JANE AUSTENJANE AUSTEN1616thth DECEMBER 1775 – 18 DECEMBER 1775 – 18thth JUNE JUNE

18171817

The Outline of PresentationThe Outline of Presentation

Her Brief BiographyHer Brief Biography WorksWorks

Literary AspectLiterary Aspect Her Contribution to the English Her Contribution to the English

LiteratureLiterature Thoughts of Some Authors About Thoughts of Some Authors About

Jane AustenJane Austen

Jane AustenJane Austen was born in the Hampshire was born in the Hampshire village of Steventon.village of Steventon.

Her father was a scholar who encouraged Her father was a scholar who encouraged the love of learning in his children. Jane the love of learning in his children. Jane Austen’s lively and affectionate family Austen’s lively and affectionate family circle provided a stimulating context for circle provided a stimulating context for her writingher writing..

The years after 1811 seem to have been The years after 1811 seem to have been the most rewarding of her life. She had the the most rewarding of her life. She had the satisfaction of seeing her work in print and satisfaction of seeing her work in print and well reviewed and of knowing that the well reviewed and of knowing that the novels were widely read.novels were widely read.

She died on July 18, and six days later she She died on July 18, and six days later she was buried in Winchester Cathedral (“Jane was buried in Winchester Cathedral (“Jane Austen” Encyclopædia Britannica).Austen” Encyclopædia Britannica).

WorksWorks

Sense and Sensibility (1811) Sense and Sensibility (1811) Pride and Prejudice (1813)Pride and Prejudice (1813)Mansfield Park (1814)Mansfield Park (1814)Emma (1815)Emma (1815)Northanger Abbey (published Northanger Abbey (published posthumously 1817)posthumously 1817)Persuasion (published Persuasion (published posthumously 1817)posthumously 1817)

LITERARYLITERARY ASPECT ASPECT

In her novels, she made fun of picaresque and In her novels, she made fun of picaresque and epistolary novels, whose aim was to make people epistolary novels, whose aim was to make people cry (Urgan 885).cry (Urgan 885).

She was determined to consider people, whom She was determined to consider people, whom she knew closely from her close environment, with she knew closely from her close environment, with truths and without imaginary (Urgan 886) truths and without imaginary (Urgan 886)

Her topics were generally about middle class Her topics were generally about middle class families. In her books, everybody is gentry and families. In her books, everybody is gentry and lives on with their incomes, neither too wealty nor lives on with their incomes, neither too wealty nor too poor. She only considered the silent and calm too poor. She only considered the silent and calm life of the middle class (Urgan 887)life of the middle class (Urgan 887)

*She paid attention to be depend on *She paid attention to be depend on classicism rules (Urgan 889).classicism rules (Urgan 889).

*In her novels, the world of woman is *In her novels, the world of woman is dominant since she took care of observing dominant since she took care of observing people whom she knew closely (Urgan 891)people whom she knew closely (Urgan 891)

*In novels, money has an important place, *In novels, money has an important place, and she always informed the readers about and she always informed the readers about the financial situations of characters (Urgan the financial situations of characters (Urgan 893-94).893-94).

She showed England perfectly while She showed England perfectly while other authors criticized her in their works, other authors criticized her in their works, so in her novels none of the characters so in her novels none of the characters uprised against the political system or uprised against the political system or social status (Urgan 889).social status (Urgan 889).

Dialogues are very important in her Dialogues are very important in her novels (Urgan 901)novels (Urgan 901)

Maybe she was the first novelist who Maybe she was the first novelist who thought novel as a literary work rather thought novel as a literary work rather than as an entertainment tool ( Urgan than as an entertainment tool ( Urgan 902).902).

In her six novels, the subject is In her six novels, the subject is marriage, and they finish with marriage marriage, and they finish with marriage (Urgan 892).(Urgan 892).

Her language is simple which is Her language is simple which is suitable for grammer and classicism suitable for grammer and classicism rules (Urgan 898).rules (Urgan 898).

She didn’t mention about the most She didn’t mention about the most important matters of the history of Europe important matters of the history of Europe such as Industry Revolution, French such as Industry Revolution, French Revolution and Napolean Wars (Urgan Revolution and Napolean Wars (Urgan 888).888).

In her novels, the passion of love doesn’t In her novels, the passion of love doesn’t seen, so there is no “love stage” in her seen, so there is no “love stage” in her novels (Urgan 892).novels (Urgan 892).

*She didn’t mention about the desire of *She didn’t mention about the desire of revenge, jealousy, mental instability, revenge, jealousy, mental instability, ambition, merciless of fate and grief of ambition, merciless of fate and grief of death, and she wasn’t interested in moral death, and she wasn’t interested in moral and religious matters (Urgan 895-96).and religious matters (Urgan 895-96).

*Her language didn’t include image which is *Her language didn’t include image which is used to make the novel or story more vivid used to make the novel or story more vivid (Urgan 898).(Urgan 898).

*Deep philosophy of life is conspicuously *Deep philosophy of life is conspicuously absent.absent.

*There are no adventures to thrill, no violent *There are no adventures to thrill, no violent passions to ruffle, no sensations to tickle passions to ruffle, no sensations to tickle and tease.and tease.

