Reviewing the work

Let's see how far you've come in this lesson.

This was our original inspiration:

Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principle people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everyone hoped that he would never come there again. Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general behaviour was sharpened into particular resentment, by having slighted one of her daughters.

Pride and Prejudice(1813)

These were your original character notes.

This was your initial structural draft.

This was your revised voice draft.

What do you think? Are you happy with what you wrote? Do you prefer one version over the other?

When would I ever want to copy Jane Austen's voice?

Obviously there are sooooo many occasions when you would want to speak or write like a member of the English Regency-era middle class.

But beyond those, Jane Austen's distancing techniques—using continuous tense, passive voice, nominalisation—might be dated in narrative, but they are standard in a lot of academic writing.

So the ideas you've picked up here will come in handy in formal history and social science writing, as well as dance parties.

Writelike Jane Austen: Mr Darcy at the dance

Reviewing the work