Jane Austen and Clergymen (Or When Assumptions Are Made in High School English)

Mr. Collins in the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice.

It's been a long time since doing a post like this. I've been in a bit of a state of writer's block (and suggestions for posts are welcome!), but then this popped into my head and I thought it would make a great post!

So, one day, I recalled my junior year British Literature class in high school. We were reading Pride and Prejudice (something which I had already done, so I needn't worry -- I aced all my pop quizzes with little trouble) and we came upon the subject of Mr. Collins and how, interestingly enough, Jane Austen's own father was a clergyman. One of the students remarked that because of the representation of clergymen in Mr. Collins, Jane Austen must not have had a very good opinion of the profession.

I didn't say anything.

I probably could have. Should I have? Maybe. But nevertheless, I didn't. How could someone make an assumption on Jane Austen's opinion of clergymen based upon one character in one of her books? That would be like throwing out a notebook because of of the pages is ripped, right?

Clerical Observations
While we can't ask Jane herself what her opinion of clergymen was exactly, we can speculate what it could be. If you delve into Jane Austen's life a little bit, you will find that she was close to her father (a clergyman), attended Church regularly, and even wrote prayers. From this information, we can deduce that she was religious and followed the teachings of the Anglican Church, something that probably wouldn't happen if she didn't respect her father or his occupation. And through her father, she probably would have seen plenty of his colleagues (other clergymen) and, as she did with everyone, observed their behaviors, both good and bad. It's possible these good and bad observations made it into her books as various characters who are apart of the clergy.

Clergymen in Austen's Novels

Mr Elton in the 2009 miniseries of Emma.

Now, if we go beyond Pride and Prejudice, Jane had other clergymen characters in her other books. Aside from Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, there is Mr. Elton from Emma, Dr. Grant and Edmund Bertram from Mansfield Park, Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey, and aspiring clergyman Edward Ferrars from Sense and Sensibility. If you are familiar with Jane's other works, you will see that Mr. Collins isn't the only "bad" clergyman in the list:

• Mr. Elton is a fortune hunter and spiteful. He certainly isn't friendly with Emma after she rejected his marriage proposal, and let's not forget at the Highbury ball when purposely and obviously snubbed Harriet Smith for a dance as a way to humiliate both Harriet and Emma; not the actions of a gentleman to be sure.
• Dr. Grant is glutton (ironically, one of the seven deadly sins) who argues with his wife a lot (leaving his half-sister-in-law, Mary Crawford, to gain a bad opinion of clergymen altogether). 

So, certainly, any fan of Jane Austen cannot claim that Mr. Collins was a fluke and that he was the only "bad" clergyman in all of Jane Austen's novels because he certainly was not. But never fear: there are also "good" clergymen in Jane Austen's novels who are often ignored.

Henry Tilney in the 2007 TV Movie Northanger Abbey

• Edmund Bertram, despite his faults and the fact that he tends to be an unpopular hero, is a decent, moral, and honorable man. He was kind to his cousin, Fanny, when she first came to Mansfield Park when no one else was. 
• Henry Tilney has a good sense of humor, was witty and a good brother, and is kind to Catherine. 
• And Edward Ferrars, despite his faults as well, was still an honorable man. Even though he fell in love with Elinor and was no longer in love with Lucy Steele, he still kept his promise to Lucy. Even though he wasn't a clergyman until the epilogue, I'm going to include him in this list.

So, while there are some "bad" clergymen in Jane Austen's books, she does include a fair amount of "good clergymen" as well. What Jane Austen gave us was a wide range of clergymen: some to show what a clergyman should be and others to show what a clergyman should not be.

How Did We Get Here?

The Mr. Collins Wave

So how did this perception of Jane Austen and clergymen come about? My opinion is that it's due to the Austen books that are popular. Look at Jane's most popular books: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion (although Sense and Sensibility might also tie with Persuasion). Persuasion doesn't really have prominent characters that are clergymen (I almost want to say Captain Wentworth's brother and Charles Hayter were clergymen, but I'm not entirely sure -- but either way, they weren't big enough characters to form a decent opinion on). So, focusing on the top two popular Austen books -- Pride and Prejudice and Emma. Both Pride and Prejudice and Emma feature prominent characters who are clergymen that fall short of what a clergyman should be. The average reader/watcher of Jane Austen doesn't usually know about Henry Tilney or Edmund Bertram because the average reader/watcher has either not read or not heard of Northanger Abbey or Mansfield Park. And although there's Edward Ferrars is in Sense and Sensibility, another popular Austen novel, he isn't a clergyman for most of the book and his aspirations to the clergy are a small detail that, at the very least, movie watchers don't usually pick up on.

