The Gentle Parent

Summer is upon us--Sammy's last day of school was today! Summer TV does not have much to recommend it, so I'm revisiting old favorites this week. The last couple days I've been watching Pride and Prejudice, (the BBC version of course), because I'm a little sick and I need something relaxing to watch in the evenings. Great dialogue, lots of dancing, and graceful, buxom, English women. I can't wait until the girls are old enough to enjoy watching it with me.

Along with being sick, I have lost my voice, and consequently the ability to speak to my girls with the parental voice of authority. I try not to yell at my kids, but often I do speak in strident authoritative tones that convey to my children that I expect them to listen to what I say. This is a real thing, known as the "Voice of Authority," i.e., using a voice that conveys to the listener that you know what you're talking about and should be listened to. (Commonly used by people who in fact know nothing. Also parents). In fact, if you say something with enough confidence most people will just accept what you say without question. For example: "The BBC version of Pride and Prejudice is the most historically accurate out of all the film versions out there." Is this true? I don't know. I say it confidently though, therefore you should trust me.

Sadly, with my voice gone, I now speak in the low dulcet tones of a refined lady of quality, the sort that pops up frequently on Pride and Prejudice. I say sadly, because with the loss of my "Mom" voice, my kids have decided it's okay to ignore most of what I say. Apparently whispering "Kids, go to bed!" does not lend itself to one getting taken seriously.

 

A quick tutorial on speaking with authority and confidence.

 

 



First Impressions

Oh how I love this movie. It's my go-to movie for when I'm recovering from surgery/illness, because it's just so peaceful and calming. And so full of Mr. Darcy. I used to praise it for being so true to the book, (It's so long that it must be!) until I realized the other day that while I have watched this version, the Kiera Knightley version, the Mormon version, the Bollywood version, and part of some weird British version, I have never actually read the book. *Shock*Gasp! How have I never read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice?

In college I read Jane Austen for the first time during one of my Brit Lit courses. The teacher had us read Sense and Sensibility, which I thought rather slow and hard to get through. Maybe this was because I was also taking a Medieval Literature course at the time where we got to read vibrant, colorful stories full of death, glory, and people's arms getting ripped off. In any case, I decided Jane Austen wasn't for me and didn't think any more of it.

The other day though, Austin and I were re-watching the Kiera Knightley version of P&P, and I started wondering if some of the dialogue was in the book--it seemed very out of place for the time. "Don't judge me, Lizzie, don't you dare judge me" in particular seemed very 21st century, and Mr. Bingley telling Jane that he'd been "a complete and utter ass" was also totally out of keeping with the refined language I remembered from Sense and Sensibility. I promptly went to the library and checked out Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, and Lady Susan. So far I've finished all but Lady Susan, and though I wasn't wild about Northanger Abbey, I loved Pride and Prejudice. Reading it filled in all the gaps in the many movie versions I've watched, brought to my attention the keen and witty observations of Jane Austen, and even let me know what happens to the characters after they marry!

I'm not sure every book liked by the masses is worth reading--depends on why it is liked, I guess--but I feel bad for my prejudice against Jane Austen brought about by my college reading, and my pride for having disregarded it for so long against the praise of so many for her works. I would highly recommend you check out one of her books next time you visit the library! (Preferably Pride and Prejudice if you haven't read it yet.)