Thank you very much indeed for watching my channel. Do leave your comments below. Do you have any examples of Austenian, or other, prosopopoeic ekphrasis?

@beabarber4300

7 ай бұрын

Gilbert & Sullivan - Ruddigore. The portraits actually do come to life to comic effect.

@coloraturaElise

7 ай бұрын

Not sure this one exactly fits the definition, but when Lizzy is looking at Darcy's portrait at Pemberley, it says "...as she stood before the canvas, on which he was represented, and fixed his eyes upon herself, she thought of his regard with a deeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before; she remembered its warmth and softened its impropriety of expression." I've always interpreted this to mean that Lizzy feels the portrait is looking at her and smiling at her (as she mentions earlier in the description). The other example is the very famous last line Austen ever wrote, in Sanditon, when Charlotte is looking around the sitting room of Lady Denham and sees a large portrait. "Poor Mr. Hollis! It was impossible not to feel him hardly used: to be obliged to stand back in his own house and see the best place by the fire constantly occupied by Sir Henry Denham."

@coloraturaElise

7 ай бұрын

I think I may have found another one. In looking into Persuasion Chapter 6 in response to another comment in this thread, I saw this passage: "...Anne's heart must be in Kellynch again. A beloved home made over to others; all the precious rooms and furniture, groves, and prospects, beginning to own other eyes and other limbs." So the inanimate objects own the new people who have moved in, and not the other way around. It reminds me of Marianne's words at the end of Chapter 5 of Sense and Sensibility to Norland and its trees, who she describes as being unconscious and insensible to the changes, so I don't think that one really works, does it?

@mariavent9620

7 ай бұрын

For an easier understanding (προσωποποίηση) personification in English means to give human action or behaviour in things like objects or animals ! A great example are Aesop's fables or Alice in Wonderland! 😊

@archie6945

7 ай бұрын

Never had heard either term before, and like Austen's neighbour haven't read any of the novels quite often enough to have memorised them; but I am currently going through Northanger Abbey again & I will try to keep a lookout.... surely Catherine's bedchamber at the Abbey is going to throw up an example!

Dr. Cox, how we missed you🥰🥰🥰

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

Ha! - thanks for watching

@tangentreverent4821

7 ай бұрын

No joke, we did.

@katinphilly1312

7 ай бұрын

Yes!

@alexmatthewmom

7 ай бұрын

Agreed!

@Ice_Bear_Quilts

7 ай бұрын

Great to have new content, thank you!

I'm convinced Mary Musgrove had a hangover when she 'thinks herself ill' in the morning, but is recovered by lunchtime...

@yarnover

Ай бұрын

I really like that idea.

@cat_pb

Ай бұрын

That makes so much sense

OMG!!! You’ve been missed, Dr. Cox. Your work is fantastic. Please stay forever 😅

That passage has always struck me as ironic because the Musgroves really live rather modestly, and when not modestly, they live with generosity and attention to the needs of others. Exactly opposite of Anne's family. The paintings are presented as though a living, active, and legitimate part of the family. Very differently from how Mrs. Clay mentions "these valuable pictures of yours" two chapters earlier at Kellynch, implying that they are possessions of the family that have status, and give status, but have no obvious life or identity outside of their value.

@cminmd0041

7 ай бұрын

That’s a really good point! Despite Sir Walter obsessively reading the book about his ancestors he really doesn’t care about their portraits or leaving Kellych behind as long as no one thinks less of him for it.

@DayneandtheStars

Ай бұрын

That's a great observation! 😮

Could you do a video essay on Mrs Clay? I've always been confused on what happened with her marriage, where her kids are, what her class is, and how she's able to live with the Elliotts for so long?

@kumaridesilva3992

Ай бұрын

Mrs Clay is genteel enough to get a job as a lady's companion, but poor enough (I am assuming she is a widow) that she has to board her kids out with someone more poor than herself while she works. She's able to live with the Elliotts as long as she does because Mr Elliott wishes to be surround by beauty and his daughter needs a more interesting companion than her sister Anne

@bookmouse2719

Ай бұрын

@@kumaridesilva3992 Beauty? Freckles. They want to be flattered more like.

To me,.it always seemed that Ann as a character was so torn between her sensible adherence to what society and her family required, when what she'd always wanted was freedom, which in this case would have meant marrying an unsuitable man. A NAVY man. I could easily see her - getting on with the Musgroves as she did - seeing the paintings as judging her and them as her own family - and society - would. My favorite part of the BBC production is when the girls spill the beans: Mrs. Musgrove didn't give a fig about convention/precedent... it was the cake she wanted. Woman after my own heart.

