Jane Austen
Jane Austen arrived in the world on the 16th of December 1775 within the quiet valley of Steventon, Hampshire. Her father George Austen wrote to his wife Cassandra that the newborn was a present plaything for Cassy and a future companion. The winter of 1775-1776 proved particularly harsh, delaying her baptism until the 5th of April at the local church. George served as the rector of both Steventon and Deane parishes while his branch of the family had fallen into poverty from generations of inheritance laws. He and his two sisters were orphaned as children before being taken in by relatives. Philadelphia, his sister, became an apprentice milliner in Covent Garden at age fifteen. George entered St John's College Oxford around 1745 where he likely met Cassandra Leigh. She came from the prominent Leigh family whose father was rector at All Souls College. They exchanged miniatures probably around 1763 before marrying on the 26th of April 1764 at St Swithin's Church in Bath. Their income remained modest with George earning £200 annually from his two livings. A skilled worker like a blacksmith might make about £100 while gentry families typically earned between £1,000 and £5,000. The family relied heavily on patronage from kin and hosted numerous visits from extended family members. Jane attended church regularly and socialized with neighbors through dancing or balls held at assembly rooms. Her brother Henry later stated that she excelled at dancing and was fond of it.
In 1783 Austen and her sister Cassandra traveled to Oxford for education under Ann Cawley who took them to Southampton later that year. Both girls returned home after catching typhus in autumn when Jane nearly died. From then until early 1785 she received home education guided by her father and brothers James and Henry. At Reading Abbey Girls' School ruled by Mrs La Tournelle the curriculum included French spelling needlework dancing music and drama. The sisters left before December 1786 because fees proved too high for the Austen family budget. After 1786 Austen never again lived beyond her immediate family environment yet maintained unfettered access to her father's library and Warren Hastings collection. Private theatricals formed an essential part of her upbringing as the family staged plays in the rectory barn including Richard Sheridan's The Rivals and David Garrick's Bon Ton. Most plays were comedies which suggests how her satirical gifts developed during these years. At age twelve she wrote three short plays while teenage years brought poems and stories to amuse herself and family. She compiled twenty-nine early works from 1787 to 1793 into three bound notebooks containing 90,000 words now known as Juvenilia. Among these works was Love and Freindship written at fourteen in 1790 mocking popular novels of sensibility. The History of England followed a year later with thirty-four pages accompanied by thirteen watercolor miniatures by Cassandra. These manuscripts often appeared boisterous and anarchic according to scholar Richard Jenkyn who compared them to Laurence Sterne's work.
When Austen turned twenty Tom Lefroy visited Steventon from December 1795 to January 1796 after finishing university degree training for London barrister work. They spent considerable time together though Austen wrote in letters that they behaved profligately and shockingly regarding dancing and sitting down together. Five days later she expected an offer from him yet declared she would refuse unless he promised to give away his white coat. The next day she wrote tears flowing as she imagined flirting her last with Tom Lefroy before it all ended. The Lefroy family intervened sending him away at month end while Jane never saw him again since marriage proved impractical without money. In November 1798 she still thought about him writing tea with one relative but could not raise the subject. Her only known proposal came in December 1802 when Harris Bigg-Wither asked her hand in marriage. He was large plain-looking speaking little stuttering aggressively and almost completely tactless according to niece Caroline Austen. Yet marriage offered practical advantages including providing parents comfortable old age giving Cassandra permanent home assisting brothers careers. By morning Austen realized mistake withdrawing acceptance leaving no contemporary letters describing feelings about this decision. She advised niece Fanny Knight in 1814 marrying without affection should be endured rather than preferred stating anything else preferable.
