Returning for your third year as a History undergraduate? This blog was written by former History student Emily Fryer, and in it she reflects back on her final year of study and offers tips on how to work through it. Emily graduated in July 2018 with a first class degree.
Third year was definitely my favourite year, it is extremely rewarding. It feels like all the work you have put in during first and second years is coming together, and you are starting to see the results. I personally found the work load way more manageable than second year, mostly thanks to there being no more assessed seminars. There’s also so much choice, so hopefully the units you are doing are extremely interesting and engaging. The group research project is a great opportunity to go deeper into a topic you are passionate about, but maybe didn’t fit into any of your units in previous years. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of presentations I am sure that you will like this one, to bring a project from a group idea, investigate it in the archives, and produce a presentation was a process I thoroughly enjoyed.
When someone mentions third year, I’m sure you immediately think of one thing… your dissertation. I know I definitely found the prospect of having to write 10,000 words daunting at first, I found it much easier to break it up in my head. Three chapters, 3,000 words each, its like three essays. Much easier than trying to tackle 10,000 words head on.
Everyone will tell you this, but it truly is the best advice… start early! Use the 10% task as an opportunity to get most of your reading and research done, then you have a solid foundation to continue with the rest of your work. A lot of what you write for it can be used in your first chapter too. Another one of my top dissertation tips would be to meet regularly with your tutor, they can help steer you in the right direction and answer any questions that you may have. Lastly, even though it might be hard to motivate yourself as they aren’t assessed and there’s no formal deadlines, make use of the opportunity to hand in your chapter drafts and have them checked by your tutor. I found rewriting or editing chapters after feedback was so helpful.
Careers is something I wish I’d have given more thought to, but it just wasn’t my priority. To be honest, when I wasn’t reading or writing essays the last thing I wanted to do was look or apply for jobs. But, if you are someone like me who has no idea what they want to do after they leave uni, don’t panic. You’ve got years to decide what you want to do, but only one year to be a final year History student. However, I would advise you to keep it in the back of your mind as you go through third year. Make the most of the resources that are available, staff at the careers and recruitment centre are super helpful when it comes to applications or careers advice and they also have a good website.
Third year flies by so make the most of your last year in Portsmouth. It’s easy to get bogged down with uni work, but a good social life is key to being able to do your best work. If there’s somewhere that you and your friends have been talking about going for two years, now’s your chance to go. Take that break from the library and have lunch in Gunwarf. If you haven’t already been for a trip to the Dockyards or a night out on Albert Road I would definitely recommend it. Make time for yourself and your friends and your grades will be better for it.
Are you just about to start your second year studying History? This blog, written by Eleanor Doyle, President of the University of Portsmouth Students’ Union History Society, offers great advice on how to get the most out of your second year of studies. Eleanor is just about to start her final year.
My best piece of advice for second year is to be brave and have the confidence to step outside of your comfort zone. My second year at Portsmouth University flew by and although it might feel as though your summer was gone in a blink, second year goes by even faster.
One of the most exciting parts of second year is that you have the opportunity to choose the units you study and so you can tailor your degree to your interests. For me, this meant I spent most of my time flitting between crime and punishment in early modern England and social relations in London’s urban slums in the 18th and 19th century. While this might not be everyone’s idea of a great year, I really enjoyed the variety that came with these units. However, random chance meant I also spent my time studying post-war Germany. This was well and truly out of my comfort zone! I felt quite daunted at the prospect of studying a unit I knew nothing about, especially when I was aware most of my friends had a head start from their A-levels. However, I am very happy to say that this unit turned out to be fascinating and I had some of my best results ever! My experience in this unit makes me convinced that stepping outside your confidence zone is one of the best things you can do in your second year.
When it begins, second year can feel a bit like a limbo between the nerves of first year and getting stuck into your dissertation in third year. However, second year is great in its own right! By the time you start your second year, you feel more comfortable with how seminars work, the way you work best and the types of things that interest you. (Although, don’t worry if you haven’t figured all this out yet, as you go through second year your skills and confidence will grow and you’ll realise you were better than you thought.) Also, the type of work and assessments you do in your second year give you a fantastic opportunity to get really stuck into topics that fascinate you. I wrote a blog post on Jane Austen using the surviving letters she sent to her sister, Cassandra, to look at how Jane understood herself and her world. Attempting something like this was certainly out of my comfort zone when I started my second year, but I can confidently say it was one of the most enjoyable pieces of work I’ve ever written.
