Great Minds Think Alike

Dear Emma,

While some people may think that this title references my sister, it truly is a reaction and personal response to my friend Jane Austen. My roommates and I ate at the Olive Garden tonight, where we were waited on by a British server from Liverpool. Much to our astonishment and dismay, he didn't know who Jane Austen was. After this discovery, we determined to watch Emma when we got home since we have been meaning to for some time. I love this story and find it hilarious that two hundred years after Austen penned this tale of silly girls and their romances, the truths it reveals about women is still true. Almost embarrassingly so. But it is for this reason that we love her stories. A friend asked me why people love her works; he says that they're boring even though he's a fellow English teaching major. While I credit him for not jumping on the bandwagon, I believe that women appreciate Jane's stories because we relate to her characters' thoughts and feel validated that their thoughts so long ago echo our own. Jane's witty character development and analysis are stirring indeed but require patience to get along with her language.

Thanks Jane for a lovely evening,
Sarah

P.S. I am just noticing the formality of my language now; it must be directly related to the fake British accent running through my head as I type this in the good ole Austen fashion. I hope that the old adage "great minds think alike" is true.