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Han: Tell me again what we’re doing here?

Leia: We agreed to watch some movie trailers for December releases.

Han: What is a movie trailer? What’s December? I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Rey: A movie trailer is a short video made to entice you to watch a movie, which is a two-hour story acted out on screen. And December is one Earth-month.

Han: I like this girl.

Finn: She’s all right.

This week is Jane Austen’s birthday (she’ll be turning 241, happy birthday, Jane!) and to celebrate, we’re imagining how some of her most beloved characters might make use of one of our more Austenian modern conveniences: the Missed Connections boards on Craigslist. What if, instead of being forced to stoically endure their tumultuous feelings, Jane Austen’s characters were able to empty their hearts out onto the internet? Below we imagine what some of their posts may have looked like.

Pop culture is full of slow-burn, will-they-or-won't-they couples. Luke and Lorelai. Ross and Rachel. Mary and Matthew. Ron and Hermione. Couples whose gradual, winding paths to each other inevitably twist their fandom's stomachs into bittersweet knots while the characters themselves burn with unresolved tension. These are the ships that may take years to sail, but when they do, it's a glorious sight to behold.

There's perhaps no better example of this in modern pop culture than the sweet, slow romance between paper salesman Jim Halpert and receptionist Pam Beesly on the TV series The Office. Their quiet flirtation eventually bloomed into a solid and lasting relationship that provided much of the heart of the show throughout its nine-season run.

[Still from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, New Line Cinema]

Merry: What's wrong, Pip?

Pippin: I've learned something troubling, Merry. Very troubling indeed.

M: What's that, then?

P: Did you know that today is an American holiday called “Thanksgiving?”

M: I don't see how that's troubling.

P: And that Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast?

M: What are you on about, Pip? This sounds like the best sort of holiday.

P: And that their Thanksgiving feast is only one meal?

M: …

Photo taken by Quirk Books

Moana is about to hit theaters, and one of its central characters, the demigod Maui, is voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Once known exclusively as a world champion pro wrestler, The Rock has since gone on to carve out quite the acting career for himself, as an action movie star, a television star, and now, a character in a Disney animated movie.

So what's next in The Rock's impressive career? Well, how about tackling some literary roles? While we haven't seen The Rock do anything quite like this before, he's been impressing us for years with his versatility, so we have no doubt he could handle it. Below are a few characters we would love to see him bring to life.

For Americans, next week is Thanksgiving, a day devoted to reflection and gratefulness. (And also eating. Lots and lots of eating.) However, in light of… er, let's just call it a difficult year, it may be challenging for many people to come up with a list of things to be thankful for.*

In order to make life easier for those people, below is a list of literary characters who are more or less in the same boat. If nothing else, you can be thankful that your day is not as bad as theirs.

*Unless you're a Cubs fan. Cubs fans will probably be riding that high straight through to the next presidential election. Good job, Cubs fans.