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Literature
Reflections on literature, authors, and historical contexts shaping reading and interpretation.
Presence and Absence: sermons and devotional literature in Jane Austen’s novels
Sensibilities , No. 69 - Jane Austen Society of Australia (JASA) December 2024 Abstract This article examines the surprising absence of sermons themselves in Jane Austen’s novels, despite the prominent presence of clergymen characters and the centrality of preaching within eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Anglican life. Through close readings of Austen’s works, particularly Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park , it explores how references to sermons and devotional
Dr Roslyn Russell
Hyacinth Bucket – a 20th century Mrs Elton?
JASA Chronicle , Jane Austen Society of Australia (JASA) December 2025 Abstract This article presents a comparative reading of two memorable characters of social aspiration: Hyacinth Bucket from the British television series Keeping Up Appearances and Mrs Elton from Jane Austen’s Emma . By placing these figures side by side, the article explores the enduring comic archetype of the socially ambitious and self-important character across different historical and cultural contex
Dr Roslyn Russell
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