Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen's "Own Darling Child"

Location:

Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, North Greene Street, Greensboro, NC, USA

Cost:

$ 60.00 per person

Duration:

1h 30min

About this experience

Thursdays, 1:30 – 3:00 pm 
October 16 – October 30

 

2025 is the 250th birthday of British writer Jane Austen, and this occasion has been celebrated worldwide this year with literary conferences, exhibitions, and festivals galore. Author of only six complete novels before her death at the age of 41, the most popular and frequently adapted is unquestionably Pride and Prejudice. Austen herself was extremely excited about receiving her copy of the novel, and in a letter to her sister Cassandra refers to it as “my own darling child.” Pride and Prejudice’s first sentence alone is a strong contender for the most famous opening line in English literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." This novel, however, is so much more than its first sentence. Originally entitled “First Impressions,” Austen expertly explores the mishaps that result from mistakes of pride and prejudice, as well as the lack of options for the majority of Regency women who have no wealth to call their own. In this three-part class, we, too, will observe the birthday of Jane Austen with our own discussion of Pride and Prejudice, examining its multiple themes, enjoying its wit and humor, and considering why this singular novel has generated the plethora of adaptations that it has in recent years. (Carolyn recommends the Fourth Norton Critical Edition, Edited by Donald Gray and Mary A. Favre) 

  1.  Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Background and Volume One
  2. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Volume Two
  3. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Volume Three & Film and Book Adaptations 

 

Refund Policy

To receive a refund, a written request must be received 3 business days before the first class. A $25 processing fee will be deducted from the refund. Cancellation requests received less than 3 business days before the first class but before the second meeting will receive a 50% refund.  ALL written requests should be emailed to emeritus@spartanstrategiesinc.org or mailed to the address below.

Spartan Strategies, Inc.
Attn: Emeritus Society
5900 Summit Avenue, #201
Browns Summit, NC  27214

Your Host

Dr. Carolyn J. Brown (MA and Ph.D., UNC-Greensboro) is a teacher, writer, editor, and independent scholar. Winner of the 1991 UNCG Dissertation Award, her areas of specialty are medieval, Renaissance and 18th-century literature. She is the author of five works of nonfiction, including award-winning biographies of Mississippi writers Eudora Welty and Margaret Walker. In addition, she has published articles in several peer-reviewed journals, most recently on Jane Austen. She also is a member of UNCG’s Arts and Humanities Advancement Council and teaches continuing education classes in Chapel Hill.