Test Narrative MJB | Digital Austen

Judging a Book by its Cover

Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice follows a complicated, yet compelling story about a family of five children, their parents and their love lives. The most prominent issue throughout the novel is that the five children are all female. In order to secure all of their comfortable futures, the children must marry affluent young men. In the 2003 Saddleback adaption, Janice Greene’s visual impression reduces the importance of wealth and prosperity, and increases the romance factor. This is evident not only on the front cover, but also on the back, where the series summary states; “Silly Mrs. Bennet is ‘husband hunting’ for her five daughters…Darcy would make a great match for Elizabeth–if it weren’t for his false pride and her stubborn prejudice. And the other girls aren’t cooperating. Jane is too shy to show affection, and Lydia has run of with an unsuitable army officer” (Greene, 2003). There is no mention as to why Mrs. Bennet is scouring for single young men, but only the expectation that her daughters must marry. By Greene adapting and simplifying the covers to presume a merely romantic narrative between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, she is constructing the novel Pride and Prejudice to appeal to a younger audience.

The front cover provided by the 2003 adaption of Pride and Prejudice is straightforward. Pictured on the front, there is Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. In the background there is a slight glimpse of what is assumed to be Pemberley Estate among the countryside. Lizzy’s face is particularly unimpressed, as she is looking away from Mr. Darcy and has a slight frown as well as furred eyebrows. Mr. Darcy stands behind Lizzy, gazing down upon her, with one eyebrow raised in a quizzical fashion. They are both well dressed and presentable, yet give off a slight essence of frustration within their relationship. Upon first impression, this cover page indicates direct tension between Lizzy and Darcy. It can be assumed that the two characters are involved in a relationship, yet not necessarily a pleasurable one. It is a simplistic vision, and leaves little to the reader’s imagination, as much of what the novel is focused upon is laid out within their facial expressions. Likely, the illustrations are presented in an obvious way due to being a children’s variation. The large, one-dimensional font, with no adaptation note or press quotations leaves this version with a rather naïve and amateur composition. The front and back covers streamline the novel to be focused around the affiliation between Lizzy and Darcy, not primarily concerning the other family members, previous attempts at marriage, or desire for wealth.

Back in 1999

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