Jane Austen, English novelist
Jane Austen was an English novelist from the late 18th and early 19th centuries whose mastery of free indirect discourse and irony in her work has made her one of the most important literary figures of her time, whose influence continues to be felt to this day. Characterised by her insightful social commentary, Austen's works (among them Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Emma) stand as landmarks in English literature. These classics have been published in many editions over the years, translated into many different languages and have been performed in plays and movie screens.
Jane Austen was born on December 16th, 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire to the Reverend George Austen and Cassandra Leigh. She was one of two daughters in the family and had five brothers in addition. Two of her brothers, James and Henry took after their father in their choice of profession, with Henry first undertaking a successful position as a banker for most of his life before finally entering into Church service. Two other brothers, Francis and Charles had decided on navy careers while the fifth brother, George was an invalid who did not live with the Austen family.
Austen enjoyed a particularly close relationship with her sister Cassandra that lasted their whole lives. They wrote each other constantly and the wealth of correspondence between the two sisters forms much of the basis of what we now know about Jane Austen. Unfortunately, Cassandra herself destroyed many of these letters after the death of her sister.
Her reasons for doing so remain unclear. Cassandra is also responsible for the only historically verifiable portrait of Jane Austen, having drawn a somewhat basic colour sketch of her sister, which can still be viewed today at the national Portrait Gallery in London.
Jane Austen began her early education in 1783 in Oxford and later in Southampton being taught by a relative before attending classes at the Reading Ladies boarding school, which was in the Abbey Gatehouse in Reading. She would study there for a year from 1785 to 1786 and a few short years later, in 1789 would publish her first novel.
The Austen family had a strong interest in art and literature, which was encouraged in the children. They often performed plays at home for their own enjoyment and these gave Jane an ideal means to present her work. They also staged plays based on the many books, which they regularly borrowed from the local library, and these materials would form the bulk of Jane's early literary influences.
During much of Austen's life, the Romantic period was the predominant influence in literature and art throughout England and in many parts of Europe as well. However, while Austen was historically a contemporary of the foremost Romantic writers such as Coolidge and Wordsworth, stylistically, her work remained strongly sympathetic with the age of reason and echoed the satirical literary forms that were the norm in previous times.
Many of Austen's novels dealt with her observations about society in general and the upper classes in particular. She strongly advocated values such as self-control, propriety in mannerism and behaviour and proper etiquette in social settings although she was also somewhat critical of the snobbery that was pervasive among England's elite.
Jane Austen's novel Emma is a bit of a departure from most novels that were published at the time. It dealt with a woman's view of marriage but instead of the romantic treatment that tended to be the norm during those days, Austen approached the subject material unflinchingly in a matter-of-fact manner. The novel's sentiments echoed strongly among the young women of the age, who restricted by societal norms from having their own careers, were typically drawn to marriages that would assure them a comfortable life.
While admiration for Jane Austen's work is almost universal, there have been many prominent literary figures that looked upon her work less favourably. Charlotte Brontë for example felt that Austen's work displayed a somewhat narrow range and Mark Twain even went so far as to say that he would prefer a library with no books to one that contained any of Austen's work. Nevertheless Jane Austen's body of work remains one of the most widely read collections of all time.
Jane Austen died July 18th, 1817 and her remains lie in Winchester Cathedral.Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 21/07/2008
