Jane Austen's Life
While the literary art of Jane Austen is remarkable, the facts of her biography, at first glance, are not. The contrast has long intrigued Austen readers and scholars, and interest in her life is today almost as keen as interest in her works. Dating back to her own time, when Austen's first four novels were published anonymously, sources of information about her life still exist — some of her letters (those her sister Cassandra did not destroy after her death), and A Memoir of Jane Austen, written by her nephew J.E. Austen-Leigh in 1869. These sources reveal that Austen did lead the quiet life of an unmarried clergyman's daughter. She found early encouragement for her art within her family circle, and a starting point for her novels in her personal and family history.
While the literary art of Jane Austen is remarkable, the facts of her biography, at first glance, are not. The contrast has long intrigued Austen readers and scholars, and interest in her life is today almost as keen as interest in her works. Dating back to her own time, when Austen's first four novels were published anonymously, sources of information about her life still exist — some of her letters (those her sister Cassandra did not destroy after her death), and A Memoir of Jane Austen, written by her nephew J.E. Austen-Leigh in 1869. These sources reveal that Austen did lead the quiet life of an unmarried clergyman's daughter. She found early encouragement for her art within her family circle, and a starting point for her novels in her personal and family history.
Born in 1775 to George and Cassandra Austen in the English
village of Steventon, Jane Austen grew up in a highly literate family. Austen's
father was an Oxford-educated clergyman and her mother was a humorous,
aristocratic woman. Educated only briefly outside of her home, Austen read
freely in her father's library of 500 books, which left her better educated
than most young girls of the time. While her family never anticipated she would
be a published writer (not considered an appropriate profession for a young
lady of her background), within the walls of their household she was encouraged
to write. In this lively intellectual household, the 15-year-old Austen began
writing her own novels; and by age 23 she had completed the original versions
of Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. Her own
delight in reading and her ironic mocking of its impact on young girls comes
alive in Northanger Abbey.
After Austen's father died in 1805, Jane, her mother, and
sister Cassandra lived in a small house provided by her then-wealthy brother
Edward in the village of Chawton. When Jane received a proposal from the
wealthy brother of a close friend, for whom she felt no affection, she
initially accepted him, only to turn him down the next day. This was a painful
decision for her, as she understood deeply that marriage was the sole option
women had for social mobility. She further understood the vulnerability of
single women without family estates who depend on wealthy relatives for a home.
This subject is at the heart of Sense and Sensibility.
Austen keenly observed the shifting of social class during
her day. Two of her brothers were in the Royal British Navy, and she saw
first-hand the rise of naval officers in class-conscious British society. Those
who returned from the Napoleonic wars with both wealth and notoriety were able to
break through class barriers that were previously impenetrable. She wrote
elegantly about this sea change in her last novel, Persuasion.
Jane Austen died on July 18, 1817, at age 41. She never
wrote a memoir, sat for an interview, or recorded whether she had herself felt
the joys and disappointments of love. The biographical facts may never
adequately explain the quick wit, the sharp insight, and the deep emotional
intelligence she brought to her novels. Perhaps that is impossible; it is
likely that the novels will continue to transcend our understanding of where
they came from.
Jane Austen's Family Tree
Regency Era
The Regency era spans the reign of the Prince of Wales from
1811 to 1820. It occurred at the latter end of the Georgian period when King
George III was declared unfit to rule for reasons of insanity and his son,
George IV was appointed as Regent to govern the country. The Prince Regent was
notable for his lack of restraint in most areas of life. He was a womanizer who
over-ate, over-drank and over-spent. As such he lost the respect of many of his
subjects, including Jane Austen herself. In fact, she mocks over-indulgence and
vanity of all kinds, while restraint is depicted as a mark of character
strength. Nevertheless, his extravagance characterized the period and his
patronage of the arts resulted in marked expansion in the areas of:
1) Architecture
(typified by the elegant designs of architect John Nash)
2) Literature
(typified by work of Romantic writers Austen, Byron, Shelley and Keats)
3) Music (typified by
the works of Beethoven, Schubert and Liszt).
4) The character of
Sir Walter in Persuasion could be interpreted as a parody of the Prince Regent.