The Musgroves are one of my favorite Austen families. So excited to do a deep dive on them!

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

Yes, I agree - they're an interesting family, and Mr and Mrs Musgrove are rather unusual in JA's fiction in being one of the few sets of parents we meet who are, on the whole, good admirable parents.

@c.w.8200

7 ай бұрын

In contrast to some other Austen families, I wouldn't mind to be a Musgrove, they seem alright 😂

@naturalobservations5321

7 ай бұрын

My favorite scene is when they're talking to Captain Wentworth about his various voyages and then looking up his ships as he tells stories. It's so warm and inviting with just enough underlying character tension to keep the plot moving.

Another example is when Elizabeth sees the portrait of Darcy at Pemberley. It's a pivotal moment in the novel. Austen gives us a deep interaction between the two which doesn't actually include one of the characters. Darcy's stand-in acts like the letter, bridging the gap between the two and bringing them closer before his unexpected arrival. Also, welcome back! We missed you very much. I assume you have a new position, judging by the different living quarters? 🙂

@FitzDarcy-yc6ql

7 ай бұрын

I totally agree.

What strikes me about Austen using these literary devices to introduce the Musgroves is how they endorse the benign chaos of the household rather than - as might have been expected - condemning it.

@lizziebkennedy7505

7 ай бұрын

Absolutely. Richer than the Bennets, and that’s not the only contrast!

@--enyo--

7 ай бұрын

I mean, it’s how most families are, really. I grew up as the oldest of seven and it’s just chaos. 🤣

@naturalobservations5321

7 ай бұрын

Benign chaos! I love it!

@asmrwithdora8464

7 ай бұрын

@@naturalobservations5321

@MindiB

7 ай бұрын

Absolutely. I think Austen approved of the humility and lack of pretension that the Musgroves embodied. They stand in stark contrast to Anne’s own father and sisters’ shameless social climbing, snobbery, and chilly interpersonal demeanor. The fact that Anne enjoys the Musgroves’ company more than that of her own family is a sign of our heroine’s empathy and common sense.

I've missed your videos and rewatched several today. I was so excited when this upcoming video appeared in my recommendations. I can hardly wait for it to air! Thanks!

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

It's my pleasure, Debbie! Thank you so much for watching

So lovely to see your face and hear your golden voice! I love Austen's treatment of the Musgroves. She seems very tender of them while being very clear about their flaws.

​I love this. It is so easy to miss these very telling moments. You make us want to go back to the text and follow on. Wonderful writing by Austen and brilliant analysis by Doctor Cox again.

What a treat! When I read this passage about the Musgroves, I laughed out loud and thought no more about it. Now I am thinking more about it...

This spring I've read Charlotte Bronte's Villette and it was amazing experience. I've noticed that this book doesn't get much of attention on KZread. I'm very disappointed! Maybe one day you will talk about it as well? I'm very eager for any kind of analysis from you!

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

_Villette_ is a great novel! I'd like to do more Brontë videos in the future... Thank you so much for watching my videos, and for enjoying my analyses.

@mesamies123

7 ай бұрын

​@@DrOctaviaCoxPlease, don't forget Anne's Agnes and/or Tenant if you consider talking about one (or all!) of the three great sisters! Thank you for this brilliant analysis of the Musgroves in Austen's Persuasion!! 🙂❤🌹

@victoriagill1588

7 ай бұрын

I have never read it and your reading of just made me laugh out loud. I did not see the word Claptrap coming...and it was brilliant.I will be doing so now!

SHE'S BACK!!!! The gasp I gave when I saw this video pop up in my feed! Gonna make myself a cup of tea and sit down and enjoy!

In Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" in the Pemberly hall of family portraits, Elizabeth describes the portraits as not anything that would capture the attention of a stranger. Then she sees the one of Darcy and notices a smile that she had sometimes seen before. In the next paragraph Austen writes "and as [Elizabeth] stood before the canvas, on which he was represented, and fixed his eyes upon herself . . ." would the "fixed his eyes upon herself" be close to bringing life to that portrait? It's not the same as in "Persuasion", but could it have given Austen the idea of a painting becoming animated?

