Newberry Adult Education Seminars will meet virtually via Zoom. For more information about the Newberry’s virtual seminars, including a Zoom tutorial, please see our Virtual Seminars FAQ page. If you have questions about online learning, please reach out to seminars@newberry.org.

Seminar Description

Jane Austen’s 1815 novel is a satirical proto-mystery novel, though instead of corpses we have couples that need proper matching up. Austen provides us with a clueless heroine, hidden hints, and red herrings, so that reading this novel is an exercise in literary detection. We will discuss this early masterpiece of literary realism that focuses on a deluded protagonist in order to explore the themes of interpretation and misinterpretation, illusion versus reality, and the role of women in nineteenth-century English society.

Three sessions. Registration – $170

Elzbieta Foeller-Pituch is the Assistant Director of the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies at Northwestern University, where she also teaches literature classes.

Materials List

Required:

• Emma by Jane Austen. Norton Critical Editions, 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0393927641

First Reading:

• For the first session, please read Volume I of Jane Austen’s Emma.

Registration Information

Registration opens at 9 am (CST) on Wednesday, January 13th. Newberry Associates members at the Literati level and above will have access to early registration beginning January 7 at 10am. Learn more about membership benefits and becoming a Newberry Associate.

Please note: For more information about registration, including a guide to online registration, see our Registration Information page. Questions? Please contact seminars program staff via email at seminars@newberry.org.

We offer a 10% discount to members, seniors, and students.

This seminar is part of the Newberry’s Adult Education Seminars Program. Learn more about registering for a seminar, program policies, or teaching a seminar.