ENGL 2502 @handflexchronicles - Tumblr Blog

Posts

In the “Two Guys on a Bus” meme, two men ride the same bus but have different experiences based on the seats they choose. The creator of the original artwork included the title “Sometimes it just depends on us” and also the phrase “Choose the happy side of life!” Now, the image is often used ironically to show real life versus naivete.

Going along with this idea, my version of the meme highlights the reality of life in the Regency era. The work of the servants composes the unseen aspect of Austen’s novels, as Sarah is only mentioned once by name in Pride and Prejudice. The look on the orange man’s face characterizes this ignorance seen in both the main characters and many Janeites. As readers, we only see the “sunny’ side and are left to imagine the chores and tasks of the laborers. In Longbourn, however, Baker emphasizes the other side, including the lives of the servants and the issues surrounding slavery at the time.

Additionally, in contrast to the artist’s intentions, my version of the meme shows two different situations that aren’t necessarily choices. Sarah was an orphan forced to find work while the Bennets were born into a stable upper-middle class home. The meme may initially seem to imply that Sarah should simply make the choice to “sit on the sunny side,” but she cannot feasibly change her station in life. Austen often portray’s a women’s economic status as malleable based upon her luck in marriage, but marrying rich is not an option for everyone.

Is Daniel Cleaver or Mark Darcy the one for you?

If Jane Austen has jumped the shark along with Buzzfeed quizzes, then this article, surprisingly posted in 2021, exemplifies a cartwheel over the shark’s dead body.

I found it interesting that in this quiz, Daniel Cleaver and Mark Darcy are being presented as equally compelling suitors, in comparison to Pride and Prejudice where the parallel character of Mr. Wickham is never fully developed as an intriguing match for Jane. In Bridget Jone’s Diary, we see Daniel being very openly flirty with Bridget and they enter a form of “situationship,” whereas in P+P, Wickham is friendly to Elizabeth but she never explicitly desires a relationship with him.

This change in relationship with the Cleaver/Wickham character stems from the change in our heroine’s self-confidence. In P+P, Elizabeth seems less desperate for marriage than her sisters and even rejects Mr. Collin’s proposal that would have secured her a decent status and income. She’s clever and holds her own in conversations with men. On the flip side, Bridget reeks of insecurity, logging her weight every day and constantly dedicating herself to a new diet. She’s less intellectual and blunders her way through many conversations. Above all else, she seeks a man and judges her own self-worth based on men’s opinions of her. All of these insecurities leave her more susceptible to a player like Cleaver who can easily woo her with his charm. Yet Elizabeth holds out against even Mr. Darcy’s initial proposal because she doesn’t see him as better than her.

Bridget Jone’s Diary plays up the main character’s insecurities to make the novel relatable to modern readings, leaving an entry for Daniel Cleaver to make his move.

(In case you were wondering, if you’re like me and enjoy tea, The Bee Movie, the “fake dating” trope, and Halloween, then Mr. Darcy is the man for you.)

#love

As I kept on thinking about the “doubling” Austen uses between the characters in Mansfield Park with those in Lover’s Vows, I remembered this old Tiktok trend where people would use a split screen to play two roles at once. Going along with the sound, the videos typically include two types of people who love each other but are toxic or unpopular.

To build upon the idea of playing two roles at once, I chose to depict not just Maria and Henry, whose romance opposes Maria’s engagement to Mr. Rushmore and Julia’s claims to Henry, but also their roles of Agatha and Frederick. As a mother and a son, the Agatha/Frederick parts of the play shouldn’t be at all romantic, but Maria and Henry’s flirtations add another layer to the characters’ relationship. Nobody wants to see Agatha and Frederick flirting, and none of the other inhabitants of Mansfield Park want a Mary/Henry romance.

On another field of doubling, in this Tiktok format, both lovers are represented by the same creator, which, although likely an effect of not having enough people to film both parts, perhaps unintentionally hints at at the similarities between the two characters. In this case, Maria’s arrogance matches Henry’s pride, and they both treat Fanny as an amusing plaything. In addition to “doubling” in terms of the relationship reflected by their Lover’s Vows characters, they also “double” each other. Although they don’t end up together, their personalities are the perfect (or worst possible) match.