Second year is also a perfect time to try something new or develop your extra-curricular skills by taking up some of the great opportunities around. I enjoyed being one of the University’s student ambassadors at our last Open Day and I had the chance to take over the department’s Twitter page to have a chat about my experience at university. I also took a big step and became History Society President and I can’t wait for the year ahead. However, there are also a huge number of opportunities outside the University that you can make the most of during your second year. I took on new roles in my job at the Mary Rose and took up rock climbing as a hobby! These completely different things really helped me in my second year because they made sure I took time to step away from my work and focus on something else.
Finally, second year is also the time when people start thinking about their dissertations. I found this rather daunting at the start of the year but I now know I was definitely not alone! I would strongly advise you to approach all the reading you do for your seminars and essays with an open mind, even if you think you don’t find the topic interesting. For me, this mind-set helped me decide to write my dissertation on gin palaces in 18th and 19th century London. This was certainly not an option I had even considered before my second year! You never know what might inspire you and the earlier you start being open to new ideas, the easier it is to decide what you really like.
Overall, second year is wonderful. Like anything, it has its stresses and its deadlines but having the confidence to take it on and get as much as you can out of it means your second year is one you’ll never forget. My experiences across my two years at Portsmouth University have prepared me well for my next challenge: third year! Now I can’t wait to get started.
Good luck to everyone starting their second year – I hope you’re brave and bold and get as much out of it as you can!
Are you just about to start your first year as a History student and wonder what it will be like? Then read this blog written by one of last year’s ‘freshers’, Amelia Boddice. In the blog Amelia reflects on her experience when starting this whole new chapter in her life, from how to prepare for class to enjoying life both inside and outside the lecture room. Amelia is just about to start her second year of studies.
What to expect?
In terms of the gap between A-level and doing an undergraduate degree you can expect a big difference in the workload. There is an increase in the amount of preparation you must do for class, any written assignments and your participation in group work. You should do the core reading as a minimum but if you find you have some spare time I would suggest doing some further reading as this will show your enthusiasm and help to get your marks up for the portion of your final grade which is composed of seminar participation marks. This works in concordance with the lecture material to help consolidate your background knowledge on any given topic. Doing this will also help you to prepare 2/8 core readings needed for essays so you will be ahead.
This increase in workload, I have found, may increase the pressure you feel to succeed but the lecture/seminar format of this course helps to reduce this to a degree. This dual system is very different to the A-level system, but I have found it more effective for consolidating knowledge and you must understand lecturers do not have enough time to teach us everything about every topic so attending both will aid in your general understanding. I would always recommend emailing or asking tutors for essay specific readings to help make your essay more succinct and to show your dedication to the piece. There is always an area for you to succeed in and this system will allow you to do well regardless of what your strengths are, whether they are essay writing or giving a sustained verbal argument with evidence. Seminars are broken down into four tasks: presenting, primary sources (historical documents to be analysed which can be found in your handbook), secondary sources (which is the general background reading) and the blog. These tasks alternate with each seminar and all your marks go towards your final grade – so do not worry if you find essays difficult, if you have succeeded in seminars your overall grade will rise as a result.
My experience:
I found that I spent an awful lot of time in the library as the staff were friendly and the atmosphere was brilliant for studying. However, you can do a lot of the reading online at home so if you are not staying on campus there is no need to worry as you will be able to do it remotely. By doing this I could do work in advance and therefore not feel any huge pressure when facing upcoming deadlines, so I would suggest finding a place you love to study.
Everyone on the course, including the tutors, are very friendly and there to help. As much as you might have been told everyone is in the same boat, it really is the case! If you are open to making new friends and working in an environment you may have previously found uncomfortable, such as presenting, you will find the course very rewarding. If you meet your presentation group in advance and do your part, there is really no need to worry. Then once the presentation has been completed you will feel very rewarded and may have overcome a fear in the process.
Listening closely to the advice given by tutors about written assignments you may not have previously encountered, such as document commentaries, really helps! There are also essay writing guides on Moodle under ‘Learning Development.’ Use it, it has been put there for your benefit. Also remember lecturers have office hours which you can use for any essay specific queries. In addition to this take note of tutors’ email addresses for any questions you may have.