A widening gap between rich and poor
While the upper classes in the Regency era were enjoying an
opulent lifestyle, the lower classes experienced a grinding poverty. The Prince
Regent made little effort to relieve the situation and his lavish lifestyle
caused a growing resentment. The gap between rich and poor was exacerbated by:
1) A sudden increase
in the population and increasing overcrowding in the cities, which led to
squalid housing conditions. This gave rise to city slums (colloquially known as
rookeries). They were associated with prostitution, drunkenness and crime in
general
2) Inflated food
prices, due to Napoleon's blockade of exports to Britain, as well as high
wheat prices resulting from the Corn Law of 1815
3) Technological
advances in the textile industry which eventually wiped out spinning as a
cottage industry - hence the Luddite Riots (1811-1816) in which English
craftsmen protested about the negative impact of technological advances on
employment in the weaving industry.
Major Works
Lady Susan
Lady Susan was possibly written in 1794 but not
published until 1871. Beautiful,
flirtatious, and recently widowed, Lady Susan Vernon seeks an advantageous
second marriage for herself, while attempting to push her daughter into a
dismal match. A magnificently crafted novel of Regency manners and mores that
will delight Austen enthusiasts with its wit and elegant expression. The entire
novel is composed of letters, offering different viewpoints, with an epilogue
tying the events together. The film adaptation
is titled Love and Friendship (2016), not to be confused with her juvenilia
novella of the same name.
Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen's first major novel was written in 1798-99, when
she was in her early twenties. It is a comic love story set in Bath about a
young reader who must learn how to separate fantasy from reality. Miss Austen
sold the novel (then entitled Susan) to a publisher in 1803, and the
work was advertised but never published. She bought it back many years later,
and her brother Henry Austen published the novel as Northanger Abbey
after her death in 1817.
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility was the first of Jane Austen's
novels to be published. She began to write it sometime around 1797, and she
worked on it for many years before its publication in 1811. The title page said
that it was written "By a Lady", and only her immediate family knew
that Jane Austen was the author. Impetuous Marianne Dashwood tumbles into a
fairytale romance that goes sour, and her practical older sister Elinor copes
with the family's financial problems while hiding her own frustrated romantic
hopes. The book was a success, and it even earned a profit!
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice was first written in the late
1700's, then rewritten in 1811-1812 and finally published in early 1813. It is
probably the most-read of all of Jane Austen's novels and is a popular favorite
among many. Originally entitled First Impressions, the novel deals with the
misjudgments that often occur at the beginning of an acquaintance and how those
misjudgments can change as individuals learn more about each other.
Mansfield Park
Mansfield Park was written between February, 1811 and
the summer of 1813. It was the third novel Jane Austen had published and it
first appeared on May 4, 1814. During her lifetime, it was attributed only to
"The author of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice",
and the author's identity was unknown beyond her family and friends. It is Jane
Austen's most complex novel and deals with many different themes, from the
education of children, to the differences between appearances and reality.
Emma
Emma was written in 1814-1815, and while Jane Austen
was writing it, it was suggested to her by a member of the Prince Regents'
household that she dedicate it to His Royal Highness. Austen took the
suggestion as it was intended--as a command--and Emma was thus dedicated, but
the dedication itself is rather slyly worded. Emma deals with a young woman's
maturation into adulthood and the trouble she gets herself into along the way.
Persuasion
Persuasion was written in 1815-1816, while Jane
Austen was suffering from her fatal illness. She was still working on some
revisions at the time of her death in 1817. The novel was published
posthumously by her brother, Henry Austen. Persuasion is a novel of second
chances, expectations of society, and the constancy of love. You can also read
the preface which Henry wrote telling the world of his sister's authorship,
life, and untimely death: A Biographical Notice of the Author.
Juvenilia & Letters
Jane Austen's works from her childhood are full of
enthusiasm, humor, and very creative spelling. We also have some letters and
correspondence, though Jane’s sister destroyed any that could have given us
insight into her psyche and love life.