What do you think? Do you think the popularity of Pride and Prejudice and Emma are what leads casual Jane Austen fans to think Jane had a low opinion of clergymen? Or is there another issue? Have you noticed similar sentiments about Jane Austen's view of clergymen? Leave comments!

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 God Bless,

The New Layout! *Cue Fanfare*; Layout Version: Elizabeth Bennet

As promised, the new layout has arrived! This layout will probably stay up for a month or two (haven't decided which yet). I think this layout came out pretty well. So, allow me to begin the tour.

This month's theme is Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. I thought that since my pen name is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, I thought it was a good choice for the monthly/bimonthly theme. The header features multiple shots of Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice (1995), and the background is a forest background to match. I will be updating the Facebook header very soon so that it matches the blog's header.

Mrs. Hursts Blue Morning Gown

One of my least favorite gowns in Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Hurst seems to wear this gown a lot. I don't have a picture of the back of this dress, but you can assume that the back is basically a typical Regency dress back.

Front: The fabric of the dress is light blue with a silver fancy diamond pattern. There are six buttons in the front, but these buttons appear to be decorations. This dress is also accessorized with a lace collar, lace shawl/fichu, and mob cap.

Front/Partial Side View: There's a slight puff to the long sleeve. You can also see a full picture of the lace shawl/fichu.

Jane Bennet's Blue Spencers

There are two spencers featured here. I decided to put them into one post because they were so similar and there were only slight differences between them. Like Elizabeth's spencers, Jane's spencers are always paired with a white dress.

Spencer #1 Full View: There are two buttons at the bottom of the spencer that close the spencer.

Spencer #1 Front/Side View: There seem to be decorative buttons on the sleeve with triangular shapes going from the button to the sleeve.



Spencer #2 Front View: Slight differences: instead of only two buttons at the bottom for closure, there appear to be three buttons at the bottom and two more buttons above them.

Spencer #2 Side View: Here appears to be the same spencer as #1 sans buttons at the sides.

I didn't have any pictures of the back view, but I would assume that the back would be the standard Regency back.

Assorted Chemisettes and Kerchiefs/Fichus

Throughout Pride and Prejudice, some characters wear either chemisettes or kerchiefs (fichus). Chemisettes and fichus were worn both for modesty and warmth. They would be tucked into the bodice.

Mrs. Bennet's chemisette: Lots of frills

Kitty and Lydia's chemisettes: Kitty has the chemisette with lots of frills while Lydia has a collar chemisette. I remembered seeing a Simplicity pattern that had a chemisette similar to Lydia's, but I think it's unavailable now. You might have to look at E-bay or other pattern websites.

Mrs. Gardiner's chemisette: Not as many frills as Mrs. Bennet's.

Elizabeth's and Jane's Kerchiefs/Fichus: I wasn't sure what to call them exactly. They are in the shape of fichus, but fichus are usually tucked into the bodice. Pretty much it's a triangular piece of fabric that you can tie as shown. They look like their decorated with some white embroidery on white tulle or some sort of veil fabric.

Kitty Bennet's Purple Spencer

Kitty must only really have one spencer. This is the only spencer that I have seen her in. If you watched the 2007 version of Persuasion, this spencer may look familiar.

Front View: Really, there are only two fabric colors: a purpleish, greyish color (would it be called a light puce?) and a darker purple. The collar and cuffs done in this dark purple appear to be velvet or velour.

Close-up of Front View: There appear to be two darts on Kitty's spencer.

Partial Side View: Just a side view. You get a closer view of the black buttons.

Back View: To me, it looks like the back is one piece, not the typical Regency back with a couple of pieces.

Kitty and Lydia Bennet's Red Cape

Kitty and Lydia have the same exact red cape. In fact, there isn't a scene where one wears it and the other doesn't; they always wear them together. They also wear their usual spencers underneath (notice a little bit of Kitty's purple spencer and Lydia's patterned spencer).

Front View: Both capes are red and are secured with a two ribbons that are tied together in a bow. There is a hood on both...

Back View: And here's the hood! The hood is gathered at the edge. It appears that the hood is a rather large one, probably so the wearer could have their bonnet on and be fully covered by the hood.

Jane Bennet's Pink Summer Gown

This dress is seen on Jane when the weather is warm outside.

Full Front View: The bodice is V-necked and has a darker pink trim around the neck line and waist line. The trim along the neck line criss-crosses. The bottom of the dress is a darker pink then the rest of the dress.