This course will allow you to build your confidence and experience opportunities you may not have been able to before. For example, in my first year I volunteered for the Ministry of Defence at the National Museum of the Royal Navy reconstructing RAF packs from the Second World War! Take all the opportunities that come your way.
How to prepare and general advice:
The general reading lists are always a good place to start. Either read the introduction or a chapter you think may be helpful to give you an insight on the module.
Be willing to make new friends.
Practice referencing. Although you will do this in the course ‘History At University’, it may be beneficial to just give it a go.
Remember:
Find time for yourself. Your mental health and wellbeing come first.
It is possible to balance coursework, work and any social activities you may want to be a part of. For example, being a part of a sports team is made much easier as Wednesday afternoons are free of all classes for all university students because that time is dedicated to sports fixtures.
You will get out of the course what you put in.
The first year of university is kind of like a practice as it does not count towards your final grade; use it as a practice but try your hardest. It is comforting to know that whatever assignments you do you will have a second chance to improve your grade.
Ian Atkins, a second year History student at the University of Portsmouth, wrote the following blog entry on his experience of doing a work placement at the National Museum of the Royal Navy Library for the Public History Placement Unit. The unit is co-ordinated by Dr Melanie Bassett, Research Assistant for Port Towns and Urban Cultures and Part Time Lecturer in History.
The Public History Placement unit, a vital part of any university career, is an option that is available to Second Year Students in the School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies. Encompassing a wide and varied variability of placements the option aims to give an insight into the types of careers that are available to the deserving History graduate. Skills learnt in this unit allow for opportunity into a wide area of Public History, which as described by Faye Sayer ‘is the work by historians to associate the past with the present and communicate such to the public’, in a way that is understood and managed by those who do not possess a professional qualification. [1] This is not to diminish the importance of the past, nor is it too dumb down the past, it is a way of integrating everyone in their collective history. The use of public history allows for further understanding of collective memory, a function that academics are at lengths to stress binds us all, as we have lived through the experiences and are able to learn from them. [2]
I undertook a placement that was based at the National Museum of the Royal Navy Library. A collections library based at the Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth. The library holds extensive collections showcasing treasures of over 350 years of seafaring history, focusing on exclusive collections of Horatio, Lord Nelson, service records, personal accounts and many other collections that have a relation to the sea and the way the British Navy dominated the oceans. [3] A museum of this type has a dedicated team of professional historians and volunteers, who ‘make a positive and lasting impact contributing to the industry [and] their support is vital to releasing the creative energies of the hard-pressed professional’. [4] The volunteers and staff are, as suggested, a vital part of allowing the public to fully engage with the museum and its artefacts.
When envisioning working in a place such as the NMRN, or indeed any institution, local or national, there has to be consideration of the way that that institution understands its sense of place. There has to be understanding that it is relevant, how that even after 600 years museums are still one of the most active tourist attractions available to the public. [5] With such a varied history themselves, the museum ultimately becomes part of the artefacts that they display. There has been, as of 1992, rapid growth and ‘change within the museum industry, throwing the previous assumptions of museums into disarray’. [6] This is where a unit dedicated to Public History is essential. It is a way of understanding those changes and the necessity to, as anniversaries come and go, understand the collective past. History is something that connects us all, a state we cannot escape from, if we don’t learn about it we will never learn from it. [7] It is for this reason why a placement unit is important, and why more students should take advantage of it. The work may be time consuming, and sometimes not what is always expected, but nonetheless it is stimulating and it is always interesting to be able to handle and read documents and artefacts, many over 200 years old.
The Placement allowed for skills that will be beneficial to an industry that is so fast paced that there is very little time to give full and professional training; an industry very much built on ‘on the job training’, and voluntary work is a vital component to the smooth running of such. [8] Collections management is a role that all those looking for a career in Public History should be prepared to do; it is the role most accessible in this industry. It also allows for interrelation with historical documents and artefacts that can only ever normally be viewed by appointment or behind glass. Public history is very dominated by government intervention. Progressive governments have ideas on how and what should be taught as part of the nation’s history. The addition or omission of certain facts, objects or other form in museums is testament to this. A public history placement allows for both hands-on experience in a museum or other industry, but in-class experience is also invaluable to the understanding of what is available within this field.