One thing I found interesting was how it took so long for her first two books to get published. "In her early twenties Austen wrote the novels that later became Sense and Sensibility (first called “Elinor and Marianne”) and Pride and Prejudice (originally “First Impressions”)." this quote says that she wrote both Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice in her early 20's but eventually "In 1811, at the age of 35, Austen published Sense and Sensibility, which identified the author as “a Lady.” Pride and Prejudice followed in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1814, and Emma in 1815.".
ReplyDeleteThis was a bit surprising to me how she wrote these books that didn't get published for at least 10 years. I guess this might have had to do with the time because the thought of a female author was very alien and there most definitely was prejudice against her writing just because she was a woman.
My question to Jane Austen would be, if you could've published your works earlier would you and do you think your books would've been published faster if you were using a male pseudonym?
Originally, only the Austen family knew that Jane was an author. Even considering the time period, I still think it was ridiculous of her to keep such a low profile. In Sense and Sensibility, publishers only disclosed that it was "by a lady." When Mansfield Park first came out, there was a hint that it was written by the same author as Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice/First Impressions. Most of her letters were deleted by her sister, Cassandra. I don't believe the public found out that she was writing all these books until her brother, Henry, wrote his preface for Persuasion. I actually believe her works were unavailable for so long because she was so mysterious. I think if the publishers were more likely to trust her if she exposed herself.
ReplyDeleteOr were they all going to laugh at her anyway? I don't know whether she was doing herself more harm than good.
DeleteThere it is again, the old "They're all going to laugh at you and you won't like it." ploy. Is it a mere coincidence, or am I pointing out this danger with all (over)due respect to...you know...Carrie?
DeleteFrom reading Jane Austen's background information I could tell that she was dedicated to writing very much. You can tell by the fact that she still pushed through to work on her novels, even in her times of sickness, "Persuasion was written in 1815-1816, while Jane Austen was suffering from her fatal illness. She was still working on some revisions at the time of her death in 1817." You could also tell that she was devoted to her work because it seemed 'inappropriate' back in the days if a woman were to become an author, but she continued to do what she loved. What I found interesting was that Jane Austen accepted a proposal she declined it the very next day. I think we could all agree that she refused the proposal because she wanted to marry for love and not money as we have seen characters experience situations like these in her previous novels.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree about she likely wanted to marry for love instead of money, and I think she put that same view into some of her characters too, like Elizabeth Bennet
DeleteI thought it was funny how her father was a clergyman just like Mr. Collins. Perhaps that’s where she got some of the inspiration for his… unusual personality. In addition, her mother is described as a “humorous, aristocratic women,” so she, as well, seemed to have provided inspiration for Mrs. Bennet's comical personality. She also seems to share many characteristics with Elizabeth. It is described that she turned down a marriage offer, much like Elizabeth did with Mr. Collins, and even understood the consequences and the downsides of that decision. She “felt no affection [toward him]” and accepted it, before changing her mind. I think it’s intriguing that we know very little information of her affairs other than letters to her sister. It leaves lots of room for speculation of why she chose such topics to write about in her novels. Were they based off of her situation? Was she just a dreamer, wishing for a happy ending? I think a lot of teenagers can empathize with these reasonings. She seemed very ahead of her time with her ideology and writing. If she was born in this era, I see her as a icon author for cliche love stories and a part of the feminist movement. Do you think Jane was ahead of her time?
ReplyDeleteSay hello to the 21st century!
Delete-Bruce Campbell, Army of Darkness
I do think that Jane was ahead of her time. I think that she would be a huge woman rights advocate and would be all over movements that empower woman. I love the idea of seeing Jane Austen at a womans rights rally.
DeleteIf Jane was born in this era, would she still be able to write in her own style? Her writing was influenced by her life experience during the 18th/19th century.
DeleteI found it very interesting that throughout most of her writing career, she kept a low profile. This low profile was kept for a very long time. For example, Sense and Sensibility was apparently written by "A Lady" as opposed to having Austen's name there. Whether or not this was intentional by the publishers or not, it seems a bit odd as to why she had her name be "A Lady." It's also pretty insane to learn that most (if not all) of her works were publish many years after they were written. Like Pride and Prejudice: written in the late 1700's and finally published in 1813. Northern Abbey: written in around 1798-99 and finally published in 1817!
