Jane Austen
Sarah, Ben, Karunya, and Madi
Her Life
Her family had 8 children in total, and Jane was the 2nd daughter and 7th oldest. Two of her brothers were in the Royal British Navy. Oldest to youngest her siblings and her names are:
Cassandra
Edward
Francis
Charles
James
Henry
Jane
George
Born in 1775 to George and Cassandra Austen in the English village of Steventon, Jane Austen grew up in a highly literate family. Austen's father was an Oxford-educated clergyman and her mother was a humorous, aristocratic woman. She was educated only briefly outside of her home, and at home she was encouraged to read
After Austen's father died in 1805, Jane, her mother, and sister Cassandra lived in a small house provided by her then-wealthy brother Edward in the village of Chawton.
When Jane received a proposal from the wealthy brother of a close friend, for whom she felt no affection, she initially accepted him, only to turn him down the next day.
This was a painful decision for her, as she understood deeply that marriage was the sole option women had for social mobility. She further understood the vulnerability of single women without family estates who depend on wealthy relatives for a home. This subject is at the heart of Sense and Sensibility.
Her Birthday
Tuesday, Jan 18, 1785, 12:00 AM
Steventon, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Her Deathday
Friday, Jul 18, 1817, 09:00 PM
Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom
Why she became a writer
Her Books
Sense and Sensilibity
Pride & Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Emma
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
Popularity of Novels
- Her books were published anonymously`
- Among members of the high society her authorship was an open secret
- The books were considered fashionable by members of high society, but she didn't receive many reviews
- By mid-19th century, books were admired by literary elite
- By start of 20 the century, she was gaining popularity
- It wasn't until the 1940's that she was considered a "great English novelist"