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Jane Austen | Feat. Marlon James | It's Jane Austen's World And We're Living In It | 3

Dec 16, 2025
Marlon James, a Booker Prize-winning novelist, joins the hosts to delve into Jane Austen's profound impact on literature. He discusses Austen's keen insight into human nature and her critique of societal norms, particularly regarding women's financial realities. Marlon explores the hidden shadows of slavery in Austen's work and critiques the passivity of Mr. Bennet. He also shares how colonial education shaped his love for Austen's novels and imagines writing from a Black woman's perspective in Austen's world. Adaptations and Austen's lasting influence on modern writers are also celebrated.
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INSIGHT

Austen's Psychological Mastery

  • Marlon James argues Jane Austen's psychological insight rivals Dostoevsky's and captures the human condition with precise restraint.
  • He praises her willingness to let characters reveal themselves without heavy authorial judgment.
INSIGHT

Dialogue That Gives Characters Agency

  • Marlon highlights Austen's revolutionary use of dialogue and letting characters drive the plot rather than relying on authorial deus ex machina.
  • This shift granted characters agency and changed how novels portray women's choices.
INSIGHT

Empire's Shadow In Austen

  • Austen embeds the shadow of slavery and colonialism in her novels through coded references and silences, especially in Mansfield Park.
  • That silence functions as metaphorical acknowledgment rather than explicit confrontation.
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