The unit is one that comes highly recommended, if either you have experience in working in the industry or work experience in general. This unit will give you strong and lasting insights into the roles that are available to you as a graduate. History is a complex and fulfilling degree to hold, it is a course that shows you have the skills to work independently, to spec, and within time limits. The Public History industry is made up of multi-facet levels within an organisation, to be counted and noticed in this industry you must demonstrate experience, the placement will give you the skills which can be used to further this experience. It is also an industry that can, at times, be quite demanding. There are a lot of things to do within the organisation and not nearly enough time to do them. The placement will allow you to be able to see this first hand. University is a bubble, one where you are naturally helped along at every stage, the work place is far more different and to gain this experience whilst still having that safety net of university is invaluable. The placement may also allow for continued involvement with your chosen industry which, as already explained, will not only lead to a long lasting relationship for yourself, but for the university as a whole. It is therefore noted this unit and its subsequent placement are both rewarding and thought provoking.
Notes
[1] Faye Sayer, Public History: A Practical Guide. (London: Bloomsbury, 2015), 22.
[2] John Tosh, The Pursuit of History 6th ed. (Abingdon: Routledge, 2015), 259.
[3] National Museum of the Royal Navy. “Home Page.” http://www.nmrn-portsmouth.org.uk/, last accessed 16 May 2018.
[4] Sinclair Goddard, and Stephanie McIvor, Museum Volunteers: Good Practice in the Management of Volunteers. (London: Routledge, 2005), 1.
[5] Eilean Hooper-Greenhill, Museums and the Shaping of Knowledge. (London: Routledge, 1992), i.
[6] Hooper-Greenhill, Museums, 1.
[7] Big Think. “”Those Who Do Not Learn History Are Doomed To Repeat It.” Really?” http://bigthink.com/the-proverbial-skeptic/those-who-do-not-learn-history-doomed-to-repeat-it-really, last accessed 16 May 2018.
[8] The Historical Association. “Careers in History.” http://www.history.org.uk/student/resource/2914/careers-in-history, last accessed 2 January 2018.
Adam O’Leary, a second year History student at the University of Portsmouth, wrote the following blog on the 19th century British Porcelain teapot for the Introduction to Historical Research Unit. In the blog Adam discusses the ways in which historians can use sources such as this to better understand society’s attitudes and assumptions in the 18th and 19th centuries. The unit is co-ordinated by Dr Maria Cannon, Lecturer in Early Modern History at Portsmouth.
Hilditch and Sons teapot c. 1825
British ceramics are some of the most common artefacts found on archaeological sites of the later 18th and 19th centuries, and have rightly been the subject of considerable archaeological attention internationally. [1] In this blog, the reasons for such widespread use of British ceramics will be assessed through British Porcelain teapots. British Porcelain teapots were a staple of a British middle-class household in the 18th and 19th centuries as one of a number of material items that emphasised a person’s wealth, class and politeness. [2] Due to Britain’s world influence as both colonisers and suppliers of industrial items, this British culture leaked into other countries all over the world. [3] Such British cultural influence on other countries will be assessed in the blog through their adoption of British Porcelain teapots as a fashion or status item. The strengths and weaknesses of using a material source to gauge such influence will also be outlined, along with the impact of British Porcelain teapots on British culture.
In order to analyse the impact of a British Porcelain item, it must first be briefly outlined how porcelain as a whole became incorporated into British society as a valuable material. Originally produced and imported from China, during the late 18th century Britain’s ceramics – including porcelain – were deemed to display “sufficient design excellence and quality manufacture.” [4] This modern style of quality production was distinct from the “traditional crafts of French artisans or the repetitive workings of Chinese potters” because it was aided by the “mechanical advances of scientists, engineers and rational men.” [5] As displayed in the source, British porcelain items were commonly trimmed with gold lines making them distinct to those produced by others and added status value. [6] Therefore, the mass production of porcelain teapots underscores Britain’s industrial and consumer power as they were able to take a product, which was originally Asian, and produce it at a quality and mass that Asian markets could not compete with. Moreover, this mass production of porcelain items, including teapots, along with the adoption of porcelain items around the globe and in the colonies, can be attributed to the influence and diffusion of British culture rather than Chinese culture.
