Jane Austen’s World in History, Literature, and Film

Harvard Extension School

HIST E-1425

Section 1

CRN 17169

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In 2025, the world commemorates the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. In this course, students explore the life and works of Austen, a relatively obscure spinster who lived a quiet life in rural England and died at the age of 41. Whilst prevailing gender and social rank norms disadvantaged her, Austen navigated these constraints and penned some of the most popular and insightful novels in the English language. Through the lens of Austen's novels and letters, students examine the cultural attitudes, institutions, and social practices of England during the period 1750-1850. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we consider topics such as social rank, gender, race and ethnicity, landed society, economics, and culture, as well as the ways in which the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries view the past and seek to chronicle it through film and television adaptations. Students view and debate selected adaptations of Austen's novels (notably, Pride and Prejudice [1940, 1995, and 2005]; Emma [1996 and 2020]; Sense and Sensibility [1995]; and Persuasion [1995, 2007 and 2022]) as well as the most recent biopics of Austen, including Becoming Jane (2007) and Miss Austen (2025).

Instructor Info

Maura A. Henry, PhD

Professor of History, Holyoke Community College and Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University


Meeting Info

Th 5:10pm - 7:10pm (9/2 - 12/20)

Participation Option: Online Synchronous

Deadlines

Last day to register: August 28, 2025

Additional Time Commitments

Optional sections to be arranged.

Notes

This course meets via web conference. Students must attend and participate at the scheduled meeting time. See minimum technology requirements.

All Sections of this Course

CRN Section # Participation Option(s) Instructor Section Status Meets Term Dates
17169 1 Online Synchronous Maura Henry Open Th 5:10pm - 7:10pm
Sep 2 to Dec 20