ladybertramspug

In class discussion, someone commented on what is under the impressively moveable statue of wet Darcy. This comment struck me both in the moment and after class to such an extent that I wanted to encapsulate that thought in my meme of the week. I think this somewhat erotically motivated comment speaks to the more significant phenomenon of Austen novels, the romantic and sexually charged fan base, and how that intersects with Austenites who digests her diction choice and usage of interpolated thought. Please understand me, I think there are interconnections and overlaps between those two people. However, I believe the fandoms are an exciting part of Austen literature to digest. The comment in class regarding who fantasizes about the hand flex versus the wet darcy encompasses this initial thought. Some readers of Austen’s literature prefer the more symbolic moments in her book. For example, Darcy describes his hidden and internalized feelings towards Elizabeth with a hand jolt. Other readers enjoy seeing the image of Mr.Darcy wet. In my opinion, neither is better than the other. Instead, they are both enjoyers of Austen’s works (just with different motivations). It is undoubtedly impressive that the fandom could power the creation of a moveable wet darcy, and I think that’s something to celebrate

Is Fanny Price Really the Main Character? (one pager)

When the inhabitants of Mansfield Park plan a performance of “Lovers’ Vows,” they cleverly negotiate roles to create parallels between the relationships of Austen’s characters and those in the play. The reunion of Agatha with Fredrick facilitates passion for Maria and Henry while the romance between Amelia and Anhalt allows Mary and Edmund to shamelessly flirt. A closer reading of the play, however, reveals a connection between the situations of Fanny and Amelia. The character falls for her older instructor in an attachment reminiscent of Fanny’s feelings for Edmund. Through this contrast between Fanny and Mary’s relationship to the part of Amelia, Austen uses “Lovers’ Vows” to highlight Fanny’s lack of agency and the irony of her role as the main character.

Although the main character in Mansfield Park, Fanny resists a part in “Lover’s Vows,” resulting in a play in which the secondary characters of the novel take on main roles. This apparent inversion actually continues the theme of Fanny’s position in the background. Just as she sees Mary obtain the role of Amelia, she also watches from the sidelines as Mary pursues Edmund offstage. Austen portrays Fanny as sharing the same morals as Edmund, but Mary still edges her out for his attention. Through this metaphor of Mary inhabiting Fanny’s “role”, Austen hints that Fanny could be with Edmund if she would only act more assertively. Her timidness prevents her from taking ownership of (literally) her own story.

When projected onto Amelia, this discrepancy between Fanny and Mary’s personalities further reveals Fanny’s inadequacies. Fanny finds herself similar to Amelia only by situation, but it is Mary who possesses Amelia’s bold disposition. Fanny condones Amelia’s forward language as “so unfit to be expressed by any woman of modesty…” (97). Mary, however, interacts freely with men, joking, “Who is to be Anhalt? What gentleman among you am I to have the pleasure of making love to?” (101). Amelia shamelessly exposes her love for her tutor, using her wit to accept his “proposal” before he even puts forth the question. She also exhibits an awareness of her emotions, declaring, “I think that love comes as it pleases, without being asked” (364). In contrast, Fanny hides her feelings even from herself, unable to fully recognize her jealousy of Mary as a sign of her love for Edmund.

As the Baron directs Anhalt, “Your heart will tell you how to act” (368). The irony of a character in a play telling another character to “act” highlights the double meaning of the word. Acting can mean pretending, or simply taking action. The other characters in Mansfield Park who jump at the chance to take on roles in the play express their ability to pretend, which also allows them to scheme and manipulate others. Fanny’s opposition to acting in “Lovers’ Vows” mirrors her simple, untheatrical nature. But she also lacks the passion to fuel the form of genuine action that occurs offstage. Austen depicts her as “priggish,” always judging other characters for impropriety but never taking any initiative. Despite her moralizing, a part of Fanny likely wishes she possessed the drive of Mary or Amelia. Fanny’s inability to act both within and outside of the play essentially renders her a supporting character in her own novel.

Forget Elizabeth and Darcy, the love story of Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine is clearly the steamiest relationship in all of Pride and Prejudice. Unrequited love, difference in status, they have it all. As I read the excerpts from Pride and Promiscuity, the imagined scene between Mr. Collins and Charlotte dressed up as Lady Catherine stuck me as the most cleverly written because it highlights the strange tension in his relationship to his patroness. As “Girl with her head in a book” commented on Goodreads, the scene achieves success because “We all knew that there was something very weird in Mr Collins' servility towards his beloved patroness.” Much to the annoyance of his company, Mr. Collins constantly fawns over Lady Catherine and seems to view his relationship with her as the most interesting aspect of his personality.