ReplyDeleteNow, my question to Jane Austen would be: if there was one novel you've written that you'd want to completely rewrite or make major revisions to it, what would it be?
Chloe Hanrahan
ReplyDeleteI think it’s really interesting that Austen began writing at the end of the Georgian period because his successor, Prince Regent George IV, was a womanizer. It seems right as the tide could be shifted back into a time where women were less than Jane Austen sprang up. I also found it interesting that high educated was a women who had read many books, like the many in Jane Austen’s father’s library, because when I think of books I think of fiction or opinion and occasionally fact. So a lady of that time would be educated on writers opinions and thought process, but not as much fact like science, arithmetic, etc. Does the names Jane uses for her characters have significance? Were they people she knew, names she liked, have a meaning? (Jane, Wickham, Elizabeth, etc)
It's a very nice connection that Jane Austen happened to be born in the time where women were just starting to gain rights. Perhaps this aided her career as a writer (since women writers were not very common back then)
Delete"Jane Austen (1775-1817), one of England’s foremost novelists(and arguably a critically acclaimed British author), was never publicly acknowledged as a writer during her lifetime." This was probably the fact that she was a female novelist, which was looked down upon to some extent during her time. In her youth, Jane Austen wrote comic stories, which are now collectively referred to as the Juvenilia. Her first novel was the Lady Susan, written in epistolary form, meaning in the form of letters. In her early twenties, "Austen wrote the novels that later became Sense and Sensibility (first called “Elinor and Marianne”) and Pride and Prejudice (originally “First Impressions”). Her father sent a letter offering the manuscript of “First Impressions” to a publisher soon after it was finished in 1797, but his offer was rejected by return post." Her final novel, which wasn't completed during her time, Sandition, was published posthumously, meaning after the death of the originator. I also inquire, was Austen ahead of her time?
ReplyDeleteAusten definitely seemed to be the Lizzy of her time. She seemed different from other women especially when she turned down the proposal of her friend's wealthy brother. Very Elizabeth like
DeleteI think that in the first piece posted on the blog it was interesting when it said "Jane Austen died on July 18, 1817, at age 41." I know that there used to be a much lower life expectancy, but it's still crazy to think about how young people usually would pass away. I also thought it was interesting when the same article said "This subject is at the heart of Sense and Sensibility." When it said this, it was referring to how she based her novels off of her life. I think that when you base a novel off things that happened to you, it would make it a lot easier to really get the reader to understand what a character is feeling, because you have felt the exacts feelings that you are captivating in the character. I found the Jane Austen website very interesting, because it shows that there are a lot of people that are very dedicated to Jane Austen's life, and a lot of people that are huge fans. There's also multiple events in the next few weeks, so people must appreciate her a lot. I was wondering, if one of her novels was based on true events in her life, could Wickham have been based off of someone she knew?
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this background information on Jane Austen, I found several interesting facts. The things that I found most intriguing were where she found the ideas for her books from. One example was her characterization of Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice. Her unique personality and “hard to get” attitude was something that was directly derived from Jane Austen’s own personal experiences. The specific example of this was when she was proposed to by a brother of her close friend. “She initially accepted him, only to turn him down the next day. This was a painful decision for her, as she understood deeply that marriage was the sole option women had for social mobility.” Most of the key ideas in Pride and Prejudice are explained right in that scenario. Finally, the key distinct part of all of her novels was her irony in all of them. This perhaps originated from her “ironic mocking of [reading’s] impact on young girls” as described in the biography of Jane Austen’s life. However, my question about Jane Austen is why do her novels revolve around the concept of love? Was it the “trend” of the time, or was it a result of a specific childhood experience?
ReplyDeleteI learned very much about Jane Austen in this novel. I am kind of shocked that her work was not admired during her life, however, I am aware that many other great artists had the same problem. Austen was one of England's most infamous novelists, and one of the most influential of her time. I am surprised that she was so close to her sister, because of the 3 year difference in their age. I also found it interesting that she found so much success in writing when she never had much formal education in school. When she died in 1817, she was only 41 years old, which was not surprising in her time. If I were to ask Jane Austen a question, it would probably be if she had any doubts about spending her lifetime as an author, knowing she would not have the same opportunity as men.
