Big Grin

I feel like such a scholar. I went and studied in the Bodleian today. *grin* *excited wave of hands* *little head dance thing* I've no idea what happened this morning; I can't for the life of me remember. I expect there was some sort of breakfast, and making of the bed, and maybe some studying? but it seems so long ago.

Very weird.

But after lunch I headed off to the English Faculty (in American, "department") library, where I found, much to my inner geek's ecstatic delight, "The Romance of the Forest," by Ann Radcliffe. This book, along with many others, such as Radcliffe's "Mysteries of Udolpho" form the core of classic gothic romance novels, which Jane Austen tends to mock/satirize/mimic in her own works. She also makes reference to them, particularly in "Northanger Abbey" - her novel I am writing on right now! "Romance of the Forest" is mentioned in "Emma;" remember, when Emma asks Harriet if Mr. Martin has yet taken her advice and read it ... ? *awkward moment for Harriet*! But it all turns out well in the end, everyone lives happily ever after, Emma has much more important things to think about than Mr. Martin ... ! *I heart Mr. Knightley!* Just had to get that in there. Anyway, so a bit of cool background historical literary stuff.

Then, after the Eng Fac, I made my way to the Bod. I love the Bod. Just sayin'. It's a big, imposing building with Latin scrawled across its doorways and creaky old staircases, FILLED with books. Old books, new books, weird books, blue books. And everyone in there seems so intellectual and scholarly. I felt quite small and ignorant without any huge round glasses perched precariously on my nose, or without a leaning tower of books slipping off my desk, or without my matching bowtie and fountain pen set.

I dont have a bowtie. But bowties are cool.

But I did have cool books to read, and fun papers to write, and a nice sort of freshman feeling of "I belong!" even when you really don't ... ? Y'all know what I mean. It's cool.

But I did find a cool book by Marie de France, known for her Lais and courtly romances and French poetry and stuff; she's written this really kind of strange, kind of funny, kind of neat poem (in french) called "St. Patrick's Purgatory," and the story goes that God showed St. Patrick a secret passage to Purgatory - something inbetween Dante's dark wood and the corner rooms in "Clue" ... never mind - and there are people guarding the entrance, and a knight named Owen eventually goes down there and has to resist the temptation of ten different temptations ... which is sort of strange because it's like the devils are tempting him to be punished ... ? I'm not sure, I was sort of just paging through it, I wasn't supposed to be reading it! but in the end, of course he prevails with grace and wins and comes home and lives to tell the tale. So that was neat; what I didn't understand was the connection between Marie de France (who, incidentally, is called that because she comes from France but actually spent time at Henry II and Eleanor's court in England, FYI) and St. Patrick. Or Ireland. Or Purgatory. But it was cool!

Now: making the connection between Jane Austen and the gothic style. I have 12 pages of notes for a 6-8 page paper. MAYBE I should start cutting things down a little ... !