Assignment Author
CWRL Assignment DatabaseSoftware / Hardware
Internet Access
Pedagogical Goals of the Assignment
Description: This is a web research and short writing assignment (3-4 pages) designed for an E314J Lit and Film class or literary contests and contexts. While reading Pride and Prejudice, we examine fan web sites devoted to Jane Austen and her work. I then ask the students to peruse these sites and works of fan fiction that utilize characters from Pride and Prejudice, and to consider how those sites influence their perceptions and interpretations of Austen and Pride and Prejudice. Students research examples of fan sites and fan fiction, formulate a thesis, and then prove that thesis by using evidence from Pride and Prejudice and the selected web site.
Goals: Exploring the reception of texts, as well as the legitimacy of extant and emerging genres, by using the Internet to explore the many web sites, chat rooms, and works of fan fiction devoted to Jane Austen. In addition, the assignment builds web research skills and offers practice in formulating a thesis and supporting it with evidence from texts.
Assignment Description
Sequence of events: Time between assignment and submission is about 2 weeks. We begin by taking a few minutes in class to discuss and locate examples of fan fiction on the web. I then introduce the assignment. Students are asked to send me their chosen web site and thesis a week later. During these two weeks, we continue to discuss the novel and view multiple film adaptations of the text.
Rationale: This exercise raises students’ confidence in their critical abilities while presenting a window into the general influence of Austen’s work in contemporary culture, including recent literature, film and online media related to Pride and Prejudice—e.g., The Bridget Jones’ Diary and its film adaptation. Viewing, screening, and reading the many online, film, and print versions of Pride and Prejudice enables students to produce unique interpretations of the literary source and its progeny. They begin to see the influence that prior knowledge of a text and the discourse surrounding it, as well as the perceived legitimacy of the medium through which that text is communicated, could have on reception.
Instructor Notes: This would work well in a literature course, especially one that emphasizes literary and cultural contexts. I think it can also be slightly modified for many variations of RHE.