ReplyDeleteOkay, y'all already know Jane Austen is my gIRL and I love her. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants the true tea on her love life. Like her sister Cassandra "destroyed any that could have given us insight into her psyche and love life." I understand why, but I still want to know, y'know?? Anyways, here's why I love Jane Austen. She puts so much of herself into her characters, but she also stands by their actions. She "received a proposal from the wealthy brother of a close friend, for whom she felt no affection, she initially accepted him, only to turn him down the next day." This situation literally happened with Elizabeth and Mr. Collins. Some would be a bit more hypocritical and actually marry someone they don't love (which is a respectable decision honestly live ya life) and stand by this claim but Jane Austen truly stands by this claim. She knew the hardships and she chose the hardships. How can you not bow down to such an energy??
ReplyDeleteNow, onto the website. I have looked into becoming a member and it's $18 per annum and if I wasn't broke, I would be a jasna member. Unfortunately I am broke and my dreams are crushed for now. Moving on, I LOVE that each time you refresh the page there's a new Jane Austen quote if you scroll down. You can tell her characters can be quote similar in this quote from "Mansfield Park:" “A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.” If that don't fully encompass Mrs. Bennet then I clearly did not read Pride and Prejudice. I have perused the events and I am quite honestly disappointed. There were none (0) events in our region. I would have to drive 2 days to potato country or down south to peach country and peaches freak me out so that's obviously not going to work. The essay contest looks interesting but they don't provide transportation and I'm still broke!! like my father died and my brother's wife convinced my brother to kick me and my sister out and now we have no money and no home broke (haha jokes I'm not that broke but the meaning is what is important). But it would be really cool to participate in the essay contest. Like this year's was about faith, hope, and charity and that's not my style but maybe next year I'll give it a shot. We'll see. Anyways, to conclude, I love Jane Austen and living with 6 brothers would be rough because I live with one (1) for like 4 months of the year and I am filled with //woe// and //anger//. But she's Jane Austen so I am unsurprised that she was able to get by handsomely. All hail Ms. Austen, 10/10, would travel back in time to meet tbh.
I agree $18 is a lot for us broke fellas that want to worship Jane :'( Also I 100% agree and I'll say that I also love that she stands by her decisions even if she knows that they are not what is best for her!
DeleteYou don't have to be in that club to have faith in her.
DeleteI also looked into joining the club but do I spare the $18? :(
DeleteOkay same girlie, I as well want to know all tea in Jane Austen's love life. I also agree with the fact that she always stood by her claims and decisions and chose the hardships knowing that they were hardships.
DeleteGlad we're on the same page Ethan. I agree Owen that we can always have faith but being a part of a group means something to some of us. Rachel, we're all truly facing that dilemma right now but we'll get through this crossroads. And Talah, girlie, excited to talk Austen tea over tea ;)
DeleteI guess if I were to ask a question, it would be what could have inspired her as a child to write? A love of books? Where could this love of books manifest?
DeleteShe did read a lot.
DeleteJane Austen is just like THE liberated woman. She lived such an ideal life, just putting her heart into things that made her happy, not what society told her would make her happy. These decisions she makes are not even naive and numb, " This was a painful decision for her, she understood deeply that marriage was the sole option women had for social mobility". This quote gives us insight into how Jane was accepting of the world around her, but did not allow social structure to dictate what she did. That's a liberated woman if I have ever described one. To say that Austen was a great writer would be an understatement. She was brilliant, a true goddess with a pen. She was able to turn tea time between rich people into a novel celebrated for centuries. Something to admire and pull from her intelligence is that she wrote about what she knew about. William Golding claims that he wrote Lord of the Flies about boys because that is what he knew about; he knew how this scenario would happen which made the plot richer and more seductive. Jane Austen knew about the changing times and she used her knowledge of this to thicken her stories and make a craftier story. As it states above, "She wrote elegantly about this sea change in her last novel, Persuasion," referencing the changing of social class because of sailors getting more clout in society. All in all, I wish Jane lived a longer life, and she showed us what it means to pursue happiness, live independently, and be original and authentic. Jane Austen was the OG Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the question so I'll add one here, do you all think Jane Austen was happy when she was alive, or was she regretful that she gave up stability for her work?
