A Modern Quest for Knowledge into a Past World of Literature;
or ... Why did Jane Austen write her Famous Strawberry Party Scene?
Donwell was famous
for its strawberry-beds,
which seemed a plea for the invitation: but no plea was necessary; cabbage-beds would have been enough to tempt the lady, who only wanted to be going somewhere.
Methodology
Additional descriptions of methods employed during this Bachelor of Arts Project (BAP).
The English Strawberry
Appendix for Chapter 2 on the history of the English strawberry.
The methodology used
Biographies of Jane Austen
Do the biographies of Austen reveal any clues? Appendix for Chapter 3.
Austen & her Reading Materials
Was Austen inspired by the literature or newspapers she read, when composing the strawberry scene in Emma?
War and the English Gentleman
Do we need to search for references to the Napoleonic Wars or the traditional English gentleman behind her words?
Austen & Food
What role did food play?
Austen's Gardens
Did Austen experience strawberries in the gardens she had access to?
Fruit in Austen's Fiction
Examples of fruit used in Austen's Works and their Frequency.
The Outlandish Cousin
Was the strawberry scene inspired by tales from the French court.
Austen & Food
Plain cooking and the 'Malthusian Trap'
Emma & Nelson
Is the name 'Emma' a reference to Lord Nelson's mistress, Lady Hamilton?
'George'
Is the name 'George' significant?
List of References
See List of References for information regarding materials used.
Strawberry Scene
An excerpt from Emma: The strawberry scene.