@user-lo5lu9rc4n

7 ай бұрын

Thank you for another wonderful video. We've missed you! (Your hair looks terrific by the way)

@elisaangel9789

7 ай бұрын

@@user-lo5lu9rc4n You should post this to the main part of the comment section, so Dr. Cox sees it more easily. I totally agree with your comment, btw: I've missed her posts, and her new hair cut is super pretty.

Can’t wait for the next video! I got the ‘What Matters in Jane Austen’ book recommended in a past episode and can highly recommend for any other fans of this channel. It’s also prompted me to re-read the books again. 🤣 Looking forward to more content.

@rosezingleman5007

7 ай бұрын

I’m about to start reading that book too. In Dr Cox’s absence, I’ve been watching John Mullan’s videos in between rereading Persuasion.

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

I'm glad you found the recommendation useful - anything that gets people re-reading Austen gets a thumbs up from me! Thank you for watching and supporting my work.

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

John Mullan's work is great! And he's a very engaging speaker too. Thanks for watching today.

@--enyo--

7 ай бұрын

@@rosezingleman5007Thanks, I’ll check them out if they’re on KZread.

@--enyo--

7 ай бұрын

@@DrOctaviaCoxThank you for the video!

Now this is a comeback. 😊 Huge thank you for these videos, very insightfull, and always delightfull. Exactly what we need in these times.❤

Good to see you back.

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

Excellent to be back! Thanks for watching

It's always a treasured time when you impart your close reading of Austen -- I've read and loved the novels for many years but where you take us is utterly uncharted territory -- thank you as always for sharing your expertise 💜

Ooo, what a lovely surprise!

@DrOctaviaCox

7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@mrs.manrique7411

7 ай бұрын

“Framing of these paintings…” oh you were so happy when you said that. 😁😅😊 I wish camera angles in films were more diverse, like the framing of the written word can be. Imagine a camera “passing through” a wall out the other side to peer at the Musgroves, and in a later scene we see from the opposite end of the room that there are portraits adorning the wall from whence came the camera. We would then become the portraits.

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

@@mrs.manrique7411 Ooh, I like that! I'm always thinking of how Austen could be filmed. It requires more imagination than it usually gets.

Our queen of Austen is back 👏🏼🎉👸

Welcome back! So pleased to have you post again. You're a little ray of light in a dark world, Octavia.

Oh yay! Dr. Cox is back! Hope your new role has been fulfilling ❤

What a wonderful and welcome surprise! So grateful you dedicated the time to make this!

So great to see another video and hear your analysis! I think there's yet another layer to this passage. Most of Persuasion is filtered through the consciousness of Anne Elliot. I read this passage as Anne's amusement at the scene before her, so we, the readers, watch Anne watching the portraits, watching the present day Musgroves. And, it's funny! Girls, in Austen are often amusing - think of the younger Bennet girls buying hats they hate, really, but they can always pull them to pieces and remake them - however, the author's gentle mockery never crushes them, unlike some other writers of the day. The portraits are presumed to disapprove of "the overthrow of all order and neatness", but does Anne? Do we? There is an implied contrast between the representations of the dead gentlemen and ladies in their outdated brown velvets and blue satins, and the liveliness of the clutter of little tables, musical instruments, fashion and fresh flowers. What is life, but messy confusion, "a state of alteration, perhaps of improvement"? We cannot know the future, but there is room for hope. We have also heard about the Elliot ancestors - and "all the Elizabeths and Marys they married", who would no doubt also be shocked at the present Sir Walter and the changes he brings to the family's dignity and good order. In the end, Anne escapes the dead hand of her family, and takes a massive gamble on the future. She is the only Austen heroine whose future home is unknown to us, and whose husband's Naval career is the epitome of risk, but we're rooting for her, and so is Jane Austen.

@ruthfeiertag

7 ай бұрын

Excellent insights. Thank you.

@trembletea

7 ай бұрын

You make an excellent point - the seemingly timid, retiring Anne makes the biggest gamble of any Austen heroine!

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

​@@trembletea She does! I love Anne. It all makes sense when you see it as a post-war novel - deference to elders is out the window, there is a new awareness that life is precarious (look at Louisa! look at poor Fanny Harville!) and the battered and wounded survivors must trust to their own feelings, their own courage and luck, for guidance.