However, it can also be argued that this 19th century British teapot underscores Chinese influence on British high culture, showing how Britain’s culture has largely been shaped through the exploration of other cultures. As mentioned earlier, porcelain items such as teapots were a Chinese invention, so just the adoption of using them would highlight an adoption of Chinese culture. Forbye, the design of the actual British teapot, also resembled that of the Chinese version and thus emphasised Chinese culture. This is made evident through the inspection of the source as the scene repeated on both sides of the teapot features a Chinese woman holding a bird cage and a Chinese man smoking a long pipe. [7] The adoption of, and value placed on, Asian creations such as these porcelain teapots emphasises that the British people viewed Asian creations and culture as elegant and beautiful. Such a statement would contradict the argument made by Edward Said in his critically acclaimed book Orientalism. Said claimed that Eastern culture was being viewed and portrayed in a negative light in the West. [8] However, this is in divergence with the source as the adoption of this part of Chinese culture would highlight Eastern culture as being valued in the West. Nonetheless, Said does point out the numerous works of Western writers such as Renan, Lane, Flaubert, Marx and Lamartine who portrayed Eastern culture and peoples as inferior to those in the west. [9] Therefore, this brings prominence to the importance of using material culture sources as either a means of cross referencing other sources or as a means to supplement another source. If material sources are left to stand alone the historian could easily misinterpret the significance of the source as the material source makes the job of the historian one of interpretation. [10]
The use of Porcelain teapots within 19th century British society can help the historian ascertain many aspects of British culture. Firstly, it accentuates the importance of status within society. The intended use of a teapot is merely to steep tea leaves in boiling water ready to serve. However, in 19th century British society it was used as an indication of wealth and class in addition to the primary function. This is supported by Crook who outlines how teapots were mass produced in Britain with different styles and patterns; the more stylistic the more expensive they were and thus wealthy British people would purchase the expensive more decorative pots in order to impress a guest who may visit for tea. [11] Additionally, the mass production of teapots and variance in price illustrates that the tea pots were targeted at people from various different social groups which foregrounds the expansion of the tea drinking culture into the working classes in the 19th century. Sarah Richards reinforces such an assertion as she states that in 1800 tea, coffee and sugar were accessible to most working people in England, which meant that the upper classes could no longer use tea drinking as a means of showing off their status but instead resorted to using teapots. [12] Therefore, material culture is useful to historians, as Karen Harvey highlights, to “discover the beliefs, values, ideas, attitudes and assumptions of a particular community.” [13] In this case the porcelain teapot brings prominence to the values and ideas of politeness and status within 19th century British Society while also giving an insight into the progression of Britain’s international trade, through the commonality of tea drinking.
Consequently, the field of material culture provides valuable details to the historian that can either reinforce or question other sources, and thus it should be regarded as a complementary technique within the conventional tool kit of the historian. [14]
Notes
[1] Aileen Connor and Rachel Clarke, “At the Centre of the Web: Later Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Ceramics from Huntingdon Town Centre in an International Context” in The Importance of British Material Culture to Historical Archaeologies of the Nineteenth Century ed. Alasdair Brooks (Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2015), 29.
[2] Sarah Richards, Eighteenth-century Ceramics: Products for a Civilised Society (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1999), 1.
[3] Penny Crook, “’Home’-Made: Exploring the Quality of British Domestic Goods in Nineteenth-Century Urban Assemblages” in The Importance of British Material Culture to Historical Archaeologies of the Nineteenth Century ed. Alasdair Brooks (Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2015), 307.
[4] Crook, “Home-Made”, 308.
[5] Crook, “Home-Made”, 308.
[6] Crook, “Home-Made”, 309.
[7] Catherine Beth Lippert, Eighteenth-century English Porcelain in the Collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Indianapolis: Indianapolis University Press, 1987), 270.
[8] Edward Said, Orientalism (New York: Pantheon Books, 1978).
[9] Abdullah Al-Dabbagh, “Fortieth Anniversary Review of Books: Edward Said Orientalism”, The Sixteenth Century Journal 40, no.1 (2018): 29.
[10] Karen Harvey, “Introduction”, in Historians and Material Culture: A Student’s Guide to Interpreting Alternative Sources ed. Karen Harvey (Abingdon: Routledge, 2010), 6.
[11] Crook, “Home-Made”, 309.
[12] Richards, Eighteenth-Century Ceramics, 131.
[13] Harvey, “Introduction”, 6.
[14] Otto Sibum, “AHR Conversation: Historians and Material Culture”, American Historical Review 144 (2009).