After finishing Lady Susan between 1793 and 1795 aged eighteen to twenty Austen began Elinor and Marianne read aloud to family before 1796 through letter series. First Impressions later published as Pride and Prejudice started in 1796 completed initial draft August 1797 aged twenty-one becoming established favorite among listeners. Father George attempted publishing First Impressions November 1797 contacting Thomas Cadell London publisher who returned marked Declined by Return of Post. From November 1797 until mid-1798 she revised heavily eliminating epistolary format favoring third-person narration producing something close to Sense and Sensibility. In early 1803 Henry offered Susan to Benjamin Crosby paying £10 copyright though Crosby promised publication advertising publicly yet did nothing further. The manuscript remained unpublished until Austen repurchased copyright 1816. December 1800 saw unexpected retirement announcement moving family to 4 Sydney Place Bath shocking Jane away from known home reducing productivity significantly. She wrote or revised manuscripts throughout creative life except few months after father died the 21st of January 1805 leaving precarious financial situation. Edward James Henry Francis pledged annual contributions supporting mother sisters spending part time rented quarters Bath then visiting Steventon Godmersham autumn months Worthing Sussex coast Stanford Cottage where fair copy Lady Susan added Conclusion. Family moved Southampton 1806 sharing house Frank Austen new wife large part time visiting branches family. Early 1809 brother Edward offered settled life using cottage Chawton village estate around property Chawton House. Jane Cassandra mother moved the 7th of July 1809 quiet life according niece Anna great readers working poor teaching girl boy read write.
Austen published books anonymously like many women authors maintaining conceit female writer publishing part-time job not seeking literary lioness status. Sense and Sensibility appeared October 1811 described written By a Lady sold commission author financial risk publisher advanced costs repay sales charge 10% commission paying rest author. If novel failed recover costs through sales author responsible them. Alternative method selling copyright occurred Pride Prejudice Egerton paid £110 maximizing profits cheap paper setting price 18 shillings advertising widely immediate success garnering three favorable reviews selling well. Had she sold on commission profit would reach £475 twice father's annual income. Mansfield Park published May 1814 ignored reviewers yet very popular readers all copies sold six months earnings larger any other novels. Pirated French editions appeared without knowledge approval Madame Isabelle de Montolieu translating rudimentary English into embellished French radically altering plots characters. First credited publication France Persuasion 1821 La Famille Elliot ou L'Ancienne Inclination. November 1815 Prince Regent librarian James Stanier Clarke invited visit hinting dedication Emma though Austen disapproved womanizing gambling drinking spendthrift ways generally disreputable behavior. She wrote Plan of Novel parodying Clarke pompous literary advice intended revenge unwanted letters received mid-1815 moved work John Murray better-known London publisher publishing Emma December 1815 second edition Mansfield Park February 1816. Emma sold well new edition Mansfield Park did poorly offsetting most income from Emma these last novels published lifetime.
Feeling unwell early 1816 ignoring warning signs decline unmistakable middle year slow irregular deterioration Zachary Cope 1964 retrospective diagnosis listing Addison disease cause death although final illness described Hodgkin lymphoma. Uncle died leaving entire fortune wife effectively disinheriting relatives causing relapse writing ashamed say shock Uncle's Will brought weak body excuse weak nerves. Continued working despite illness dissatisfied ending The Elliots rewrote final two chapters finished the 6th of August 1816. January 1817 began The Brothers titled Sanditon when published 1925 completing twelve chapters stopping work mid-March 1817 probably due illness. Todd describes Sanditons heroine Diana Parker energetic invalid mocking hypochondriacs though describes bilious five days abandoning novel turning every wrong color living chiefly sofa. Put pen down the 18th of March 1817 making note condition light bile rheumatism difficulty walking lacking energy confined bed April agonizing pain welcomed death May Cassandra Henry brought Winchester treatment suffered agony welcoming death. Died Winchester the 18th of July 1817 age forty-one buried north aisle nave Winchester Cathedral epitaph composed brother James praising personal qualities expressing hope salvation mentioning extraordinary endowments mind explicitly not achievements writer.
