Jane Austen

1. Jane Austen

2. About Jane Austen • Jane Austen was born in 1775. She died at the age of 41. • She began writing around the age of 11. • She did not marry, although she fell in love with a young clergy man, but he died suddenly at the age of 26. • She agreed to marry a wealthy man but broke off the engagement the next day. Because she thought that they were not a good match even though he could have saved her from old life in poverty. • She spent her life among family and friends mainly in Hampshire, in southern England.

3. Her Family • The Austen household was a lively and literary one. Her father was a clergy man and her mother was from an upper class family. • In the Austen household they were readers of literature and often they discussed it with each other and also read to each other, and put on plays. • She was close to her sister Cassandra and had six brothers.

4. Her Work • When she began writing around the age of 11, she wrote parodies of popular literature for the entertainment of her family. • When she was in her early 20’s she began to write full-length novels. She kept it a secret from her family. But they then became supporters of her work. • In 1795 she began her work on her best novels, sense and sensibility. • In 1797 her father submitted an early version of pride and prejudice to a publisher, but it was rejected. • Both novels were rewritten before their eventual publication in 1811 and 1813.

5. Technique/work • In all her novels she focuses on courtship and marriage. • Her novels provide a realistic picture of relationships between men and women. • Critics are amazed by her craftsmanship: her intricate and balanced plots, her dialogue, her controlled ironic tone which is amusing and critical at the same time. • Virginia Woolf says: “Of all great writers she is the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness.”