@trembletea

7 ай бұрын

@@londongael414 I have always loved Anne too and actually aspired to be like her- the way she supported the Musgroves after Louisa’s accident is how I would hope to behave. But I never thought of her in the light of a courageous risk-taker. She was, of course, courageous in the sense of not caring what anybody thought about her friendship with the “lowly” Mrs. Smith. But now I also see it in the way you mean. Persuasion is such a deep novel, it’s my favorite Austen…

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

@@trembletea Anne learns to take a risk - Lady Russell's advice is all on the side of caution. No bad thing in itself, but things are different now. Her implicit rejection of Mr Elliot is also courageous - he offers her the safety of the past, of being the mistress of her much-loved, familiar home, and the chance to be an important person in her own family (at last!) . And she has pretty much despaired of Wentworth at that point. But, at the last minute, Wentworth offers Anne something she has never had - not passionate love alone, but an ally with whom to face whatever life throws at them, a community to belong to, someone who sees her for who she truly is. With that, she can deal with whatever comes. I agree she's a great role model - she is kind to everyone, even when it isn't easy - her whiny sister, Mary; her badly behaved nephews; Louisa and Henrietta, who must be very tedious with their newfound "fine Naval fervour"; creepy, clingy Captain Benwick...just everyone. A deep novel, indeed.

scholars are such dedicated dorks and i simply just adore them....having read a novel or poem i go to their door and pay the price of admittance, as the door opens the hallways where my mind wandered are aglow....my hand is gently taken and i enter...here we pause in alcoves i mindlessly walked past, pictures on the wall i have been shone a deeper depth as we make our way into the functioning parts, the kitchen, its menu, depth of the library, deeper depths of conversations in the sitting room, dining is bejeweled with missed nuances, up the stairs into the lives behind the door the meaning to conversations that trailed off into the night's mist....and then the attic ladder drops....here is what is behind the masks in trunk covered with webs and dust....and for the pittance of a novel's price, i leave richer than with a leprechaun's pot of gold....scholars are such dedicated dorks and i simply just adore them

I always enjoy your presentations, and in the case of this particular video I have the added pleasure of knowing that no one is going to test me on the content and therefore I will not have to learn to spell prosopopoeic ekphrasis!

This is one of my favorite passages in Persuasion. It is lightly humorous and sets the scene of the Musgrove household and family. They are a happily chaotic and loving.

Thank you Octavia, that was a fascinating insight into a tiny, almost throw away literary device that I had never noticed in Persuasion. Nor had I considered that there might be a theme of post-war uncertainty around changes to society running through the novel. My only complaint about your video is that you've made us wait so long to hear from you! Thank you again 🙂

I squealed in excitement upon seeing this video appear in my feed

While not exactly the same, what came to mind immediately was Chapter Two of "Our Mutual Friend" which described the Veneerings as "bran-new people in a bran-new house in a bran-new quarter of London..." and then goes on to describe their furnishings in detail as a way to describe and contrast the "modern" Veneerings with the older families of the town.

I so appreciate the commentary on the post-war context. Persuasion may be my favorite of her novels, and I must sadly admit I never made the connection to what must have been vast changes materializing as Austen wrote.

I just love watching your videos. Usually multiple times to really appreciate every sentence. I love Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters but there are so many things I only learned to think about by watching your videos. Please never stop making them.

@micheleainsworth1709

7 ай бұрын

I totally agree with watching the video multiple times! I always receive a deeper understanding and appreciation!

Reminded me of the fact that in Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley one) the director did a whole sequence of panning around classic sculptures at Pemberley, as seen through Elizabeth’s eyes. In this case it was one visual art describing another. Don’t know if it worked though. Anyway, thank you for the new video!

Yay! A new Dr. Cox video! A good day. 😊

The image of the portraits staring in astonishment is also very funny. Her comedy is top notch!

I can listen to this all day every day

Wow - this gives a whole new way of looking at the relationship between Anne and Wentworth, with Wentworth representing the new, post-war man. Another example might be Elizabeth Bennet looking at Darcy's portrait in the gallery at Pemberly, seeing an expression on his face she had sometimes seen when he looks at her, and tryiing to fix his eyes upon herself. She is seeing him differently and projects her changing feelings onto the portrait.

The Musgroves’ home and all this description doesn’t stand alone though. It is in context of and contrast to the home Anne came from where we hear a lot about mirrors and formality. It’s a different sense of family history.

@RobynCoburn

7 ай бұрын

I kept thinking about this and it occurred to me that Sir Elliot was always looking at his ancestors (for his validation) while at the Musgrove’s house the ancestors are shown “looking at” their descendants. And Lady Musgrove is always thinking about her children including “poor Richard”.

