The+Life+and+Times+of+Jane+Austen

//__A Biography of Jane Austen's Life__// Each of Jane Austen’s novels allows readers to catch a glimpse of her own life as she lived in 19th century English society. However, not much is known about Austen’s personal life as she did not keep a personal diary and her sister, Cassandra, burned all of Austen’s letters that she thought were inappropriate or presented the family in a bad light (Wagner 58).

Born December 16, 1775, Austen was born to George and Cassandra Austen into a family with six sons and two daughters. Having only a brief formal education outside of her home, Austen’s chief source of education came from her own household. Austen had free access to her father’s expansive library where she spent most of her time reading a wide variety of subjects (Wagner 35). She learned along with her father’s live-in pupils and was also taught by her older brothers. Austen’s father often encouraged her writing by buying her expensive paper and ink and Austen began writing as a young child. These adolescent comic stories became known as the //Juvenilia//. Her first “mature work” was //Lady Susan//, written in epistolary form, but it was never published (//Jane Austen: A Brief Biography//).

In her early twenties, Austen began writing the manuscripts that would become some of her most famous novels: //Elinor and Marianne//, which would become known as //Sense and Sensibility//, and //First Impressions//, which was later revised and renamed as //Pride and Prejudice//. By age 23, Austen would also complete //Susan// which was renamed as //Northanger Abbey// (//Jane Austen: A Brief Biography//). After Austen’s father died, she and the other women in her family were cared for by Austen’s brothers. In 1809, Edward Austen gave the women a cottage in the village of Chawton. This was the beginning of Austen’s most productive period. In 1811, Austen published //Sense and Sensibility// at age 35, //Pride and Prejudice// in 1813, //Mansfield Park// in 1814, and //Emma// in 1815 (//Jane Austen: A Brief Biography//). These stories were immensely popular to the public and received many favorable reviews. Despite these good comments, Austen remained anonymous throughout all of her publications and her novels identified the author simply as “A Lady” (Wagner 85).

All of Austen’s novels contain the common theme of the social life and courtship. Although much of what Austen wrote reflected her own life and experiences, Austen never married herself. This was a rare occurrence in her time since women did not inherit any of their family’s wealth or properties and marriage was a woman’s gateway to financial security. Jane Austen had a few romantic interactions with several gentlemen and was offered a marriage proposal. Although Austen initially accepted due to the security, considerable fortune, and the prospect of having close friends as family members, she immediately regretted it and rejected him the next morning. Austen continued to live with her relatives since it was proper for an unmarried woman to stay with a “protector” and earned money through her publications (Wagner 78).

Austen began writing her last completed novel, //Persuasion//, in 1815 and finished it the next year. It was in this year that Austen’s health began to deteriorate. The probable cause of her illness was speculated as Addison’s disease (//Jane Austen: A Brief Biography//). In 1817, Austen began to write //Sanditon// but never got to finish it. At the young age of 41, Austen died on July 18, 1817. //Persuasion// and //Northanger Abbey// were published posthumously by her brother, Henry Austen, who finally revealed in a “Biographical Notice” that Jane Austen was the author of //Pride and Prejudice// and her other beloved novels.

=__//Synopsis of several Jane Austen novels: //__=

__//Sense and Sensibility//__:
Jane Austen's first published novel centers around two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Left with no money after their father's death, the two sisters must uproot themselves from their home where they are invited by distant relatives to stay at Barton Park. Elinor, the calm and rational one, is sad to leave because she had become attracted to Edward Ferrars, the brother-in-law of her half-brother, John. Marianne, the playful and emotional one, is delighted at meeting the charming Mr. Willoughby who she eventually falls for. Marianne's relationship with Mr. Willoughby does not work out and she is comforted by an acquaintance, Colonel Brandon, whom Marianne falls for. Elinor is also reunited with Edward and the sisters are happily married.

//__Mansfield Park:__//
Fanny Price is a young girl who was adopted and raised by her rich, distant relatives, the Bertrams, at their home in Mansfield Park. Having a lonely childhood and unable to relate due to her own poor background, Fanny finds herself in love with her cousin, Edmund Bertram, who was her only companion. Fanny is unable to reveal her love due to propriety, but she finds her potential love put under jeopardy with the arrival of the Crawford siblings. This brother and sister pair bring with them the seductive and new fashions of life in London and Mary Crawford captivates Edmund. However, their romance is cut short when Mary leaves Edmund since she does not want to marry a clergyman. Mary's brother, Henry Crawford, proposed to Fanny who rejects him. Eventually, Edmund sees Fanny in a new romantic light and they happily marry each other.

__//Northanger Abbey://__
In this satirical novel, Catherine Morland is a young woman looking to expand her horizons. When Catherine is invited to stay with her friend, Isabella Allen, she readily accepts and is introduced to the world of dances, balls, fashion, and gossip. It is at a ball where Catherine meets with Henry Tilney, a clergyman, who she quickly falls for. Catherine is invited to stay at Mr.Tilney's home and her overactive imagination leads her to believe his home is similar to those in gothic novels. She realizes her own mistake, but is forced to leave by Mr. Tilney's father when he discovers that she possesses no significant fortune. Despite his father's objections, Mr. Tilney had fallen for Catherine and proposes to Catherine who happily accepts.

//__Emma:__//
Emma Woodhouse is an accomplished 20 year old girl who believes she has a gift for matchmaking (even though she does not believe she will ever marry herself). Emma meets Harriet Smith whom she is determined to find a love match for despite Harriet's obvious feelings for Robert Martin, a farmer. The two girls go through a series of mishaps and misunderstandings with several suitors until Harriet begins to have feelings for Mr. Knightley, Emma's brother-in-law and cherished friend. Emma finds herself jealous and discovers her own feelings for Mr. Knightley. Though Emma fears Mr. Knightley will confess to Harriet, she is delighted when he proposes to her instead. The novel ends with two marriages: Emma and Mr. Knightley and Harriet marries her original love, Mr. Martin.