Jane Austen is the author of some of the most famous books in history. Jane Austen’s work is spectacular and classic, read by millions, being read in English classes, and the inspiration for dozens of movies and other books. But not only was Austen’s work amazing and fascinating, but she is anonymous and fascinating in herself. From her life and town being the inspiration for most of her books and writing her books anonymously, Austen’s personality and spirit are truly what made her books such a success. From being seen as shy and quiet, her true, powerful, and sharp voice, shown in her stories and work, shows just how inspirational and creative Jane Austen truly was.
Jane was born in Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775. Jane lived with the close-knit family of seven siblings, all being boys except her older sister Cassandra. Many settings, characters, and relationships beautifully told in her stories can be traced to her own childhood, relationship with siblings, and the town she lived in and grew up in. Her beliefs and knowledge, which she learned from her parents and siblings, have all left an immense impact on her storylines and the simple and poetic style she writes. When Jane was only eight, she and Cassandra went to Oxford to attend school, but after catching typhoid fever, they were sent back home. Jane then obtained her education and writing skills from her father and brothers. Their family would read aloud, write plays, and perform for friends and family. This is where Jane learned her love for writing by writing scripts for their performances, poems, and even stories and books. Jane, being whimsical, affectionate, and young at the time she started her writing career, is one of the reasons her stories are so good and different from the rest.
Jane’s early works seemed to be playful and funny, writing short poems and books and dedicating some to her sister, Cassandra. Some of her early manuscripts that were preserved, she called Volume the First, Volume the Second, and Volume the Third. Through her early writing, one thing was similar in all which was that they all reflected a confident and smart young woman in their story. Her work later became more serious, writing books like Lady Susan and Elinor and Marianne, which would later be known as Sense and Sensibility. In these novels, Jane talked about the social standard of women at the time, the injustices women faced, and expectations of marriage and the roles of a woman. Jane was ahead of her time and a help in feminism and the reality of the unfair roles and expectations of women of her time. The year after, Jane wrote First Impressions, which was the beginning of what was soon to be Pride and Prejudice, but was rejected by a publisher.
After traveling one summer, Jane had some of her most eventful and productive years. During this time, Jane fell in love with a clergyman who would soon fall ill and die, begrudgingly moved to Bath where she would complete some of her most famous work and agreed to marry Harris Bigg-Wither, but the next morning changed her mind and rejected his proposal. After the death of her father, Jane’s family was left financially unstable, and Jane had to become a published author to help and provide for her family. After finishing Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice in 1811, she published them soon after. Jane also published Mansfield Park and Emma quickly after. While Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice were not actually published under her name, but rather said they were written “By a lady,” she was still getting lots of popularity for her work. While at the time female authors were seen as important, Jane’s bravery and courage to write about women, social classes, and injustices were some reasons her books became so popular.
Jane sadly died at the age of 41 from Addison’s disease, with Cassandra by her side. After her death, Cassandra and her brother Henry were able to publish Jane’s writings of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Henry wrote a eulogy with the books exposing Jane’s real identity and giving her credibility for all her amazing works. Cassandra, being extremely close to Jane her whole life, destroyed many of Jane’s writings and manuscripts that she thought would not reflect well on Jane’s name, and always kept quiet when it came to Jane’s life.
While never marrying herself, Jane greatly expressed the feelings of love, disappointment, regret, and compassion in all her writing. From sharing ideas ahead of her time to creating intercept and brilliant stories and writings, Jane Austen was able to turn her life into some of the best pieces of literature in history. From dozens of adaptations of her stories, inspiring women’s history, and changing the modern novel, Jane has inspired millions. Her ideas of love, woman, social classes, and not staying quiet have changed history and literature forever.
