Due to him having knowledge on Jane Austen and her works, I asked Dr. Alam if I could interview him for our Jane Austen project!
Olivia: Question #1) What was your first Jane Austen book? If this was Pride and Prejudice, did you have any background of Jane Austen yourself?
Dr. Alam: Yes, Pride and Prejudice was the first Jane Austen novel I read. I was an undergraduate student at the time, and I didn’t know much about her, apart from hearing my father mention her name when I was a child.
Olivia: Question #2.) What was a character you related the most and why? Do you think there was changes in that character as you grew up or do you feel like you have "stayed as the same character" throughout your life?
Dr. Alam: My answer may sound a bit funny! I think I related to Darcy the most—not because I was naturally drawn to his type, but because he was the hero, and I felt I was supposed to like him. In other words, I think I first decided that I had to like him, and only then started finding things to like about him. My perception of Darcy has certainly evolved over the years, especially after I began teaching the novel to undergraduate students, when I started noticing certain of his traits that are not so likeable. But isn’t that true for most characters? Let's acknowledge that Darcy himself tries to change as a person when Elizabeth holds a mirror up to him.
Olivia: Question #3.) If you could create a new 2025 casting of Pride and Prejudice, who would you cast as who? If there's too many to think of, who would you cast for Elizabeth and Darcy?
Dr. Alam: I think I’ve watched the 2005 movie adaptation several times because I really liked it. As a result, it’s hard for me to imagine anyone else in the lead roles—I can only picture Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy.
However, if I were to recast the film, my choices might be a bit older than most people’s preferences: I’d choose Adrien Brody as Darcy and Sandra Bullock as Elizabeth.
Olivia: Question #4.) Which part of the book resonated with you? Was it a specific scene or the overall book? And if it did resonate with you, did it also change your perspective in life? Or love? Or both!?
Dr. Alam: It has been a really long time since I last read the book, so it’s difficult to recall any specific sections that resonated with me the most. However, I clearly remember I liked the early chapters—they do a wonderful job of setting the context and tone of the novel, and I remember instantly admiring Austen’s writing style. And yes, I certainly like the book. I’m not sure which of my perspectives it specifically changed, but I do think I’ve been shaped a great deal by the books I’ve read—as we all are. And who knows, back then, I might have even unconsciously tried to adopt a few of Darcy’s attitudes!
Olivia: Final Question #5.) Do you think that Jane’s ideas of romanticism and romantics is continued to be seen today or is it instead criticized?
Dr. Alam: I think it’s a fascinating question, but at the same time, quite a difficult one to answer. There are many possible ways to look at it. Much depends on social/cultural context and on how people today relate to romantic ideals. A lot has certainly changed since Austen penned those ideas through her characters—even Elizabeth and Jane, for instance, differ from each other in how they view love and marriage.
It was a pleasure to interview Dr. Alam and I thanked him for saving some time for me to talk about Jane Austen. I highly recommend taking Dr. Alam's class in the Spring for Edgar Allen Poe and see how he sees the world in poetry!
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