Eleanor Doyle, a second year History student at the University of Portsmouth, wrote the following blog entry on one of Jane Austen’s letters to her sister Cassandra for the Introduction to Historical Research Unit. Eleanor discusses how we can use personal sources such as this to understand more about an author’s personal relationships as well as wider contemporary experiences. The unit is co-ordinated by Dr Maria Cannon, Lecturer in Early Modern History at Portsmouth.
Jane Austen’s reputation as a celebrated English novelist is well established. However, her letters to her sister, Cassandra Austen, provide a rewarding insight into her as an individual. This blog will focus on a letter Jane sent to her sister in September 1813. [1] Studying Jane through her own words seems particularly appropriate when considering Robert Liddell’s view that her novels, such as Pride and Prejudice, were “her true form of expression.” [2] However, this identifies a significant academic debate: Liddell prioritises the value of Jane’s novels, while Elaine Bander and Robert Chapman argue that the letters reveal personal aspects of Jane. [3] This blog favours the latter interpretation and will demonstrate how this letter makes it possible to understand and value Jane’s relationship with Cassandra, as well as helping us to learn significantly about Jane and her close female friends’ attitudes to fashion and clothing. Therefore, while the limitations of this letter will be discussed, this blog maintains that it offers a unique perspective into Jane Austen’s life.
Portrait of Jane Austen (c. 1810) by her sister Cassandra
The value of this letter cannot be understood without recognising the author’s relationship with the intended reader, Cassandra. The first sentence acknowledges it is a reply to Cassandra’s letter and that this letter, written “after dinner” follow’s Jane’s earlier reply. [4] Although a single letter cannot be used to prove a pattern, Elaine Bander recognises that the sisters wrote to each other two or three times a week. [5] Furthermore, the frequency and content of their letters suggests a close bond between the two sisters. Mary August Austen-Leigh notes that they were educated together since time apart from her “beloved sister” would have “broken her [Jane’s] heart.” [6] This close bond is best evidenced in this letter in the thoughtfulness Jane demonstrates in waiting to hear if her sister likes the colour of ‘the Gown’ she sent to her. [7] Furthermore, Carol Houlihan Flynn notes that the ease and informality with which Jane wrote to her sister, using dashes to “casually break up endless paragraphs” confirms their deep bond. For example, Jane’s discussion of the new caps she and Fanny bought is immediately followed by concern for her brother Henry. [8] Since these two matters have no apparent link, the seemingly chaotic structure of this letter should be understood, as Joan Rees notes, as evidence of the relationship “between two close and affectionate sisters.” [9] This demonstrates, therefore, that Jane’s letters offer an insight into her relationship with her sister that could not be understood through reference to her novels alone.
The letter’s content also reveals a greater understanding of contemporary attitudes to fashion and clothing. There are numerous references made to items of clothing throughout the letter such as ‘gowns’, ‘caps’, ‘stockgs’ (stockings), and “a white silk Handkf” (handkerchief). [10] However, this letter provides more than a list of popular items. It also identifies that some items such as the caps were made elsewhere since Jane records their arrival, along with their descriptions: such as “white sarsenet and Lace”. [11] However, because Jane discusses being “tempted” by some ‘Edging” and purchasing “some very nice plaiting Lace”, as well as mentioning Fanny buying “Net for Anna’s gown”, it can be inferred that at least some of their clothes were made by the women. [12] This is confirmed by Sarah Tytler, who praises Jane’s needlework skills as having “exquisite finish”; a view also echoed by Hilary Davison. [13] Therefore, this letter strongly suggests that Jane and her close friends were involved in making their own clothes. As Davison has noted, this is very difficult to evidence by using a material culture approach alone. This, then, demonstrates the value of personal sources to resolve issues in studies of material culture. However, the frequency with which fabric and style are discussed suggests that Jane’s letters could also be used as a means by which to investigate contemporary fashion. Claire Tomalin recognises that Cassandra and Jane often wrote to each other about fashion and fabrics. [14] Therefore, it would be appropriate to conclude that these letters provide a unique insight into the activities of Jane and her close female friends. The insight provided into Jane’s life as a relatively wealthy woman in the early nineteenth century is significant and identifies areas for further investigation.
