SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ACADEMIC LECTURE

Date: April 23, 2024 (Tuesday)

Time: 13:30 - 15:00

Venue: Room 210, Chongyuan Building, School of Foreign Languages

Topic: Table Talk and Dinner Dishes — Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

Speaker: Professor Lu Jiande, Xiamen University

Abstract:

Jane Austen’s novels often portray social gatherings among country neighbors, during which time the importance of the social ball is universally acknowledged, and the seating arrangements at the feast are also profound for their deeper implications. The narrative often prioritizes human interactions over detailed culinary depictions, yet Austen intentionally incorporates instances of certain characters’ engagement with cookery and dishes, revealing her subtle yet discernible critique. In light of popular essays such as Liang Shiqiu’s A Cottager’s View on Eating, one wonders if Austin’s character— Mrs. Bennet could have likewise shared her culinary guide with readers?

Speaker Bio:

Professor Lu Jiande long served as director and editor-in-chief at the Institute of Foreign Literature and the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is the Chair Professor of Xiamen University and the director of the XMU Center for Comparative Literature and Transcultural Studies. His publications include essay collections such as Fragments of a Broken Ideological System and The Scenery of the Self, with recent work focusing on Lu Xun studies.

We warmly welcome all faculty members and students to actively participate in this lecture!

School of Foreign Languages