I love learning the story behind the story of Dr. cox. 🥰🥰🥰🥰

She’s back! Yeah! Exphrasis! I would like to see that picture of Cleopatra!

Wonderful video! I'd love you to do one on the Gardners in comparison to Mr & Mrs Bennett ❤

I know this is an old video so you might not see this but thanks to your videos I’ve learned to analyse books I’m reading a bit better. Having never done it in school and studying the natural sciences at university I’ve never had the opportunity to learn but now I’ve even taken one literature course and will take another one in a couple of weeks! 😊

This notification made my day. I missed you Dr Cox ❤

I never knew I’d be so excited to watch a KZread video about prosopopeic explosives. An enjoyed it I did!

I have always liked this passage because it seems to bring us into the room with the characters. I feel as if this close reading gives me a better understanding of what the significance of the passage is.

I can't believe you uploaded and I didn't know for 5 WHOLE DAYS.

I know some examples of ekphrasis from German literature. Eduard Moerike wrote a poem on a beautiful lamp. Nobody recognizes its value as work of art but the poet does. Observing and describing the lamp teaches him about what art is: it is perfectly content in itself. In Adalbert Stifter's Late Summer, a development novel (Bildungsroman), works of art play a crucial role in the formation of the hero's character. It takes him years to reach the level of maturity that allows him to appreciate a classical statue, and in a way, this moment of recognition is a breakthrough in his personal development. Theodor Fontane's L'Adultera even takes its name from a painting that plays a small but important role in the novella. It foreshadows the adultery that takes place after the painting is introduced into a household. Thomas Mann describes in Dr. Faustus musical compositions that he invented (with the help of Adorno), but also a crucial description of a Beethoven sonata. I don't know whether there's a special word for the verbal description of music but it's masterful. Thank you for this wonderful video, it's always a happy moment when I see you uploaded something new! Btw, Elizabeth Bennet's interactions with Wickham's and Darcy's portraits are illuminating as well, but they're not described in detail. But the human ability to "read" visual information and process it is important in everyday life, and also in literature.

I’m so glad to see you again!

Dr.Cox ! We miss you! Truly hope your professorship is going well, but come back to us soon!!!! Also everyone on anything British history or British literature is just twaddle compared to yours!

Wow, that's fascinating... I had not thought of it that way =D It has been a while since I'd read Persuasion but I do remember the intro to the Musgroves. I had always thought that it was interesting that we're shown Mary's point of view on them. It seemed like the description of the Musgroves was a little negative - like "what a disaster they are!". I thought the Musgroves were lovely in contrast to the Elliots, the only exceptions were Anne and Mary who seemed to belong in the opposite family. =D

You have been absolutely missed!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love your lessons

You've helped me scratch an itch I never knew I had 😄 Arthur Conan Doyle to an extent was an authour with a love of ekphrasis, perhaps not at the level of the dictionary definition, but definitely more than just describing something with a couple of words. From _The Hound Of The Baskervilles_ (1902), describing Dr James Mortimer: "He was a very tall, thin man, with a long nose like a beak, which jutted out between two keen, grey eyes, set closely together and sparkling brightly from behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He was clad in a professional but rather slovenly fashion, for his frock-coat was dingy and his trousers frayed. Though young, his long back was already bowed, and he walked with a forward thrust of his head and a general air of peering benevolence." (Conan Doyle, 7) and from _The Musgrave Ritual_ (1893), describing a chest: "At one side of this was a squat, brass-bound wooden box, the lid of which was hinged upwards, with this curious old-fashioned key projecting from the lock. It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust, and damp and worms had eaten through the wood, so that a crop of livid fungi was growing on the inside of it. Several discs of metal, old coins apparently, such as I hold here, were scattered over the bottom of the box, but it contained nothing else." (Conan Doyle, 7) All text was obtained from sherlock-holm.es/pdf/a4/1-sided/ The question I have is: Have I correctly identified ekphrasis, or is this level of description not detailed enough to satisfy the definition? In any case, many thanks again for making such enlightening videos for those of us passionate about the same things you are 😊

Wow, what a lovely surprise. Look forward to watching this. Glad to see you back, doc.

Ohhh I love your videos!!! Thank you for posting them!

A Dr Octavia Jane Austen November Special, goodie! Can we dare hope for a Dr Octavia Christmas Special from 🎅 too?

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

That's a great idea!