Front View: You can see more detail in the trim on the bodice. There is also a decorate (but smaller than the neckline trim) trim along the bottom of the sleeve. There is also a puff to the sleeve.

Back View: Sorry the picture isn't the best. The pink trim along the waistline continues in the back of the dress.

Assorted Lace Caps

Lace caps were worn by married women or old maids. They came in a variety of styles. Pride and Prejudice features a lot of different lace cap styles. There appear to be three kinds of lace caps in Pride and Prejudice: the lace caps that you see commonly, the mobcap, and the draped cap.

Lace Caps



Mrs. Bennet's Lace Cap: Who could forget Mrs. Bennet's lace cap? It just suits her so well! It seems to be made out of some kind of sheer material. Something that appears to be a little pink flower sits right in the middle of the edge of the cap.

Charlotte's Lace Cap: Charlotte would wear a lace cap before she was married only when going outside in her bonnet (more on that later). But, since she married Mr. Collins, she always wears the lace cap except for some evenings at Rosings. It's a fairly plain lace cap: no ribbons or flowers. There is a little bit of lace with a design, but overall, it's a very plain cap.

Mrs. Philips's Lace Cap: Mrs. Philip's lace cap is decorated very similarly to Mrs. Bennet's. There is a little pink ribbon in the center of the edge. There does seem to be more veiling on her cap then Mrs. Bennet's.

Mobcaps

Mrs. Hurst's Mobcap: Mobcaps were kind of like the lace caps above, but lace caps were a little lighter. They weren't as popular in the Regency era as they had been earlier. Mrs. Hurst has her mobcap trimmed with pink ribbons and ruffles.

Draped Cap

Lady Catherine's Draped Cap: Lady Catherine has the draped cap, which I read at this link was kind of like a skirt placed on top of the head. There was a band of fabric that supported the draped fabric that ran down the sides and back. Lady Catherine's draped cap does have fancy veiling, but it's not as decorated as you would think, since she is rich and we would assume that she would want fancy decorations.

Caps under Bonnets: Of course, some women wore lace caps under their bonnets. You can see here that Mrs. Gardiner and Charlotte both wear lace caps under their bonnets. This picture of Charlotte was from when before she was married; perhaps because she was twenty seven, she thought that she wasn't going to get married?

I used this source to find out information about lace caps: here. If you want to read further, you can try there.

Charlotte Lucas's Evening Gown

Charlotte wears this dress during evening dinners or parties. I didn't get a full picture of the dress, but the pictures I did get would be enough to get a good idea what the dress is like.

Close-up Front View: There is a little split in the sleeves, like it had been pleated so that there is that split. You can also see there is a ribbon in the middle of the neckline. The print of the fabric is striped with dark blue (or navy) and light blue with gold dots that appear to run across the dress like there was ribbon there. The neck line also appears to have a little bit of lace and a darker under dress (there are two parts of this dress which is discussed below).

Partial Full View: A bit cut off, but still provides a lot of detail. The dress is made up of two parts: an overlay and an underdress. The overlay has the navy, light blue, and gold fabric, while the dress has a dark blue (though I'm not sure I would call it navy) with darker blue dots. You can also see the direction the fabric pattern is going for the overlay in this picture.

Side View: Around the slit in the sleeve, there is a gold pattern running down the sleeve. I would say it was a fabric ribbon decoration, since you can still see the pattern through the ribbon. There is also a gold tassel hanging down from the middle of the sleeve. It's hard to see in this picture, but it looks like there is a similar opening on the back of the skirt as there is on the front.

There doesn't appear to be a front or back opening to the overlay, but I would assume that the openings would be on the underdress and that this dress just fits on top of the underdress.

Defining the Austen Heroine - My Guest Post from Between the Covers

I was just thinking about this guest post I did for the blog Between the Covers (now inactive) about defining the Austen Heroine. I thought I would repost this article as a bit of a throw-back and because it really defines the qualities that all Austen characters share. I can't remember when I wrote this, but I think it was more than a year ago.

Defining the Austen Heroine

After reading one of her books, we really get a sense of who Jane Austen's heroines are. We learn their habits, their virtues, their vices, we understand what they are thinking and how they are feeling, we could read a quote and say "Yep, that sounds like a Lizzy Bennet." But what is it that defines an Austen heroine? What characteristics do they all share that define them as Austen heroines? After all, not all Austen Heroines are the same. Jane Austen's heroines reflect people that we may see in our lives (or maybe even ourselves), and though they are not identical, they share similarities that make them heroines. Some could even be considered opposites. For example, Emma Woodhouse from Emma and Fanny Price from Mansfield Park are pretty different when it comes to personality: Fanny is shy, and Emma is outgoing; Fanny has been described as dull, while Emma has been described as vivacious. But despite those differences, they have those qualities that make them heroines (for example, both attend and are involved in their church). As you read this post, keep in mind that some of the characteristics that I mention may apply to some heroines more than others.

