We’re doing something a little different this week–a little interactive. This idea started last fall on Twitter, and we thought it would be a fun Friday topic. I asked Patty if she would explain the concept, and she wrote this excellent summary.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen wrote about her characters as sketches of society. Her characters can be so memorable, such as the odious Mr. Collins, that having read the books, you start to see particular traits in people from your life. This attempt to find a human counterpart to the fictional characters is so strong that there are various places where you can find shirts and other memorabilia indicating your strong desire to find Mr. Darcy.
But those characters lived in Regency England, a time whose customs, fashion, and society are very different from ours. But what if Jane Austen had written her books in our present timeline, what would they be doing? Considering the young age of the heroines, they would most likely be around the age of when they would be at University. But what would be everyone’s role? Where would you find Mr. Collins? What classes would Catherine Morland take? Who would be in a sorority or fraternity? Who would have an athletic scholarship?
This is the premise behind Austen University. All of the characters from Jane Austen’s six books will be at Austen University, but what will their new roles be?
I’ll start with Darcy–I picture him as the grad assistant all the freshmen girls have huge crushes on. He’s so hot and so brilliant, and so above it all.
Who’s next?
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Lizzie Bennett is most certainly the president of a sorority! Though she tries to take away the negative sting by doing service projects.
And Mr. Collins is that creepy tenured professor everyone wishes they could fire. LOL
Great idea!
Wickham is an interesting one to think about…My take – George Wickham is attractive, probably rows crew, and is always getting in trouble but using his charm and good looks to get out of it. He manages to present enough of a good guy exterior that he can fool, at least for a time, the Lizzy’s of the world.
Lydia is that girl that is also enrolled in all your classes and you just can’t seem to avoid no matter where you go on campus. She even seems to turn up at the Starbucks when you are there picking up your dose of caffeine adrenaline and you can hear her laughing the second you you’ve placed one toe in the door.
Margaret…yes.
Catherine Morland is the girl who takes all those English Lit classes that sound ‘fun’ and ‘interesting’ and that will never ever ever get her a job.
Also, I say Wickham is the kind of creep that wouldn’t be above roofying a date. Can’t stand that guy….
O.M.G. I AM Catherine Moreland. I always knew it..was kind of holding out hope I could shove myself into the Lizzy mold…but NO! *sobs quietly*
I am Ms. Morland too…
That’s okay, she played base-ball. So that’s a win
Look! It’s Mr. Hurst dancing to Louie Louie right before he pukes on the Dean of Students’ shoes.
*dies*
Mary Bennett is that student in the back of the class who likes to answer all of the prof’s questions just so everyone else knows how much she knows.
And Mary Bennet is that student who asks about homework on a Friday afternoon! Hate that!!
Emma Woodhouse, if she had been allowed to go to college, would be the Queen of the campus. All the boys would want to date her but she has a boyfriend at another school. Everyone wants to be her friend.
Very cool idea! I would say Colonel Brandon could be one of those quiet professors, the slightly more mature but incredibly good looking and quiet type. Doesn’t seem to get real close to anybody, and secretly falls in love with a student, (not his student, but one he meets on campus).
(Ooh, I always wished I had a Col. Brandon type prof.)
Prof. Brandon teaches history, but he has a secret passion for the dramatic arts. He never misses a performance, especially since Marianne became the rising star of the theater department. Her portrayal of Juliet was so vivid it nearly broke his heart, and as he watched her on stage, he silently mouthed Romeo’s lines back to her, pretending he might one day be allowed to say these things out loud to her.
Exactly! LOL!
Admiral Croft would be that freshman core course Prof that everyone likes and knows for all four years. He’s that all the big sporting and social events.
He and his wife host parties for the freshmen designed to help them feel at home here at AustenU. No one knows better what it’s like to be a long way from everything familiar, and Prof. Croft does his best to make all the students comfortable.
The students love him for that, but in spite of his easy nature, he is not a lax teacher. He demands a lot of his students, and they like him enough that they do not want to him down. None of the other entry level professors get as much out of their students as Prof. Croft.
Mr. Collins teaches Comparative Religions and bores everyone to tears.
Frederick Wentworth started at the school, but then transferred to university in Europe to get away from a heartbreak with fellow student.
What a fun idea!
I cannot help think that Lizzy wouldn’t be in a sorority, she would think they are silly and not worth her time…but Caroline Bingley & Louisa would be…and they are trying to “rush” Jane, Lizzy has doubts about it….Lydia picks a sorority that has Keg parties every other night! LOL!
Or Lydia is the still-in-high school girl who hangs all over the college boys at her older sisters’ school. They rather like her forward nature, and willingly invite her to their keg party. But then one thing leads to another, and one night Lydia stays at the frat house in Wickham’s room instead of coming home…
Marianne Dashwood is definitely a drama major. She tries out for all the plays and always wins the leading role. She is a natural at tragedy – crying real tears on cue, death scenes her specialty – and her performance last term in Romeo and Juliet brought the house down. She cannot understand her sensible older sister Elinor (an ecconomics major) and despairs of ever finding a man she can truly love.
Until she meets Willoughby, a fellow drama student who just transferred in from another school. The two costar in this semester’s play, and their on-stage chemistry turns into a passionate romance.
However, Willoughby does not return to AustenU following spring break, and Marianne is heartbroken. She follows him to his home town where she finds him lip locked with another girl–the one locals say is his fiancé. Over a cup of coffee at a diner, the waitresses regale her with tales of his perfidy, hinting darkly that he impregnated one of their coworkers, who was forced to leave her job when her condition kept her home sick too often.
Lady Catherine is the wife of a very rich alumnus and patron of the university who insists that she dictate policy to the Board of Directors and determine the deserving sycophants who get special scholarships to the school.
This would make a great interactive book by the way… the story with many authors!
Mrs. Bennet – Definitely the mom who drops her daughter off on campus and just won’t leave but instead fusses over arranging the room and insisting on meeting all the other residents and their parents and going all over campus embarrassing everyone. Mr. Bennet couldn’t be bothered to help his daughter move in; he drove the car and then hid in the bookstore until it closed.