DeleteLoving the literary references Ethan. I also wish she lived longer so she may have written more, pursued more passions, taken more out of life than what was offered to her, yeah??
DeleteWhile reading about Jane Austen and her life I was enlightened about a lot of new things I had not been aware of about her. For example I had not known that she had come from a well off family and had originally thought she struggled more. Also I did not know she had sibling let alone six! I was also impressed to find out she started writing at the early age of 15. I was shocked to find out that she had finished 3 books at the age of 23. I never realized how much of an impact and an influence she has had on writing and literature in general and am impressed.
ReplyDeleteAlso I noticed that a lot of the stuff she writes about in her novels seem to relate to experiences she had in her life. So it leaves me with the question of did she implement herself into her novels possibly?
DeleteI was also impressed with her and how she wrote her most famous book at such a your age but any age can like it which is had to do.
DeleteFrom reading this information about Jane Austen, I liked to learn that “Austen keenly observed the shifting of social class during her day.” This is a clear theme in her books, yet it is also a subject matter that I am surprised she was allowed to write about, given the time period she lived in. Her focus on social classes is part of what makes her works still relevant today, since class shifting is a universal, and repeated many times, theme throughout history.
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting that she tended to base many of the characters and events in her novels off of people or other things in her life. While this is something that most writers do, unintentionally revealing a large amount about themselves from the characters and plot they write, I felt as if these similarities were even clearer than normally. For example, it seems like Austen got the idea about Elizabeth’s rejection of Mr. Collins based on her experience, since in Austen’s own life, the wealthy brother of a friend of hers proposed and “initially accepted him, only to turn him down the next day.” This is so similar to what happened with Lizzy and Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice, so that it quite apparent that she mimicked her own life in her writing. However, I also agree with the opinion that “it is likely that the novels will continue to transcend our understanding of where they came from,” given we do not have much of any way to learn more about Jane Austen’s life. Since she seems to base her works off of her life, could we possibly learn more about what occurred in her life by analyzing what she wrote, particularly since she seems to write the protagonist as someone very similar to herself.
In reading about more in detail about Jane Austen as a person and where she comes, she is certainly a force to be reckoned with. In some of her novels, Jane had always been talking about the idea of marriage and how characters deal with it, when it comes to getting married and having a wealthy fortune. But in those novels, many of the women protagonists decline the offer of marriage because of what they believe is right for them as an individual and not be sold as property to be a domestic housewife. Also, something that I picked up from the website was the JASNA video. From watching this video, it made me really see how people have been influenced by her work, which gives confidence about themselves and as individuals. Initially, I thought this was some kind of cult (which it may be, who knows) and also thought it was because I never really thought that an author would have this much of an influence to make a society like the JASNA. But it did and I am still starstrucked by that. I’m curious about a lot of aspects of her life, but I was wondering why in the family tree did it only show a few faces of and not all of them? How was the directors and producers able to know what they looked like in the movie Becoming of Jane?
ReplyDeleteTo answer your last question, I think insead of looking at the looks of the actor with Jane. It was by the way they acted and how it compared to them to the letter and other things.
DeleteI found interesting about Jane is that she never marry. She wrote about love in most of her books but never had an ending like one of her books. Writers always say they write about something you know so I understrand why people thought she was in love at one point in her life being she wrote about love. Another interesting fact is that she was "Educated only briefly outside of her home, Austen read freely in her father's library of 500 books, which left her better educated than most young girls of the time."She probably learned alot from her father as he was very well educated and 500 books is alot of books. She must have read one book a month. I wonder what books she read and what was her favorite book. She probably spent most of her time reading and writing. I am curious where she lived if she did nto get married? With her parents? Was she really popular back then cause she is really popular now?
ReplyDeleteShe probably read more than one book a month but I agree as well Sophie! It's a bit a sad in my opinion that she didn't marry (not that you need to marry to be happy) because it's insinuated that she did love and to love and lose is a tragedy :(
DeleteI never thought about where she lived if she did not get married. Did she just live with her family members, and if so, I wonder if they ever got tired of her living in their house? And I agree with Allison, it is really sad that she loved someone and then lost him, she really relied on her books to comfort her and write down all of her feelings.
