Course Overview

This is a self-contained course that explores the regency dramas represented in the later novels of Jane Austen and screen adaptations of her works. Those who took part in the Spring Austen course, together with new participants are welcome to enrol. We will read three later novels: Emma (1815), Northanger Abbey (1818), and Persuasion (1818), and study Austen’s representations of romance, of class, and of the political concerns of her age. We will discuss the nature of the novel, and why this particular genre offered Austen, and other women writers of her era, a convenient medium for artistic, emotional, and political expression. We will also watch film and television adaptations of Austen’s novels and consider how the stories are reshaped for 20th and 21st century tastes and interests. This course promises lively discussion, learning, and entertainment for admirers of Austen’s writing.

Course Schedule 

Classes will be delivered online on Mondays 10.30am-12.30pm for six weeks from 27 September to 8 November

1. Austen’s Biography and World
2. Emma
3. Emma in film
4. Persuasion
5. Persuasion in Film
6. Northanger Abbey

Course Lecturer

Dr. Emma Bidwell has a Ph.D in English. She is the Director of “Screening Ireland”, a programme offered by the University of Limerick. She also lectures on a Women’s Studies MA programme. Dr. Bidwell teaches for University College Cork, the University of Limerick, and for her own West Cork College.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old at course commencement.

Assessment

Short courses are not assessed. Students will receive a UCC Certificate of Attendance upon completion.

Closing Date for Application

Friday 17 September

Contact Details for Further Information

Regina Sexton, Phone: 021-4904700, Email: shortcourses@ucc.ie