Fittingly, the “They don’t know” meme usually features a loner at a party reassuring himself of his relevance and uniqueness. Other versions say “They don’t know I have 3,000 followers on Reddit” or “They don’t know I’m mildly popular on left Twitter.” The facts are always things that no one socializing at the party would actually care about. The scene of dancing couples reminded me of one of the many balls that Mr. Collins would attend, awkwardly waiting for the chance to name drop Lady Catherine and boast his connections. As a flat character, he doesn’t have much of a personality apart from her, and like most of Austen’s other flat characters, he’ll ramble on about this one subject whenever he gets the chance. Contrasted with the recurring theme of women chasing men to gain stability or wealth, Mr. Collins provides a humorous example of a man who’s not ashamed to grovel for attention.

(I created this meme)

Much to the entertainment of the internet, lovebirds Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox revealed in a cringe-worthy interview that the first time they met, Fox commented, “You smell like weed” to which Kelly replied, ‘I am weed.”

In this meme, the interaction is humorously projected onto Elizabeth and Darcy. The creator seems to view the Pride and Prejudice relationship as the epitome of romance and juxtaposes their love with the shallow words of Fox and Kelly in order to highlight the contrast between traditional and modern courtship. In subsequent memes, the words appear in the context of other classic romances such as The Fault in Our Stars and The Notebook to again display the absurdity of the quote.

Despite the differences between Austen’s stories and today’s celebrity flings, there are also parallels between these two love stories. Kelly has a reputation as a “bad boy” with felony charges and hard drug use. Although a member of high society, Darcy initially faces a negative reputation among Elizabeth and her family. Both men become more tame/polite due to their partners, revealing perhaps an antiquated notion that women serve to soften men.

I also find it interesting that the “weed” quote comes from Fox and Kelly’s first interaction. Further reflecting, Fox said, "I knew, I could feel that some wild s— was going to happen to me from that meeting, but I wasn't yet sure what. I just felt it like, deep in my soul...that something was going to come from that...I knew right away that he was what I call a twin flame.” These emotions provide a sharp contrast with those of Darcy and Elizabeth’s first encounter, after which Elizabeth resolved that “he is such a disagreeable man that it would be quite a misfortune to be liked by him” (14). Fittingly, the creator of this meme chose to pull images from a scene where the pair are already in love rather than from their interaction at the ball. The Fox/Kelly relationship apparently burst into existence with full force, while Darcy and Elizabeth’s took a longer, more complicated path.

People generally enjoy reading about slow burn relationships- hot and heavy romance can easily turn corny when overdone. The public’s general reaction to Kelly and Fox’s outward displays of affection and passionate descriptions of their deep connection hints at a possible reason for Austen’s censure of overt romance in Pride and Prejudice. Even when Darcy proposes, Austen resorts to indirect discourse, only reporting that he “expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do so” (250). Her lack of romance is possibly too extreme for modern audiences, as displayed by the lake scene added to the movie adaptation in order to appease American viewers. Yet Austen has a sense for when to divulge emotion and when to keep us wondering that creates a constant sense of anticipation and mystery, unlike a celebrity interview that exposes all.

interview: https://people.com/movies/megan-fox-machine-gun-kelly-relationship-photos/

The creator of this TikTok captioned it, “How many more enemies to lovers will I edit the world may never know” and included #enemiestolovers. A dive into the hashtag reveals 1.1 BILLION videos about the trope. Why are we so obsessed with enemies falling in love? Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to watch two characters become friends and then slowly fall in love?

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship contains all of the hallmarks of this story arc. From the moment that Elizabeth overhears Mr. Darcy critiquing her appearance and refusing to dance with her, she disregards him as rude and conceited. Their back and forth banter seems cutthroat at times but contains an element of tension not unlike flirting. Unlike many of the other female characters, Elizabeth proves herself Mr. Darcy’s intellectual equal.

We love these enemies to lovers stories because they require more work from the characters and allow feelings to grow until the bubble over, becoming arguably more powerful than in an typical storyline. As Charlotte notes, “There is so much gratitude or vanity in almost every attachment, that it is not safe to leave any to itself... there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement” (16). By its ability to endure even without Elizabeth’s open encouragement, Mr. Darcy’s love proves its potency.

Although she wrote before the formal definition of this trope, Austen leans into our love for complex relationships through her characterization of romantic leads. In many of her novels, the initially promising man reveals himself to be arrogant, disloyal, or some other unattractive quality. After heroically saving Marianne, Willoughby turns out to be already committed to another woman and incapable of even properly apologizing for his mistakes. Yet Austen introduces Willoughby almost through Marianne’s perspective and purposefully conceals his backstory until much later in the story. I haven’t read/seen Pride and Prejudice yet, but based on Austen’s overly glowing portrayal of Mr. Bingley, I’m already expecting future trouble.