Works implicitly critique sentimental novels second half eighteenth century part transition nineteenth-century literary realism earliest English novelists Samuel Richardson Henry Fielding Tobias Smollett followed school sentimentalists romantics Sir Walter Scott Horace Walpole Clara Reeve Ann Radcliffe Oliver Goldsmith style genre Austen repudiated returning novel slender thread tradition Richardson Fielding realistic study manners. Mid-twentieth century critics F R Leavis Ian Watt placed tradition Richardson Fielding both believe used irony realism satire form author superior both. Walter Scott noted resistance trashy sensationalism modern fiction ephemeral productions supply regular demand watering places circulating libraries. Yet relationship genres complex evidenced Northanger Abbey Emma similar William Wordsworth excoriated modern frantic novel Preface Lyrical Ballads 1800 discipline innovation demonstrates similar rhetorically less artistically more. Eschewed popular Gothic fiction stories terror heroine typically stranded remote location castle abbey thirty-two novels between 1784 1818 contain word abbey title. In Northanger Abbey alludes trope heroine Catherine anticipating move remote locale rather full-scale rejection transforms genre juxtaposing reality elegant rooms modern comforts against heroine novel-fueled desires. Nor completely denigrate Gothic fiction instead transforms settings situations such that heroine still imprisoned yet imprisonment mundane real regulated manners strict rules ballroom. Sense and Sensibility presents characters more complex staple sentimental fiction according critic Tom Keymer noting Marianne sentimental histrionics responds calculating world quite justifiable scream female distress. Richardson Pamela prototype sentimental novel didactic love story happy ending written women beginning right choose husbands restricted social conventions. Attempted epistolary style found flexibility narrative conducive realism conversation gesture carries weight significance.
Months after death July 1817 Cassandra Henry Murray arranged publication Persuasion Northanger Abbey set Henry contributed Biographical Note dated December 1817 first time identified sister author novels. Sales good year only 321 copies remained unsold end 1818 though six books out print England 1820s read through private libraries circulating libraries. First piece fiction using character appeared 1823 letter editor Lady's Magazine referring genius suggesting aspiring authors envious powers. October 1833 Richard Bentley purchased remaining copyrights all novels over following winter published five illustrated volumes Standard Novels series. Since then continuously in print. First French critic notice Philarète Chasles 1842 essay dismissing boring imitative writer substance not widely appreciated France until 1878 Léon Boucher called genius first French author do so. Accurate translation Félix Fénéon 1899 translating Northanger Abbey Catherine Morland Britain North America gradually grew estimation public literati United States recommended reading schools early 1838 Professor Devoney Looser philosopher literary critic George Henry Lewes published enthusiastic articles 1840s 1850s later novelist Henry James referred several times approval ranking Shakespeare Miguel de Cervantes Henry Fielding fine painters life. Publication James Edward Austen-Leigh Memoir Jane Austen 1869 introduced story wider public dear aunt Jane respectable maiden aunt spurred reissue editions released 1883 fancy illustrated collectors sets quickly followed. Author critic Leslie Stephen described popular mania started develop 1880s Austenolatry around start twentieth century intellectual clique Janeites reacted against vulgar enthusiasm masses response Henry James decried beguiled infatuation rising tide public interest exceeded intrinsic merit interest.
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Common questions
When and where was Jane Austen born?
Jane Austen arrived in the world on the 16th of December 1775 within the quiet valley of Steventon, Hampshire. Her father George Austen wrote to his wife Cassandra that the newborn was a present plaything for Cassy and a future companion.
What were the financial circumstances of Jane Austen's family during her childhood?
The family relied heavily on patronage from kin and hosted numerous visits from extended family members while their income remained modest with George earning £200 annually from his two livings. A skilled worker like a blacksmith might make about £100 while gentry families typically earned between £1,000 and £5,000.
How did Jane Austen spend her time before becoming a published author?
At age twelve she wrote three short plays while teenage years brought poems and stories to amuse herself and family. She compiled twenty-nine early works from 1787 to 1793 into three bound notebooks containing 90,000 words now known as Juvenilia.
Why did Jane Austen refuse marriage proposals from Tom Lefroy and Harris Bigg-Wither?
Five days later she expected an offer from him yet declared she would refuse unless he promised to give away his white coat while marriage offered practical advantages including providing parents comfortable old age giving Cassandra permanent home assisting brothers careers. By morning Austen realized mistake withdrawing acceptance leaving no contemporary letters describing feelings about this decision.
When did Jane Austen die and what was the cause of her illness?
Died Winchester the 18th of July 1817 age forty-one buried north aisle nave Winchester Cathedral epitaph composed brother James praising personal qualities expressing hope salvation mentioning extraordinary endowments mind explicitly not achievements writer. Zachary Cope 1964 retrospective diagnosis listing Addison disease cause death although final illness described Hodgkin lymphoma.