Jane Austen’s Contribution to the Jane Austen’s Contribution to the English LiteratureEnglish Literature

*Jane Austen’s first important achievement *Jane Austen’s first important achievement is to bring English dramatic plots to the is to bring English dramatic plots to the English novel.English novel.

*Austen has given us a multitude of *Austen has given us a multitude of characters. All of them are common place characters. All of them are common place such as we meet everybody.such as we meet everybody.

*But these characters are all perfectly *But these characters are all perfectly discriminated from each other as if they discriminated from each other as if they were the most eccentric of human beings.were the most eccentric of human beings.

*The plots are contrived and executed *The plots are contrived and executed with consummate skill. There are no with consummate skill. There are no digressions and no loose ends are left digressions and no loose ends are left dangling.dangling.

*Her style is balanced, even *Her style is balanced, even epigrammatic.epigrammatic.

*One of her important preoccupations *One of her important preoccupations is the theme of self-education.is the theme of self-education.*Her pratogonists are often self-*Her pratogonists are often self-deceived.deceived.

*Austen represents feminization of the *Austen represents feminization of the English novel. English novel.

*She draws her men as they appear to *She draws her men as they appear to women and, not to men.women and, not to men.

*Her novels lack of masculinity. So it *Her novels lack of masculinity. So it imposes a serious limitation on her art as a imposes a serious limitation on her art as a novelist.novelist.

*Jane Austen has often been called as a pure *Jane Austen has often been called as a pure novelist for her art is only for art’s sake and novelist for her art is only for art’s sake and is a source of great aesthetic pleasure on is a source of great aesthetic pleasure on account of its artistic exquisiteness.account of its artistic exquisiteness.

*Her novels can be considered as *Her novels can be considered as broad allegories.broad allegories.

*Her most important contribution to *Her most important contribution to the English novel is her ironic world the English novel is her ironic world view. The view lies in the recognition view. The view lies in the recognition of the fact that man is confronted with of the fact that man is confronted with the choice of two things that are the choice of two things that are mutually exclusive .mutually exclusive .

*Jane Austen projects this ironic world *Jane Austen projects this ironic world view practically in all of her novels.view practically in all of her novels.

Thoughts of Some Authors About Jane AustenThoughts of Some Authors About Jane Austen

According to David Daiches, she was the only According to David Daiches, she was the only novelist of stature who was in a sense a novelist of stature who was in a sense a Marxist before Marx (Urgan 894).Marxist before Marx (Urgan 894).

According to Walter Scott, although she was so According to Walter Scott, although she was so concentrated on the most ordinary matters of concentrated on the most ordinary matters of the daily life , and she didn’t tell extraordinary the daily life , and she didn’t tell extraordinary matters that she achieved to attract the matters that she achieved to attract the readers’ attentions (Urgan 903).readers’ attentions (Urgan 903).

According to Henry James, she was an According to Henry James, she was an instinctive and unconcious author (Urgan 902). instinctive and unconcious author (Urgan 902).

Wirginia Woolf says that If Jane Austen Wirginia Woolf says that If Jane Austen hadn’t died in 42 years old, she could hadn’t died in 42 years old, she could have reflected not only people’s outer have reflected not only people’s outer worlds but also their inner worlds, and worlds but also their inner worlds, and she might have been the pioneer of Henry she might have been the pioneer of Henry James and Marcel Proust (Urgan 944). James and Marcel Proust (Urgan 944).

According to Charlotte Bronte, there is According to Charlotte Bronte, there is a Chinese Fidelity, a miniature delicacy in a Chinese Fidelity, a miniature delicacy in her painting, and this only reflects “the her painting, and this only reflects “the surface” of the life of middle class. In her surface” of the life of middle class. In her novels, there isn’t emotion, warmth, novels, there isn’t emotion, warmth, excitement and depth. She only knows to excitement and depth. She only knows to observe not feel ( Urgan 945).observe not feel ( Urgan 945).

A poet Elizabeth Barret Browning A poet Elizabeth Barret Browning says that her admiration for her is says that her admiration for her is limited, and she adds that her novel limited, and she adds that her novel characters are insipid, and the area characters are insipid, and the area is rather restricted. She concludes is rather restricted. She concludes her sentences as the following “ Her her sentences as the following “ Her novels are perfect as they go; only novels are perfect as they go; only they don’t go very far (Urgan 946).they don’t go very far (Urgan 946).

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WORKS CITEDWORKS CITED

• Urgan, Mina. Urgan, Mina. İngiliz Edebiyat Tarihiİngiliz Edebiyat Tarihi. İstanbul. Yapı Kredi, 2008.. İstanbul. Yapı Kredi, 2008.

• ““Jane Austen.”Jane Austen.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica. n.d. Web. n.d. Web. 2010. 2010. 06 Apr. 201006 Apr. 2010

• “ “ Jane Austen’s Contribution to the English Novel”Jane Austen’s Contribution to the English Novel” CSS Forum. CSS Forum. n.d. n.d. Web. 2010. 25 Sep. 2010 Web. 2010. 25 Sep. 2010