Fall 2026 Pathway Membership Class

Imagine the travails of engaging in proper society in such an improper world as post-colonial America. While Jane Austen and Martha Washington lived vastly different lives, this talk will also explore what these two important female figures had in common, as well as offer an invitation to explore digital archives of Mount Vernon and other historical sites.

What if reading Jane Austen is a remedy to today's widespread disconnection and depression? Elizabeth Jane Steele explores how Austen defines and promotes connection in the lives of her characters and in the reader's experience with the text.

This talk will help readers of Jane Austen understand references to fox hunting in her novels. In particular, what does the way Willoughby use fox hunting in Sense & Sensibility say about his character?