Jane Austen

A Story by fannyeyre

essay

Jane Austen lived for about 41 years and was part of the higher middle class. She did not publish her six books until her late life, and at that time, she remained anonymous; that was common during her era. Jane Austen’s characters, such as Anne Elliot, Fanny Price, and Elizabeth Bennet were models of the perfect woman of the time, having the best thought of qualities from the era. Jane Austen’s early life, accomplishments, and the way that she continues to influence others impress scholars who study important literary figures. Jane Austen was truly more than meets the eye.( The Literature Website)

Jane Austen was born on Saturday, December 16, 1775 in Steventon, England. Her father, George Austen, was rector at the parsonage. Jane Austen was his seventh child and second daughter; the first daughter, named Cassandra Austen after their mother, was Jane Austen’s best friend. In 1783, Jane Austen’s formal education began at Mrs. Crawley’s boarding school in Oxford, England. Right before, in 1782, the Austen family performed their first play as a family. Even so, the family would perform for each other numerous times during Jane Austen’s short life. This was the beginning of her career as an unidentified author. Soon after though, a breakout of Typhoid Fever caused her to go home for a year. Finally, she went to a new school, called the Abbey School in Reading, Berkshire, England. There she finished her formal instruction.( Timeline history)

Still, Jane Austen continued to write as a hobby and numerous people think that in 1790, Jane Austen chose to write for profit. After this, she wrote six books and a collection of short stories and poems titled Juvenilia. Almost all of the books that Jane Austen wrote mentioned marriage in the first chapter, and most were set in places from Jane Austen's childhood. These places included Bath, which is mentioned in the book Persuasion. Jane Austen was not identified as the author of her books until after her death, and then it was all due to her brother, Henry Austen. However, Jane Austen is continuously revered for her romantic novels that grasp the ides and feeling of women from her time. Unlike with her novels, Jane Austen ironically was never married. The closest that she ever came to this occurrence was in December of 1795, when Jane Austen met her one true love. He, Tom Leroy, was soon deemed highly impractical for a marriage choice, and in 1796 he moved, never to seen by Jane again. This occurrence also contributed to the book Persuasion. Another thing that happened that was of the same nature was when in 1802, a man named Harris Bigg-Withers proposed to Jane Austen. This was Jane Austen's only proposal, and she accepts, only to withdraw, feeling that it was a bad idea. Jane Austen had a remarkably plain life, but impacted others in numerous ways, even after her death in 1817. (Timeline History, Women of Words)

Jane Austen was officially dead on Friday, July 18, of 1817. She is believed to have died from Addington's disease. Just two months before, Jane Austen had written her will. She had left a large mark on the world in the form of her novels. Jane Austen had, and still influences our world. Her most celebrated book, Pride & Prejudice is read as part of the twelfth grade curriculum. Many movies and television shows have been based on her books, and Jane Austen is studied as one of the most important figures in literature. However, only 41 years old at her death, Jane Austen was more than meets the eye.(The Literature website)