In a similar vein, in both “Northanger Abbey” and “Sense and Sensibility,” the male characters who appear boring or uninterested in the female protagonist end up being love interests. But only in “Pride and Prejudice” do we see the true enemies to lovers dynamic. In the other novels, Austen seems to be implying that these marriages occurred out of convention or convenience. I’ll be curious to see whether Austen thinks that the enemies to lovers arc leads to a stronger romantic connection. Regardless of her opinion, the billions of TikTok users seem to be in agreement.

musicalgoats

RIP to Marianne Dashwood. You would have loved Good 4 U by Olivia Rodrigo.

handflexchronicles

When I first saw this post, I laughed and scrolled past it. As I continued down the #mariannedashwood results, however, it struck me that Marianne 100% would have blasted “Good 4 U” while holed up in her room crying over Willoughby.

“I've lost my mind, I've spent the night Crying on the floor of my bathroom But you're so unaffected, I really don't get it But I guess good for you.”

Beyond the song being a heartbreak banger, both Marianne and Olivia process intense emotions by freely expressing themselves instead of minimizing their feelings. One critic writes, “Rodrigo's songs play out like bottled-up soliloquies...which gives them the emotional force of someone who has previously felt unheard...finally speaking her mind” (NPR).

As young girls, both Olivia and Marianne run the risk of society viewing them as silly or overemotional. But when Elinor sensibly begs Marianne to keep it together for everyone else’s sake, Marianne replies, “I must be wretched- and they are welcome to enjoy the consciousness of it that can...to appear happy when I am so miserable- Oh! Who can require it?” (134). As seen by her hit single “Driver’s License” that essentially decimates her ex for all of the world to see, Rodrigo also grew up “the kind of person who didn't exactly hide her feelings” (NPR).

Alternatively, after Marianne loses Willoughby, she convinces herself to logically assess the relationship, convincing herself they that never could have been happy together. She transitions from her state of high sensibility to a place where she can better regulate her emotions. Both in the world of Jane Austen and in current times, women are taught to grow more “rational” and distrust their initial reactions to situations. As Rodrigo questions,

“Maybe I'm too emotional Or maybe you never cared at all”

Marianne ends up “happily” married to Colonel Brandon, but she seems to settle for second-best, for a relationship that doesn’t truly excite her. Maybe that’s part of her maturing- she realizes that “second attachments” are possible and that love at first sight may not be true. But Marianne may have been more fulfilled if she had retained the guiding force of her youthful sensibility. Olivia Rodrigo seems to have learned how to tune into her intense emotions while still reflecting meaningfully on them. Sensibility regulated by sense may be the best mindset.

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/21/998842657/olivia-rodrigo-sour-drivers-license-debut-album-review

Read PROLOGUE from the story DANDELIONS [ colonel brandon ] by -thehalfblindgeek (📸 — jaz ??) with 243 reads. alanr...

In this Y/N fan-fiction set in the world of “Sense and Sensibility”, the reader inserts themselves as the fourth Dashwood sister. Since Elinor and Marianne’s characters shape the novel and highlight the complex relationship between sense and sensibility, I was wondering how the author would justify the addition of an extra sister, since Margaret already seems like a somewhat unnecessary third sister.

Y/N is depicted as a “soft-spoken” and “intelligent” woman who secretly enjoys activities like archery and dueling. Referring back to our class discussion about the differences in attractive female traits now versus in the regency, this Y/N character seems designed to be relatable to a modern reader. Typically, the main characters of fan-fictions are shy and smart tomboys overlooked by the world around them.

On the sense versus sensibility scale, Y/N appears to fall even further on the “sensible” side than Elinor. She chastises Marianne for not appreciating Colonel Brandon’s affections and later expresses distrust in Willoughby.

The author pairs Y/N with Colonel Brandon, which aligns with Elinor’s views on the man - “he is a sensible man; and sense will always have attractions for me” (39). If Y/N is even more logical than Elinor, it makes sense that she would fall for the Colonel (and his sizable income).

In this retelling, Elinor takes a much more minor role than in Austen’s story, perhaps because there’s not narrative room for two logical, sensible characters in contrast to Marianne’s strong emotions. When you take away the extra pieces, the dynamic between the two main sisters and their different reactions to similar situations fuels the novel’s plot and meaning. Sorry Y/N and Margaret, but there may only be room for two sisters in this town.

In the “affirmations” meme format, a blurry, oversaturated photo is overlaid with a vaguely inspiring or optimistic phrase. The phrase is typically something that many people want to believe but is untrue, adding a level of irony to the joke. It’s also not always clear who the speaker is, since the desire expressed usually applies universally to viewers of the meme.

