Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What kind of novels is Jane Austen known for? Why do critics refer to her as a “social realist” or a “domestic realist”? What is her significance to literary history?

Teaching Suggestion: Because many of Austen’s novels have been repeatedly used as the basis for films, even students with relatively little knowledge of Austen are likely to have at least heard of her and may have even formed opinions about her work. This question will allow you to distinguish between a glancing familiarity and the kind of deeper knowledge that will help students appreciate a novel like Northanger Abbey. Once you have assessed students’ prior understanding, you can use the resources listed below to fill in any gaps in their knowledge. Students interested in more in-depth exploration of Jane Austen and her world might be encouraged to check out the excellent scholarly resources available from this site, maintained by the Jane Austen Society of North America.

• This 12-minute video from TED-X explains Austen’s contribution to literature and continuing relevance.