Darcy, Elizabeth celebrate 200 years

Jane Austen’s Netherfield Park is invading the UNC campus.

The UNC Department of English and Comparative Literature and the Program in the Humanities are teaming up to host the first annual Jane Austen College this weekend in honor of the 200th birthday of “Pride & Prejudice.”

James Thompson, a UNC English professor and program co-organizer, said the idea is to hold this program each summer with a focus on a different Jane Austen work.

Thompson also said the event was designed to balance scholarly interest with accessibility to the general public.

“The vast majority of academic conferences we have are for academics,” he said.

“This is the first venture to try to split down the middle between academic interests and the interests of regular, educated readers.”

He said the Jane Austen College was inspired by a program at the University of California at Santa Cruz, which focuses on a different Charles Dickens work each year.

“It is fairly unusual in that it is a mixture of scholars and ordinary readers,” he said.

“It has academic interest and credibility, but it’s also aimed at a general audience.”

Thompson said the four-day event will offer the typical panels and lectures as well as more public attractions, such as an exploration of the novel in film, an afternoon tea and a grand ball complete with authentic dancing and live music.

“I think it’s really good for faculty to learn how to speak to regular people and not just talk to themselves,” he said.

Jennifer Abella, a UNC alumna and Jane Austen fan who is attending the celebration, said she discovers new things every time she reads the book.

“I’ve read it more than a dozen times in the last 15 years, and I remember one of the recent times I read it, it was funnier than I remember it being,” she said.

“Jane Austen is so good at understatement and sly, witty commentary that you pick up on every time you read the book.”

Gisele Rankin, North Carolina’s coordinator for the Jane Austen Society of North America, said “Pride & Prejudice” is still endearing because most women even today still relate to the main characters.

“Most women see themselves as Elizabeth, and most women would like to marry a reformed Mr. Darcy,” she said.

“It’s just an excellent story, and it teaches you something about human nature, which is why it’s still popular.”

Thompson said the conference is like no other event he’s organized.

“I’ve done lots of conferences, and I can do those in my sleep,” he said.

“I’ve never hired musicians and dancers before and worried about parking. But I think it’s going to be really fun, and I think it will be good for UNC.”

Contact the desk editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.