DeleteI find it very amusing just how similar Jane’s story is to Pride and Prejudice. All the characters in Pride and Prejudice can be related to people in Austen’s life. Her own sister was like Lucy; all over men and literally oblivious to everything. How Elizabeth turned down men and was independent; just like herself. Or her mom being concerned only about marriage; maybe a little bit exaggerated with Mrs. Bennet. (It could be how Austen saw her mom though.)
ReplyDeleteNot only do many characters from Austen’s books resemble people from her life, but many of the plot points in Pride and Prejudice can be associated with events that happened in her life. Such as going to balls and being ragged on because of her family’s wealth.
Did Austen know that her writing was spreading topics and ideas that would revolutionize the way people thought of woman?
I was surprised to read in the website that "Jane Austen (1775-1817), one of England's foremost novelists, was never publicly acknowledged as a writer during her lifetime. However, I feel this has become a pattern for people in the world that make reforms to society: the ideas (and/or) person will initially be rejected by society due to a resist to change, however, in time, society excepts the change and realizes the benefits. So, though Jane might not have been acknowledged in her lifetime as a writer, that certainly does not mean that her reforms to writing styles and the discussion/roles of women were not influential late in time. One thing I found interesting was the correlation between her writing and her family life. Jane Austen had five brothers and only one sister. However, Pride and Prejudice was surrounded around a family with five sisters. This choice in characters - I believe- does not dis her relationship with her brothers (In fact, "she had unusual access to the greater world, primarily through her brothers") It only sheds light on how much she valued her relationship with her one sister. Austen was known to be very close with her sister and I imagine the Bennet family of five sisters (not one) possibly reveals a fantasy Austen had to be surrounded by more sisters like Cassandra. Another thing I noticed from the website about her family life was that her family supported her in her writing. Besides her brother Henry, who served as a "publicist" for her to get her books out, Austen's father also played a big role and even, "sent a letter offering the manuscript of "First Impressions" to a publisher soon after it was finished in 1797." Examples like these prove that her family was not contrary to her having a writing career (which was uncommon for a woman of her time.) This suggests that Austen could have gotten her progressive voice from her family members. One question for the class I have about Jane Austen is: If her family was so willing to release her writing works to the public, why did Cassandra Austen burn the letters Austen wrote that could have revealed more about the author that the world is now forced to uncover through the words of her novels. Did Cassandra do it to hide a truth, or because she simply wanted to respect her sister's privacy?
ReplyDeleteDid Jane even want privacy?
DeleteI was very intrigued by the fact that Austen wrote about topics that were present in her life. Like when her father died and her brother took over the wealth in the family, she realized that when she was proposed to that she has the option to not marry. She wrote about how not every girl gets that and how most woman must marry to up her social status. Also, that only woman have to rely on male family members for financial support because woman were not able to do that. It shows up in pride and prejudice a significant amount and from my understanding its a main topic in Sense and Sensibility. I also like how she shows her relationships with family and friends in her book. A lot of people say that the relationship between Lizzy and Jane is like the relationship that she had with her own sister.
ReplyDeleteIm also so interested in the International Visitors Program. I think that its so cool that you can travel to England to further study this Author. The requirements and Eligibility aren't even that intense so so many people can do it. I also think it amazing how they provide a fellowship of $3,250 for traveling to England. Some people can't afford to go and study in other countries so I think that its amazing that JASNA provides that.
How would Jane Austen feel about how woman are treated in our world today?
She'd say, "There's room for improvement."
DeleteJane Austen had lots of opportunities when she was being educated such as “her father’s extensive library” and “unusual access to the greater world, primarily through her brothers”. The biography notes that these chances heavily influenced her writing. I wonder if she grew up in the middle class if she would have still become a writer. I was surprised at how little books sold for and how difficult it was to get a book published during the 18th/19th century. The article stated that “in 1803 Austen sold ‘Susan’ for £10 to a publisher, who promised early publication, but the manuscript languished in his archives until it was repurchased a year before Austen’s death for the price the publisher had paid her”. Even when considering inflation, the payment was low compared the months/years of work that goes into writing a book. Even though she died at the age of 41, she managed to write several books that are still read today. One question that I have is what was she like as a person rather than as an author?