@nicolamarchbank1846

7 ай бұрын

A series of Seasonal Specials to keep the channel ticking over the course of the next couple of years. Perhaps for next year The Duchess of Malfi as a Halloween Special? 🕯☠👸👻🏰🕯 Excellence! @londongael414

How interesting to learn that Persuasion was begun only six weeks after the battle of Waterloo. This was not only the end of a long war, but, let's not forget, a victory, albeit one gained at great cost. It was obvious to any thinking person at the time that this was a watershed in history. Persuasion is full of that victorious optimism, of a sense of history (as we see in this passage), and of a post-war letting go of old certainties - indeed, of the very notion of certainty. The Elliots have Tudor and Stuart names: Walter, Elizabeth, Mary, Anne, recalling the infatuation with the Stuarts of that self-described "partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian", teenaged Jane Austen. They are all frozen in the past at the start of the story. Anne is named after a Stuart monarch who overthrew her father, Elizabeth after a Virgin Queen, the last of her line, reflecting the sisters' fates - Anne breaking free of the past, Elizabeth and her father remaining frozen and increasingly irrelevant to the changing world around them. Anne declines the temptation to be the living embodiment (or rather, simulacrum) of the past, which marriage to William Walter Elliot, and succession to her mother's name, title and home, would represent. Her "victory" also comes at great cost - loss of her beloved home, and virtual estrangement from her family and the certainties she grew up with. At the end of the novel, the characters converge on Bath - once a Roman city, now full of brand new neoclassical architecture, an illusion of the past, a place where transient and displaced people reinvent themselves, for good or ill. Anne ultimately rejects the ostensibly sound advice of the older Lady Russell, and choses a self-made man whose family connections are unknown - all we know is that he is *not* one of the aristocratic, Irish Wentworths. His Germanic forename, Frederick, is associated with the supplanting, Hanoverian ruling dynasty. The war has changed him from a penniless, unconnected bad bet in the marriage stakes, to a rich, successful man. Their marriage comes about because he is also capable of a change of heart. Mr Elliot has changed too, but only superficially, acquiring a new liking for the advantages of title and family connection, while remaining a predatory, ruthless man at heart, and there is every possibility that the new mistress of Kellynch will be the jumped-up chancer, Mrs Clay. In the end, Anne sails off the edge of the novel, in her "very pretty landaulette", not to an ancient estate and stable prosperity, but into the utterly blank, risky, exciting Future. It is Austen's most radical novel.

@ruthfeiertag

7 ай бұрын

I love your observations. Thank you.

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

@@ruthfeiertag Thank *you*! Great to see old friends in the comments!

@MsJubjubbird

7 ай бұрын

Jane's cousin in law was part of the French aristocracy that was executed in the revolution. So this would have had a personal impact on her

@ruthfeiertag

7 ай бұрын

@@MsJubjubbirdI didn’t know that. Do you have any idea how that affected her?

@MsJubjubbird

7 ай бұрын

@@ruthfeiertag Well much I imagine as her widowed cousin then married Jane's closest brother. Susan of Lady Susan is said to be based off her in terms of the glamour, sophistication and shrewd manner- though Jane was very fond of her cousin. Her name is Eliza Feuillide if you wanted to look it up in more detail

So happy to see a video from you again! I love history and think it is important to know what has been happening in the world that surrounds and influences fiction, whether books, films, or even a TV show! As social mores change over time, it fascinates me to see the changes in attitudes over time. Thanks for explaining the literary device, and putting it on the larger context. BTW: love the haircut! Very flattering on you

Have you ever considered doing -- or did I miss it -- an analysis of how wrong Anne Elliot is in so many of her anticipations. She is always dreading something, and when it happens it is not dreadful at all.

Dr. Cox, thank you for sharing your knowledge again! Be careful about showing the view from your window in videos. Some creeps will use the view from a person's window as a way to locate their home. 😞 (Someone more knowledgeable can say whether the view in this video is anything to be concerned about. It's pretty hard to make out details, so maybe it's not a concern!)

Thank you, Dr Cox! What a fabulous discussion of the Musgrove family, who are one of my favourite Austen send-ups. I love the passsge from Villette too. I've not read the book, but this passage seems hilarious.😊

She's back! 🎉

Always such a pleasure hearing your analysis. I love J.A. works and you gives a depth that we the average reader miss most times. Cheers from across the “pond”.

great to see you again

Jane Austen did some ekphrasis in describing the portrait she found of "Mrs. Bingley"!

