC still does, but I fear I'm in the minority.

What are the pros and cons of letter writing? Why do people not write letters any more? How do we relay important information? What forms of communication do you use? Do you choose different forms for different purposes? What form of communication do you use to sympathise with a friend if you have heard bad news; to let a friend know of a change in plans; to exchange casual news about your holidays; to let someone know they have offended or hurt you? How did the characters in P+P communicate news?
There are a couple of very well known letters in the novel, but I think you'd be surprised at how many letters there are!

Over to you for your thoughts. Frosty, what will we do without Little Dorritt in our lives? Jonathan Creek is back on ABC at 8:30 tonight - for those of you who have never watched this wonderful crime show , it's worth a look. It's funny, quirky, puzzling, and the mystery is intricately woven.
JC

I wonder what they ate?

In Austen's time, their day was structured very differently to ours. What did they eat, and when, and how was their day puntuated by activities?
Apparently, people did not rise and eat breakfast as we do now. Instead, they would dress for chores, and eat late morning. So, if they rose at 7, they may spend time with the livestock, or working around their house, or garden, and then eat at 10.
Can anyone find out more about the way a typical day ( if there is sucha thing) was structured?

An Accomplished Woman - a discussion post

What an archaic notion! Or is it?

This term is used in more than one of Austen's novels, and her readers would have understood what was meant.
What do you think this concept of an Accomplished Woman was in Austen's time?
Is this concept evident today? If it is, what attributes would the accomplished woman of 2010 possess? Would you use the term?

What accomplishments in Austen's time would be considered redundant, or unnecessary, today? Are any still worthwhile, or valued?

Over to you. JC

TwitteringAusten

Hello everyone,
Have read that all the main "Pride and Prejudice" characters are on Twitter! An article in Saturday's "Age" lists their Twitter addresses, and which is the most authentic to follow. If, indeed, a tweet from the early 19th century Lydia Bennet is authentic!

www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/twittering-austen

How the Bard is ever with us...

Hello, it seems we have all had our heads down and are now emerging - to prepare for holidays and to begin the next phase of our literary journey!
On the ABC Radio website, there is a very amusing little gadget you can download. Ringtones for your phone, and they are John Bell reciting lines of Shakespeare! So instead of the usual clamour that assaults your ears, you can instead listen to his mellifluous (WHAT is that word?) tones wondering whether "To be, or not to be".

Posting over the holidays, each of you must contribute, we're all looking forward to reading each others posts.

Bon weekend. JC

Questions

Hello everyone,

The weather was lovely over the weekend, wasn't it?

I received a lovely card from Lisa Gorton , after I wrote to her thanking her for wonderful insight into Donne. She thanked us for our enthusiasm, and for the warm reception she had from our class. A credit to you all.

Can you please access your email for further information regarding Wednesday.

Mrs Dr Who and RS, can you please email me so I have your addresses, as these were not given to me earlier.

Thanks, hope you're all feeling rested and well.

JC

After the Play

Hello, great to read that so many of you enjoyed the play.

I thought it was a fine production, and enjoyed thinking about the points of difference. It is always enlightening to read or watch someone elses interpretation. This helps me take stock of my own preconceived ideas and challenge my thinking.

While it is routinely accepted that there were "Two Wicked Sisters" who banded together against Cordelia, the text, in the opening scene, doesn't present us with evidence that they were against her, so it is perfectly plausible that they would have some affection towards her - especially if I consider that they are experts at deceipt and cunning. So whilst I was surprised that the director Marion Potts had them all grasping each others hands, and that G + R were saddened that C had been banished, I can accept the idea - given the written text doesn't contradict this. What a great essay topic that would make, to consider the ways in which the daughters are presented on stage and how the portrayal concurs or contradicts your ideas gleaned from the written text! Feel like putting pen to paper and writing a response to that now!

Remember, the performance is a text too.

Enjoy your weekend and exam prep. Once again there is lots of great reading in the weekend Age, especially the A2 Arts and Culture section - some interesting book reviews. I enjoy reading the reviews, as a well-written review says so much more than whether the text was bad or good, or enjoyable. In Unit 3 and 4 Lit you are required to critique a review, so it's a good idea to get used to the structure and language of a book review.
More on this next semester.


The questions for Wednesday will be posted shortly.

JC