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how Jane’s writing was influenced by her upbringing. The way I see it, one of the main reasons for her success was because of her upbringing and social status. Being the daughter of a wealthy clergyman, she had access to “her father's library of 500 books, which left her better educated than most young girls of the time.” Many young girls at the time simply didn’t have access to extensive libraries and resources that she had.
ReplyDeleteJane Austen simply didn’t have much choice. She would either get married and raise a family, or die. Austen’s solace simply was her extensive reading and writing. Being of a wealthy family, she probably would have had other people do the hard labor, leaving her to have the time to think and read and write.
I also found it interesting how much of how she was influenced was by surrounding herself with the male members of her family. Her brothers and her father, both spent time with Austen, and clearly rubbed off their experiences on her. “Austen visited Henry in London, where she attended the theater, art exhibitions, and social events and also corrected proofs of her novels.” Although her best friend was her older sister, I don’t see much influence between Jane Austen and her mother and her sister.
I wonder how her writing would have been different if she surrounded herself with her mother and her brothers.
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ReplyDeleteJane Austen has a really interesting story. I really like the similarity's between her life and her writings. I personally find I am much more creative when I'm working from experiences I've had. It's also really sad that she was unknown until after she died. It seems like the greatest creatives often die young or are never recognized until after they have died. Her dedication to her work is very inspiring. It seems like she only really cared about writing and focused all of her time on that.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what she would think of her legacy. I wounder if she know's how incredibly influential and popular she has become.
Something that I was very interested about when I was reading about Jane Austen is how much she included her life experiences in her novels. In Pride and Prejudice, it is about how the family needed to find husbands for the daughters in order for them to keep their fortune and not be poor. In Jane’s life, she was expected to marry rich because she needed to get money for when she grew up. Although she never did get married in my opinion it almost seems as she is each of the daughters combined. Something that surprises me is not her entire family has a portrait of themselves. It would seem that since her family was considered wealthy that they would each have portraits. My question would be if Jane Austen did get married would her writing be different because she would have different influences than if she would’ve not married?
ReplyDeleteNikita Orbits
I find it really weird that we don’t know a lot of information on Jane Austen. I think I am just used to the present times when we can learn almost anything about anyone. Although I feel like she expresses some of her life in her books. When I read the text about her life I learned that, “When Jane received a proposal from the wealthy brother of a close friend, for whom she felt no affection, she initially accepted him, only to turn him down the next day. This was a painful decision for her, as she understood deeply that marriage was the sole option women had for social mobility.” This is interesting because Elizabeth, in Pride and Prejudice, does the same thing to Mr. Collins. So this is just one thing that Jane experienced in her life that she decided to represent in her book. I also think it is interesting that she had a secret love (as mentioned in the movie we watched) and that she feels like she shouldn’t marry because she doesn’t want to have to stop writing because of him. This is because it was “not considered an appropriate profession for a young lady of her background”, so a husband might make her stop writing, or she would feel pressure to stop writing. This also relates to Lizzy and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice because Darcy was marrying a woman of really lower class, which was not very “appropriate” for that time (he was also supposed to marry Lady Catherine’s daughter). In Jane’s life, it is not “appropriate” for this man to marry a woman who is a writer. So I think we can learn a lot more about Jane’s life through her novels, which is really interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteMy question is what Sophie asked because I too am really curious about it... Where did Jane live if she did not marry? I am assuming with her family members (whoever could keep her).
ReplyDeleteI both love and hate how little we know about Jane Austen. Nowadays, we try to gather as much information on our favorite celebrities, and although Jane would never truly live to see how many people were touched by her writing and mind, if she were alive today I am certain people would be asking hundreds of questions about her life. By not knowing every detail of her social life, she keeps a mysterious air about her. For generations now, fans can imagine her life to be any way they wish without being too invasive. I consider her work to be timeless and us not knowing much about who she loved, who she despised and her deepest secrets, her life as a whole remains timeless as well. However even I can admit it would be very fascinating to dive into the letters written from her to various people in her close circle.
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