Becoming Jane
A period or costume drama is a television or cinema production set in a historical period. Costume dramas are expensive to produce, and sometimes a large percentage of a television channel’s budget is spent on one, leaving the remaining programmes with very little finance. Sometimes these period dramas are brilliant productions and people love them – Room with a View, Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice etc, but sometimes English people complain that foreigners must think we live in a museum…..
As a factual account of Jane Austen’s life, Becoming Jane is not accurate. Miss Austen Regrets (2008) is considered better and also more accurate, but of course both films are works of fiction.
If you’d like to read a summary of the plot, when you’ve finished……
 |
Jane Austen (1775 – 1817) was an English novelist whose books, set amongst the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit*, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women. The youngest of eight children, Jane Austen began to write as a teenager. **"A woman especially if she has the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can." – Jane Austen. (conceal = hide) To watch a video about Becoming Jane with the TV presenter Jonathan Ross |
1. [Match]
Ignore the first 15 seconds, which are not relevant, and then see if you can complete the following statements:
(Vocabulary
If something doesn’t take much persuasion it means it was relatively easy to get someone to do something.
Eg It didn’t take much persuasion to get him to buy a ticket for the match.
She didn’t take much persuading to accept the money.
Note
Jane Austen’s brother Henry helped her negotiate with a publisher and her first novel, ‘Sense and Sensibility’, appeared in 1811. Her next novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which she described as her “own darling child” received highly favourable reviews. ‘Mansfield Park’ was published in 1814, then ‘Emma’ in 1816. All of Jane Austen’s novels were published anonymously. Two more novels, ‘Persuasion’ and ‘Northanger Abbey’ were published posthumously and a final novel was left incomplete.
Vocabulary
To be only a matter of time before / until – if it is (only) a matter of time until something happens, it is certain to happen but you do not know when it will happen:
Eg It’s only a matter of time before he accepts the deal – i.e. there is no doubt about whether it will happen, only about when.)
Answers for Quiz [1].
- 1. starred (correct)
- 2. unfulfilled (correct)
- 3. covered (correct)
- 4. greatness (correct)
- 5. captured (correct)
- 6. eminent (correct)
- 7. intriguing (correct)
- 8. persuasion (correct)
- 9. literary (correct)
- 10. title (correct)
- 11. location (correct)
- 12. matter (correct)
2. [Match]
See how much detail you picked up!
(VB
VB
To shun – 1) to avoid something, to ignore someone and not speak to them because you cannot accept their behaviour, beliefs, etc :
eg She has shunned her family since they had an argument
A beau – an admirer
To come of sth – phrasal verb – to happen as a result of something:
eg I don’t know if anything will come of our conversation – I’ll have to wait and see.
to put sth aside – phrasal verb – to overlook, to ignore sth temporarily so that it does not prevent you doing what you want to do.
To do sth against your better judgement – to do sth contrary to what you think is wise
)
Answers for Quiz [2].
- 1. fictional (correct)
- 2. marry (correct)
- 3. suitor (correct)
- 4. shunned (correct)
- 5. came (correct)
- 6. charts (correct)
- 7. influenced (correct)
- 8. vain (correct)
- 9. bear (correct)
- 10. torment (correct)
- 11. judgement (correct)
- 12. aside (correct)
3. [Match]
Try these too, if you have time!
(not to be one to – not to be the sort of person who is likely to ….
Eg He’s not one to boast about what he does.
unheard of – previously unknown
to put your best foot forward – to begin with as much effort and determination as possible; try as hard as you can
eg Just put your best foot forward – I’m sure you’ll do well.
to make a snap decision = to make a quick decision without time for thought or preparation
to look set to be – to look destined to be / look likely to be
a weepie – informal – a sentimental or emotional film, novel or song that is likely to make you cry)
Answers for Quiz [3].
- 1. agony (correct)
- 2. ardently (correct)
- 3. compromise (correct)
- 4. unheard of (correct)
- 5. quintessentially (correct)
- 6. subversive (correct)
- 7. overheard (correct)
- 8. opportunity (correct)
- 9. snap (correct)
- 10. property (correct)
- 11. released (correct)
- 12. set (correct)