Great video! Thank you

Lovely to see you are back! Looking forward to learning more from your videos about Jane and her works.

@voluntaryismistheanswer

7 ай бұрын

*Dear* Jane, and dear Dr Cox ☺️

I love this! Please, more Persuasion videos! I think it’s her most romantic novel 💘

Oh, my. How did I miss this post about my favorite novel of JA!! Thanks 😄

Yay! I was so glad to see you back in my feed this morning! Thank you for an introduction to two new words/literary devices and Austen's use of them. So glad to see you again!

Dr Cox, iam an English teacher from Greece , i was introduced to your channel but two days ago and i have been completely in love with it . When i watch your videos i feel like iam "behind the scenes" of the book. Those little details that make the book alive are given in an excellent constructive way. Thank you so much for your hard work. Iam looking forward for more context.😊🇬🇧🇬🇷

From my first reading of my favourite Austen I felt that we were meant to look down on the musgroves and I think this might be why I thought that.

@VeronicaWarlock

7 ай бұрын

I think we’re meant to see that the elder Elliots look down on them, but that the more right-thinking Anne values their warmth and true feeling more than her own rank.

Love this conversation, there's always so much to unpack in the short sections you choose ,Dr Cox. I enjoy imagining what it is that Anne is actually seeing as she surveys the room. It appears that the Musgrave girls have persuaded their parents to go overboard with some of the latest homeware trends, which sit rather incongruously within a quaint historic interior, presumably unchanged for centuries. And pianos and concert harps were, of course, the very latest in home entertainment technology. I think Austen is intrigued, not just because this approach to interior design style isn't hers, but because of what it represents: the Musgrove house being filled with the girls' taste in decor and music interests speaks to how this home is a child-centred home. The Elliot mansion is certainly more tasteful, but Anne's personality would never be allowed to be reflected in its interior, in the way that the Musgrave's girls' presence is reflected in their home. The Musgrave interior gently tests Anne's ideas about the place of children in family life.

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

Love this comment! I imagine the Austen home, if not full of the latest expensive items, was even more chaotic! It certainly must have been child-centred, with several of the Austens' eight children there at any one time, plus the boys Jane's father tutored, who lived with the family! The cold grandeur of Anne's home must have been much more alien to Jane Austen.

@a24-45

7 ай бұрын

​@@londongael414 I agree. Austen's heroines seem to appreciate "taste" and "elegance" -- Pemberley is duly admired, Mansfield Park is grand -- but there is a constant thread in Austen's work which undercuts any valuing of style over substance. In Austen it seems to be a strong indicator of moral worth and humanity when an Austen character enjoys the presence of children in a household. By Lyme, Anne has grown to actually appreciate the Hargreaves' tiny cottage, overflowing with almost Dickensian family spirit as it is. Conversely, when a character like Lady Russell says that she cant handle Uppercross when the kids are there, for Austen it's a sign of limitation and weakness.

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

@@a24-45 I think Austen was the most realistic writer of children, unequalled probably before the twentieth century. Her kids are neither angels nor demons, but real kids - though, to be fair to Lady R, the Uppercross boys are pretty bratty. It is clear, however, that this is their parents' fault. She is at her best, however, with the portrayal of young girls - none better, perhaps not even nowadays. They are not paragons of perfection, nor jailbait for middle-aged academics, nor mutilated corpses artistically posed, nor conduits for weird, otherworldly forces - they're, you know, GIRLS! They profess glacial indifference to young men one minute, and run after them in the street, the next; they collect mottoes and riddles; are bookish or merry; count their success at a ball by quantity of dancing partners; hype themselves into terror of ghosts; utterly refuse to be serious or solemnly impart hackneyed pieces of wisdom; swear vows of "strict friendship"; say goodbye to trees; buy hats they hate, really; read romantic novels; are moody and glowering in polite company; gaze at the stars; are shy and bold and silly and sweet and Jane Austen sees them clearly and loves them.

@a24-45

7 ай бұрын

@@londongael414 Well said. No wonder that Austen's nieces loved her! She understood girls, their complexities and contradictions, their silliness and struggles. It's why her girl characters connect with every generation. And then there's Fanny Price...when I think of Austen choosing as a heroine the scarred survivor of a traumatic childhood ...I see Austen's compassion for girls who have suffered, who are victims of emotional abuse, and who never got the chance to be silly or have a normal carefree adolescence. It speaks volumes to me that Austen loves Fanny too.

