Christmas Special - Was Jane Austen too woke?!

Nick Cohen and Dr Bharat Tandon, academic, novelist & Booker Prize judge, discuss Jane Austen's astonishing legacy before delving into a detailed analysis of her enduring popularity and literary significance. They explored themes of claustrophobia in Austen's works, particularly how her novels depict the constraints of patriarchal structures and economic relations for women, while also examining the misinterpretation of her writing by modern figures like Milo Yiannopoulos. The discussion concluded with an analysis of Austen's subtle political commentary in "Mansfield Park" and her innovative narrative style, emphasising the importance of returning to the original texts for a deeper understanding of her work.

Bharat and Nick discuss the theme of claustrophobia in the works of early 19th-century women writers, particularly focusing on Jane Austen. They explore how Austen's novels, such as "Sense and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudice," depict the inescapable constraints of patriarchal structures and economic relations for women. Bharat highlighted the significance of the number 27 in Austen's fiction, representing the age at which women might lose economic security and be forced into undesirable marriages.Nick compares Austen's portrayal of a claustrophobic society to modern experiences of social media, where individuals are constantly under scrutiny. They also discussed Austen's innovative narrative style, which allows readers to connect with marginalised female characters while highlighting their societal constraints.

Slavery in Austen's 'Mansfield Park

Bharat and Nick discuss the portrayal of slavery in Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park," analyzing whether the novel is complicit with the social injustices of its time. Bharat argues that while the novel acknowledges the economic and ethical presence of slavery, it does not easily draw the conclusion that Austen is complicit with it. Instead, he suggests that the novel highlights the socio-economic guilt of the early 19th century without offering a solution, reflecting the characters' anxious avoidance of discussing slavery.

Read all about it!

Dr Bharat Tandon is a writer and lecturer at the University of East Anglia's School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing.

A graduate in English literature from Trinity College, Cambridge, Bharat then taught at Cambridge from 1995 to 2006, and at Oxford from 2006-11, before joining the UEA in 2012. His research and teaching interests take in British literature from 1700 to the present day, and American literature from 1900. His doctoral research was on Jane Austen, and he has worked in detail on other nineteenth-century novelists such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy, as well as on British Modernist writers such as Henry Green. In addition to his academic research and teaching, he been active since 1994 as a commentator on contemporary British and American fiction and culture, writing regularly for publications such as The Times Literary Supplement and The Daily Telegraph.

Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.

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