This week, we're talking about the Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel Persuasion, starring Dakota Johnson. Join us as we discuss the gendered relations of the era, issues of aristocracy vs. meritocracy in early-nineteenth-century Britain, and the theme of empire that lies just under the surface of Austen's work.

P.S. We mention the Victorian period throughout this episode and its strict separation of gender, but Persuasion was technically written a few years before this period officially began. These themes, however, were already emerging in the run-up to Queen Victoria's reign.

In this episode, we reference the following works:

• 'Gender Roles in the 19th Century' & Victorians Undone: Tales of the Flesh in the Age of Decorum by Kathryn Hughes
• 'Jane Austen on Sc ...