Finally, it has been demonstrated that this single letter reveals more about the life of Jane Austen than might be expected, and thus deserves further consideration by academics. Fittingly, Roger Sales argues that the collection of Jane’s letters remains “the single most neglected historical source for this period”. [15] However, it must also be recognised that this letter, and the collection it belongs to, has limitations. Firstly, as has been discussed, this letter, along with the majority of other letters compiled by Chapman, were sent to Cassandra, who edited and destroyed parts of Jane’s letters before she passed her collection on. [16] Consequently, it is impossible to know whether valuable letters were lost. However, it is arguable that Cassandra’s editing is further evidence of her close relationship with Jane and perhaps an attempt to censor or to highlight what she considered to be important. [17] Since their letters reflect their personal relationship it is possible that she believed some of the content to be unimportant or too sensitive to be read by others. Sales’ view that the letters allowed Jane and her contemporaries to “lose the ‘countenance’” expected of them in public would support this view. [18] It is unwise to suggest that a true idea of Jane Austen can be understood through her letters. As Marian Dobson has recognised, most academic opinion suggests letters offer a place for the individual to discuss their feelings rather than show their true self. [19] Rees has also acknowledged (in the case of Harold Nicolson) that much academic criticism has focused on the lack of interesting content in such letters. [20] An example of this is perhaps the “Eighteen pence due to my Mother” than Jane encloses. [21] However, the more recent historiographical shift to focusing on the ‘mundane’ and valuable ‘nothingness’ in these letters to help explain wider contemporary experiences is highly important. [22] The findings of this blog about Jane’s letter have indeed shown that the seemingly small or insignificant details, such as the lace she bought, actually offer important insights into her life. [23]
This analysis of Jane Austen’s letter to her sister demonstrates that this personal document allows us a deeper understanding of Jane’s life. This letter offers specific detail on Jane’s relationship with her sister and illuminates aspects of Jane’s experience of fashion and clothing. Although our understanding of Jane Austen would greatly benefit from a comparative analysis studying all of her letters, this work has shown that her life is more richly understood by using her private letters to her sister.
Notes
[1] Jane Austen, “Thursday 16th September 1813,” R.W. Chapman, Jane Austen’s Letters to her sister Cassandra and others, volume 3 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932), 325-328.
[2] Elaine Bander, “Jane Austen’s World: Jane Austen’s Words,” Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal 37 (2015): 186; Robert Liddell, The Novels of Jane Austen (London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1963), 143.
[3] Bander, “Jane Austen’s World,” 186; R.W. Chapman, Jane Austen Facts and Problems (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1948), 1-2.
[4] Austen, “Thursday 16th September 1813.”
[5] Bander, “Jane Austen’s World,” 187 -188.
[6] Mary August Austen-Leigh, Personal Aspects of Jane Austen (London: John Murray, 1920), 21.
[7] Austen, “Thursday 16th September 1813.”
[8] Ibid.
[9] Joan Rees, Jane Austen: Woman and Writer (London: Robert Hale & Company, 1976), 52.
[10] Austen, “Thursday 16th September 1813.”
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Sarah Tytler, Jane Austen and Her Works (London: Cassell, Petter Galpin & Co, 1880), 11. Quoted in Roger Sales, Jane Austen and Representations of Regency England (London: Routledge, 1994), 4; James Edward Austen-Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen and Other Family Recollections, ed. by Kathryn Sutherland (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 77. Quoted in Hilary Davison, “Reconstructing Jane Austen’s Silk Pelisse, 1812-1814,” Costume 49, no.2 (2015): 211.
[14] Claire Tomalin, Jane Austen: A Life (London: Penguin Books, 1997), 112.
[15] Sales, Jane Austen and Representations, xiv.
[16] R.W. Chapman, Jane Austen’s Letters to her sister Cassandra and others, volume 3 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932); Carol Houlihan Flynn, “The Letters,” in The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen ed. Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997), 100; Rees, Jane Austen: Woman, 13; Robert Liddell, The Novels of Jane Austen (London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1963), 145.
[17] Houlihan Flynn, “The Letters,” 100.
[18] Sales, Jane Austen and Representations, xiv.
[19] Miriam Dobson, “Letters” in Reading Primary Sources: The Interpretation of Texts from Nineteenth and Twentieth Century History, ed. by Miriam Dobson and Benjamin Zieman (Abingdon: Routledge, 2009), 60.
[20] Harold Nicholson, Report Jane Austen Society (1948). Quoted in Rees, Jane Austen: Woman, 52.
Source: Austen, Jane. “Thursday 16th September 1813,” R. W. Chapman, Jane Austen’s Letters to her sister Cassandra and others Volume 3, 325-328. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1932.