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

@@a24-45 Yes, she was a wonderful aunt. Her letters supporting her literary nieces are generous and full of great writing advice. So many writers of her day nag and scold girls. And not a few in our day. PS Yes, Fanny... And let's not forget, sensible, responsible, burdened Elinor Dashwood is only a girl.

I've never read Persuasion. Now I definitely will read it.

Right at this moment, no, I don’t have any other examples, I will have to find one. 😊 This lecture was really interesting, thank you so much!

Wonderful insight into this story that I've read many times. With this information, for me now, the family in the portraits are looking at their family with all their virtues and needs for improvement and they do this as a family, that is together. This is a contrast that Anne can see because her family are not really united and the only object that sees her father and sister are their own reflections and they don't judge them, they don't see a need for improvement. Thank you for this video.

So happy to see you again, Dr. Cox. Greetings from Ottawa.

A new Dr Octavia video! What a treat!! Love your intelligent and thought-provoking discussions. Always learn something new with your content!

Dr. Cox! Long time no see.

Dr. Cox, plz post another video! You are greatly missed. :)

Dr. Octavia Cox! Good to see you! YT popped you into my suggestions right away! So even if you might be gone you’ll never be lost 🤓🤓🤓

The Brontë description reminds me of when Aunt Norris in MP complains about Fanny “always lolling about on a sofa” and how condemning of an attack she was making against Fanny. Also you have Mr Rushworth who is obsessed with making huge "improvements" to Sutherland that are more likely to diminish the natural beauty and historic importance of the estate.

I feel like this device exposes the reader to so many more opinions than could be easily introduced otherwise. We are, perhaps, given a glimpse of the opinions of the wider public of the time, shown the conflict between Olde England, and postwar England, and possibly even pointed towards the indulgence of the parents in allowing this behaviour in their children. Maybe that is what the portraits are aghast over?

@londongael414

7 ай бұрын

What a good point! Prosopopo-whatsit is a very concise way of creating multi-layered impressions. In the Bronte piece, it's simultaneously a description of the painting, a portrait of prim, Protestant Lucy Snowe , a funny critique of absurd art conventions and a dash of cold water on the painter's fevered imagination. In both cases, this device invites the reader to reflect on their own opinion as well.

Dr. Cox we have missed you! I do wish you a lot of success in your career but I will not complain about a new video here and there once in a while 😊

Fantastic you're back! Your KZread channel has been missed terribly!

We love you, Octavia!

Virginia Woolf may have said Jane Austen was the most difficult novelist to capture in the act of greatness but I think you manage Dr Cox. 😊. I love your observation that the shocked reaction of these portraits to their descendants may be a way of portraying changing culture. Austen could have shown this with a witty conversation between one of the Musgroves and perhaps an older relative - and she would have made it enjoyable I’m sure - but deployed here as a short excursion to the fantastic prior to even meeting the Musgroves themselves, it’s economical writing, fun to imagine and creates suspense for what the Musgroves will actually be like. Clearly now I’m going to have to figure out how to work in “prosopopoeic ekphrasis” into conversations so other people think I can speak ancient Greek.😊 Also I hope your new job is going well! I adore your close reading videos and can’t wait for your next one when your time allows. My own reading is so much better as a result of these analyses and I’m grateful for the work you put into sharing them.

Thanks for deepening my literary education! I had noticed this passage long before and liked it for it's liveliness.😊

That passage from Villette has convinced me to make it my first Brontë; I thought it was fantastic, and am eager to pick up a copy now.

Yay! A new video from Dr. Cox! Welcome back!

I enjoyed that. Very insightful.❤

Yayyy, you're back!!

!!! A new Dr Octavia Cox video!! Oh, I've missed you!

A precious jewel is rare and like your videos worth the attent. I like the ekphrasis especially when is so magistrally written. Jane Austen wants we understand that the changes are defenitive and the originals of the portraits can judge the present generation, but the "improvemen" could come from other direction. As for example from the strength and courage of the Navy. Sorry English is not my first language.

Welcome back I thought you might be gone forever. This was very interesting but I expected to get into the Musgroves they were barely mentioned.

Please please please in your next video can you break down Mary Crawfords intentions in her last scene with the Bertrums? I find it so fascinating in both the book and on screen iterations that she had the audacity to imply that she wants the eldest brother to die to obtain his wealth. Helping the family understand what the readers already knew, she was there to take advantage of them.

Yay!!! A new video!!! Thank you!

I'd love to see a video about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall one day 🥰