Jane AustenJane Austen17751775--18711871

1. Her Life1. Her Life

Austen was born the Austen was born the seventh child of the seventh child of the minister of the parish of minister of the parish of SteventonSteventon, Hampshire. , Hampshire. Of her brothers one Of her brothers one became a minister, like his became a minister, like his father, and two rose high father, and two rose high in the Navy. in the Navy.

She lived the first 26 years of her life in She lived the first 26 years of her life in SteventonSteventon..In 1801, on her fatherIn 1801, on her father’’s retirement, she s retirement, she moved with her parents to moved with her parents to BathBath. . When her father died in 1805, she moved When her father died in 1805, she moved with her mother to with her mother to SouthamptonSouthampton. . Then, from 1809 until the last year of her Then, from 1809 until the last year of her life, she lived in life, she lived in ChawtonChawton,, HampshireHampshire..

SteventonSteventon Church:Church:The small village church in The small village church in north Hampshire where north Hampshire where Jane's father was the Rector Jane's father was the Rector and where she worshipped.and where she worshipped.

Jane Austen’s House, Chawton, Hampshire

Apart from visits to London, Austen never Apart from visits to London, Austen never travelledtravelled far from the county of her birth. far from the county of her birth. She wrote stories from when she was She wrote stories from when she was quite young, with her fatherquite young, with her father’’s s encouragement. encouragement. Her first known novel Her first known novel Love and Love and FriendshipFriendship——not published until over a not published until over a century later, in 1922, was written when century later, in 1922, was written when she was 14. she was 14.

Three of the novels by which she is now Three of the novels by which she is now known were written in known were written in SteventonSteventon, but all of , but all of them underwent change before they were them underwent change before they were finally published under new names. finally published under new names. She revised and polished all her works She revised and polished all her works tirelessly.tirelessly.

Northanger AbbeyNorthanger Abbey was written in 1797, but was written in 1797, but it was not sold to a publisher until 1803 it was not sold to a publisher until 1803 (for (for ££10), and even then he failed to 10), and even then he failed to publish it so it had to be bought back again. publish it so it had to be bought back again. It did not finally appear until 1818, a year It did not finally appear until 1818, a year after Austenafter Austen’’s death.s death.

She came near to marriage twice; her first She came near to marriage twice; her first husbandhusband--toto--be died in 1801, and she be died in 1801, and she herself ended the relationship with the herself ended the relationship with the second, an old family friend.second, an old family friend.

She wrote her last novel, She wrote her last novel, PersuasionPersuasion, in , in 18151815--16, as her health began to fail. 16, as her health began to fail. In 1817, she moved to Winchester to be In 1817, she moved to Winchester to be near her doctor but, within a few months, near her doctor but, within a few months, she died of consumption. she died of consumption. Like that of so many ladies of her class, Like that of so many ladies of her class, AustenAusten’’s life was short and uneventful. s life was short and uneventful.

2. 2. Major WorksMajor Works

Sense and SensibilitySense and Sensibility (1811)(1811)Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice (1813)(1813)Mansfield ParkMansfield Park (1814)(1814)EmmaEmma (1815)(1815)Northanger AbbeyNorthanger Abbey (1818)(1818)PersuasionPersuasion (1818)(1818)Lady SusanLady Susan (1871)(1871)

They are notable for skillful They are notable for skillful characterization and penetrating social characterization and penetrating social observation. observation. Austen brings a dry wit and satirical eye to Austen brings a dry wit and satirical eye to her portrayal of middle and upperher portrayal of middle and upper--class life, class life, capturing contemporary values and moral capturing contemporary values and moral dilemmas.dilemmas.

All of her six novels deal with All of her six novels deal with ““the the business of getting married,business of getting married,”” and are and are comedies involving either solitary heroines comedies involving either solitary heroines or young women educated by events to or young women educated by events to cast aside their illusions. cast aside their illusions. Her presentation of Her presentation of ““personality,personality,”” of the of the individual consciousness and point of view, individual consciousness and point of view, mark her as one of the first English mark her as one of the first English novelists who project a world the novelists who project a world the ““modernmodern””reader can recognize as familiar. reader can recognize as familiar.

3. 3. Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice

Of the six novels, Of the six novels, Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice has has become the popular become the popular favouritefavourite. . This is largely thanks to the liveliness and This is largely thanks to the liveliness and the likeableness of its heroine, Elizabeth the likeableness of its heroine, Elizabeth BennetBennet, and to the lovers, and to the lovers’’ duel that she duel that she fights throughout with Darcy, a rich and fights throughout with Darcy, a rich and handsome gentleman who is the object of handsome gentleman who is the object of all eyes, and who knows it. all eyes, and who knows it.

Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice was first written in was first written in 1796 as 1796 as First ImpressionsFirst Impressions. It was rewritten . It was rewritten (and (and retitledretitled) in 1812 and published in ) in 1812 and published in 1813. 1813. The change in titles indicates a change The change in titles indicates a change from the notion that first impressions from the notion that first impressions cannot be trusted, to the moral cause of cannot be trusted, to the moral cause of those mistaken impressions. those mistaken impressions. The first thing that attracts the reader is The first thing that attracts the reader is the wonderfully vivid presentation of the wonderfully vivid presentation of charactercharacter——especially through the bright especially through the bright and witty conversation. and witty conversation.