Jane Austen was an English writer who was responsible for numerous influential works that not only contributed to English culture, but to Western culture as well. One of her most famous – and most loved pieces of work, was the novel “Pride and Prejudice, which helped cement her place in American and English literary culture.
Born on December 16th, 1775 to the Rev. George and Cassandra Austen, Jane was one of eight children – she had six brothers and one sister. Jane grew up in the little village of Steventon, located in Hampshire County, England. She was tutored in-home at a young age and later she attended Abbey School in Reading, Berkshire.
With the support and encouragement that her parents gave her, Jane started writing at a very early age. In her time all of her writing had to be published anonymously, though that did not stop her from continuing to write. Austen had a way of combining irony and humor in a way that reflected the absurd problems of inheritance, courtship, morals, and marriage in Regency England during her time.
Although she was only moderately successful during her actual life, many of her works have now become world famous, as stage and film companies continually look to adapt her work for current populations.
It is thought that the cause of Austen’s death was Addington’s disease. She passed away on 18 July, 1817 at the age of 41. She was laid to rest at Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, England. Her tombstone reads…
“In the Memory of Jane Austen, youngest daughter of the late Rev. George Austen, formerly rector of Steventon in this County. She departed this Life on the 18th of July, 1817, Aged 41, after a long illness supported with the patience and the hopes of a Christian.”
Jane Austen's work was well received in her time, but most of it gained true worldwide popularity after her death. Juvenilia (1787-1793) include her early poems, stories and plays that have all been put together into a series called Juvenilia.Mansfield Park (1811-1813) is perhaps her most complex novel. Dealing with themes from the education of children to the different ways people see reality. Pride and Prejudice (1813) is probably the most popular, as well as most read of all the Jane Austen novels. Emma (1814-1815) is the story of a young woman’s struggles, maturation and choices while on her way to adulthood. Persuasion (1815-1816) was the novel she was working on at the time of her death. Her brother, Henry Austen, posthumously published it. It is a novel about second chances and love in society. Sense and Sensibility (1811) is another of Austen's most recognized works and was Austen’s first published novel. It has been adapted for film and television on numerous occasions.
Other works that may be of interest include Northanger Abbey and Lady Susan, along with Love and Friendship and Other Early Works.
