“ … in proportion to their family and income:” Houses in Jane Austen’s Life and Fiction
Iris Lutz
“Colonel Brandon began to talk of his own advantage in securing so respectable and agreeable a neighbour; and then it was that he mentioned with regret, that the house was small and indifferent; – an evil which Elinor, as Mrs. Jennings had supposed her to do, made very light of, at least as far as regarded its size. ‘The smallness of the house,’ said she, ‘I cannot imagine any inconvenience to them, for it will be in proportion to their family and income.’”
Thanks to Iris Lutz, the current president of the national organization of JASNA, this passage from Sense and Sensibility has a deeper meaning for the 25 of us who were able to attend on Saturday, June 28. Her talk, entitled “‘… in proportion to their family and income’: Houses in Jane Austen’s Life and Fiction” was captivating and delightful. Iris presented an illustrated talk on houses that appear in Jane Austen’s life and novels. Using pictures and impressions from her trips, and descriptions from Jane Austen’s novels, Iris showed us what Jane Austen may have had in mind when she created places such as Longbourn, Pemberley, and others. Iris was very gracious towards us, and we hope to see her again soon!
Time to plan a trip to England to see those houses! Incidentally, JASNA sponsors a tour there each year! Check it out here!