I found this format very fitting for the contents of “Northanger Abbey” because, as we discussed in class, Austen highlights the gap between the characters’ perceptions versus realities. They often deceive themselves, such as when Catherine’s obsession with gothic literature leads her to believe that General Tilney murdered his wife. She spends so much time buried in the pages of books that she imagines real life to be full of hidden passageways and diabolical schemes. She would likely attempt to reassure herself, “I do not spend so much time reading that it alters my perception of reality.”

The earnestness and blind optimism of this meme format mesh well with Catherine’s view of the world. She sees the best in others and jokes often go over her head, such as when Henry teases her about the ebony cabinet in the abbey. Regarding the second meme, Catherine may be so naive that she doesn’t fully realize that Henry spends much of the novel running mental circles around her.

The irony that the meme radiates seems reminiscent of the cutting tone that Austen’s narrator uses to describe her characters. But as the creator of the Affirmations meme account asserts, “I cannot tell you if it’s satirical because I am being quite serious about what I am doing. As to his fan base, he explains, “First they’ll say, ‘This is ironic, haha,’ and then it goes a week and they say, ‘This page helped me think more positively.'” Maybe there is something to be said for seeing the world through Catherine’s gaze of “youth and diffidence” (69).

(I made these memes)

article on affirmations: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/instagram-trend-afffirmations-zoomer-1172330/

“But I really thought before, young men despised novels amazingly.” - Catherine

“It is amazingly; it may well suggest amazement if they do - for they read nearly as many as women. I myself have read hundreds and hundreds.” - Henry Tilney

Recently on Tiktok, lots of girls have been posting about loving men in fictional books more than men in real life. Female authors can often capture the perfect idealization of a man through a woman’s eyes that rarely exists in real life. They portray men who are in touch with their emotions and avoid toxic masculinity. Even though this video refers to Mr. Darcy, it captures the idealization of a “man written by a women” that also applies to Mr. Tilney.

Mr. Tilney appreciates the literature that Catherine is used to men making fun of as “girlish.” He reads people exceptionally well and can pick up on their character flaws, such as Mrs. Allen’s tendency to go off topic. On top of that, he’s well-versed in fabric types, advising Catherine to avoid muslin because it frays.

At times, Jane Austen’s snarky narrative voice seems to speak through Mr. Tilney, such as when he pokes fun at Catherine for being naive and overly compliant. This propensity makes his character read even more deeply as a man written by a woman. And for Catherine, who experiences life through the lenses of the novels she reads, Mr. Tilney may remind her of her own beloved fictional character.

The creator of this Tiktok, likely fed-up with real life men, places Austen’s male characters as the standard for any man. She wants to believe that she can find a Mr. Darcy or Mr. Tilney in her own life, but seems like she’s losing hope. On one hand, these are obviously fictional characters with their own issues, so it may not be the wisest to place them on such a pedestal. If you love the idea of men but not the reality, that could also be a sign that you’re not really attracted to them. But at the same time, I think we would all love to have an Austen-esque romance in our lives.

Inspired by “The Beautiful Cassandra” from “Juvenilia”

In this classic meme format, our unconventional heroine ignores an attractive suitor in exchange for the allure of a beautiful new hat. In the short novel, Cassandra walks right by a man who is introduced as a possible love interest, instead choosing to fall in love with a hat, steal pastries, and joy-ride a coach. She defies the societal expectations of a young woman, especially within her time period.

In the “Distracted Boyfriend” template, the subject pursues an alternative option over the typical choice. I found the format of this meme very fitting for this short story because it mirrors Austen’s clever twists within her sentences. When she introduces Cassandra’s bonnet, she begins, “...she was lovely and amiable and chancing to fall in love...”, leading the reader to anticipate a romance. The sentence takes a turn, however, ending with the realization that Cassandra loves her bonnet. Likewise, this meme conveys a revolt against convention.

When I read more about “Juvenilia” online, I found an op-ed that describes the collection as a form of burlesque literature, as it “relies on an extravagant incongruity between a subject and its treatment.” Cassandra’s misadventures, including thievery and fights, are glossed over. In fact, the entirety of “Juvenilia” can be thought of as a sort of “meme” mocking contemporary conventions. In a similar manner, this image makes light of Cassandra’s situation. Jane Austen would have loved meme culture.

article: https://lithub.com/the-beautiful-proto-feminist-snark-of-jane-austens-juvenilia/

#janeausten

satyriconmp3

vigilantsycamore

Lady Catherine de Bourgh posted this

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

ENGL 2502