As Christmas
approaches, I thought it would be fitting to take a break from my chronological
journey through literature and come up with something a little festive. Obviously Charles Dickens’ A Christmas
Carol (1843) has the Christmas
meal par excellence, but with the school term having only ended on Friday I
don’t think I really have time to roast a goose or make a plum pudding in order
to replicate the meal enjoyed by Bob Cratchit and his family.
But I was pleased to
find a much simpler idea when I was teaching Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813) to my Year 10s. In chapter 9 Mrs Bennet and her two youngest
daughters, Kitty and Lydia, have come to visit Jane and Elizabeth who are
staying at Netherfield, guests of Mr Bingley, whilst Jane recovers from a heavy
cold caught when she rode over to visit the Bingleys in a rainstorm. During a rather awkward conversation, in
which Mrs Bennet frequently makes digs at Mr Darcy’s pride (having not forgiven
him for refusing to dance with Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly), Elizabeth
attempts to change the subject by enquiring whether Charlotte Lucas has visited
the Bennets at their home, Longbourn. On
hearing that Charlotte called on the previous day, Elizabeth enquires whether she
stayed for dinner, only for Mrs Bennet to say: “No, she would go home. I fancy she was wanted about the mince
pies.”
