Jane Austen 250

Jane Austen was born on 16 December, 1775. In honour of the 250^th anniversary of her birth, why not explore her life with your pupils? You can use our B1 biobox quiz and B2 resource about the the TV series Miss Austen together or independently. The series focuses on Jane’s beloved sister Cassandra, and tries to understand why she burned almost all of Jane’s letters after the author’s death. If your LLCER students are studying Pride and Prejudice, this will accompany their reading.

Austen is a name that conjures up images of Regency England, elegant country estates, tea tables, and ballroom dances alongside witty, genteel heroines in empire-waist gowns, but also restrained romance and biting social commentary, letter-writing, and strict manners….

But what about Cassandra Austen? Does this name evoke anything to the collective unconscious? Not so sure… And yet, she was Jane's sister and may well have played a key role in burning Jane’s letters. But why? and what for?

Cassandra’s temperament and actions whetted Gill Hornby’s curiosity, so much so that she wrote a novel that was later adapted into a TV series: Miss Austen, available on arte.tv.

This article explores Miss Austen’s plot and gives an insight into life in the mid-19th century, highlighting what it was like to be a woman at that time. The activities are meant to help the students understand the plot, and ponder over what might have been at stake with these letters. These activities can be coupled with the biobox quiz about Jane Austen so they could learn more about this famous novelist.

Vocabulary and structures

the preterite
uncertainty/ modals: might think, might have motivated, may have written…
family relationships and relatives: sister, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, widower, best friend…
social classes / social status: upper-class, vicar, housekeeper…

You can see the biobox here and/or download it below.