This presentation asks you to consider the current state of critical discourse in regards to Jane Austen, her novels, and the critical afterlives of both.
Two class sessions will conclude with short presentations each of which takes a single year of Austen criticism (2013 through 2021). Given the seminar’s focus, I’ll expect you to pay particular attention to issues associated with race, imperialism, nationalism, etc., but your presentation should position that work within the full scope of that year’s publications. You do not have to list every piece of scholarship published in your year; instead, you are compiling a representative bibliography reflecting trends.
- Although you will not have to write a formal paper for this presentation, I would like you to prepare a handout for the class that represents your research findings.
- Your goal is to inform the class about the field of Austen criticism during your given year. Which novels were most frequently addressed? Which critical questions were posed? How were they answered?
- Don’t neglect book reviews of current publications.
- Pay particular attention to articles, books, and book reviews that make connections between Austen and her contemporaries, particularly those found on our syllabus.
- Focus on the “important” academic journals in the field, while still acknowledging “popular” journals such as JASNA and various online venues for Austen fans and scholars.
- You’ll want to conclude with analysis of the material, and present the research questions that most matter to you, and that you find productive of further study.
- Your in-class presentation should last no more than 10-12 minutes. You should not read from a script (or your handout) but you should practice what you’re going to say and how you will present your findings. We’ll break for questions after the 3rd presentation, so be prepared to pose questions or conundrums to your fellow students to get them talking.
- Consider presentation methods that allow you to quickly present your findings (i.e. charts, word clouds, graphs, etc.).
- In addition to turning in your handout to me, you are responsible for preparing two bibliographies
- the first should list at least 10-12 sources that you feel best represents the state of critical discourse for your given year and with particular import to our syllabus
- the second should list earlier criticism that was frequently referenced in the articles on the first bibliography
- Please accompany your bibliographies with a short description and analysis of your findings. (In other words, put into prose the information on your handout).