So - while the people in my life know this about me, I still feel that I must state it clearly and unabashedly: I am a Twilight saga fan. I first read Twilight when a student loaned it to me last year. She kindly brought her copy to school for me to take home, and so I had no other choice but to read it immediately and return it to her. Luckily for me, that weekend brought a rainy Saturday, and I henceforth shut myself indoors all day to read of Edward and Bella's courtship. Consequently, I immediately purchased and read the other three books. I of course have seen all of the movies that have been made thus far - Eclipse most recently.
Apart from the overwhelming amount of repressed (and unrepressed) teenage angst apparent in the movie, I was drawn yet again to popular themes reiterated throughout great literature. It's no coincidence that Twilight references Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet. Bella refers to Jacob as her tried and true Paris while Edward is her romantic and whimsical Romeo. The parallels are clear: forbidden love, impossible love, expected love, and love that knows no boundaries. Whether we realize it or not, literature has proven to be the inspiration for so many other mediums of art (most obviously motion pictures). Movie-goers are excited to see powerful stories retold visually, and this anticipation stems from their love for the literature! I will not agree that people are not reading anymore; Harry Potter and Twilight fans are the cold, hard proof that a good story can excite millions.
There has certainly been a recent resurgence of movies commemorating these classic love stories. There was the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice. When given many options (and without prompting), one of my classes chose to watch this movie, and they were riveted for its entirety. We talked some about the limits the characters faced in terms of their sex and class, and I realized how much this still exists in the lives of my students.
The fact that these themes are relatable from one generation to the next was clear with the contemporary version of P and P: "Bridget Jones' Diary". Bridget is a slightly less tactful version of Elizabeth Bennet, whereas Mark Darcy is quite obviously the seemingly cold Mr. Darcy. Many of us are influenced to believe that we belong with certain kinds of boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses, and this is the main source of Bridget's (and Elizabeth's) conflict throughout the movie (and book).
Let us not forget the beloved modern version of Emma released in the 1990s: "Clueless". Cher flounces around believing, endearingly so, that she knows what is best for everyone around her, just as Emma does. Again, the correlation with the male characters is clear - Elton is representative of Mr. Elton, whom Cher chooses as the romantic partner for Ty, ignorant of the fact that Elton was pursuing Cher all along. The influences of classic literature in our modern world are limitless.
Truthfully, this blog entry is being composed in an effort to procrastinate packing and preparing for my imminent trip. Yes I will be leaving in just a few short hours, and I am nervous, excited, anxious, and thrilled. I always forget, however, just how stressful packing can be; one never knows what type of outfit a day/evening will require. This is not a time for vanity though. This is a time for efficiency and practicality. I do NOT need more than three pairs of shoes, and I do NOT need any particular type of clothing except for the extremely comfortable and wrinkle-free kind.
I really could not be more excited! While family, friends, and students have all sent me sincere best wishes for an amazing trip, I can't help but think they might be a little bit tired of hearing about Jane Austen. No matter though - on I will prattle about her genius:) I think my incessant Austen-rambling is working: some of my family members are "promising" to read a Jane Austen book while I'm away. And yes - there will be a quiz (And no - students you can't start a sentence with "and")!
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