Reader Question #15: Wickham in Love with Elizabeth?

This week's Reader Question comes from Birdie from Lady of the Manor:

Do you think Wickham was maybe (on the way to) falling in love with Elizabeth?

Reader Question #14: Willoughby vs Wickham

It's that time of week again! This is another Reader Question from Charity from Austenitis. Charity asked:

What are the similarities and differences between Willoughby and Wickham?

Reader Question #13: Introducing Someone to Jane Austen

Continuing with the questions that Charity from Austenitis sent me, it's time for another Reader Question! Charity asked:

If you had a friend who had never watched a period drama, but was ready to start with a Jane Austen film...which one would you recommend?

Sewing -- My Regency Bonnet

This week I got back into sewing after sewing my Downton Abbey outfit (I needed a little break after all the work I put into that outfit). So what did I sew this week? My very own Regency Bonnet to go with my Regency Era dress that I made over a year ago.

The bonnet that I decided to make is a reproduction of Elizabeth Bennet's tan bonnet from Pride and Prejudice (1995).

Guest Post by Melody -- English Country Dancing

Hello, all! I'm Melody from Regency Delight ~Jane Austen, &c.~, and I am quite honored to be posting for Miss Elizabeth today during this busy time in her life.

I'm here to talk about a subject I find quite delightful: English Country Dancing.  Do you know what that is? Hopefully you do to some extent. If you've ever watched a Jane Austen movie (which I most certainly hope you have!) you should have at least a vague idea, because you've seen it. Anything in Pride and Prejudice (1995) represents it very well... Sense and Sensibility (1995) can work too, although I've never done dances quite like in that one. The first dance at the ball in Emma (2009) is a good example, although the following two (though I love them) are a little bit different from the ECD stereotype. (ECD is English Country Dancing abbreviated, and that's how I intend to refer to it the rest of the time.) And yes, even the Miramax Emma and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice have ECD in them (although everything in those ones seem rather modernized, the dancing probably not excluded). Even some other period dramas set in the first half of the 19th century will have it; Wives & Daughters, for instance.

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

Dan Stevens as Mr. Darcy?

I had begun to hear reports about new adaptations of Pride and Prejudice... Not direct adaptations, but... maybe spin-off is another word for it? I heard about two new spin-off movies coming out: one is about the staff at Longbourn during the events of Pride and Prejudice (trying to come off of the success of Downton Abbey, perhaps?) and another that would be an adaptation to the P&P sequel Death Comes to Pemberley. And then yesterday, I happened upon this article...

Will Dan move from Downton to Pemberley?

Fitzwilliam Darcy, one of the most famous romantic heroes in English literature, is making a comeback. The BBC will air an adaptation of the PD James novel Death Comes To Pemberley (a "sequel" to Pride And Prejudice), which sees Darcy and Elizabeth six years after their marriage and with two children.

It could also see a return to another period hunk, Dan Stevens, who may step into the role made famous in recent times by Colin Firth. According to yesterday's Sunday Times, Stevens is "a front-runner" to land the part...

Read More (But Beware of Downton Abbey Spoilers)

Pride and Prejudice Trivia Game Answers

The trivia game has officially closed! Thank you to all the participants. Here are the answers to the trivia questions!

Pride and Prejudice on Wishbone

Ever wanted to introduce a young relative to classic works of literature? Namely Pride and Prejudice? Let me recommend the 90s show Wishbone to you! I myself watched this show growing up and to this day I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to introduce young audiences. Since it is the 200th Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, I am posting both parts of the Pride and Prejudice episode (appropriately called "Furst Impressions" referencing the original title "First Impressions") that has been posted on YouTube. Sure, a lot of it has been compressed (it was a half hour show, after all!), but it's great for introducing Jane Austen!

 

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 God Bless,

Elements of Pride and Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice

And, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, I have prepared a small article analyzing pride and prejudice in Pride and Prejudice.

Us fans of Pride and Prejudice may often encounter this question: who has pride and who has prejudice in Pride and Prejudice? Surely, one character has pride and the other has prejudice, right? In fact, there are even a couple of versions of Pride and Prejudice out there that simplify it that much: Mr. Darcy was proud and Elizabeth was prejudiced. But my opinion, however, is that it's a little more complicated than that.