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Classic Authors: Jane Austen

© Susan Jensen

Although she had little formal education, Jane Austen torpedoed into the world of English literature, changing it forever. Her novels, which include Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, became classics. High school and college students still study her work, and several of her books have been made into award-winning motion pictures. Although she has received much acclaim for her writing, Jane Austen led a rather modest life.

On December 16, 1775, Jane was born in Steventon, Hampshire, England. Jane's father, George Austen, served as the local rector, as well as a tutor. George did not earn a great deal, but family life was warm and comfortable. Jane and her sister Cassandra shared a close relationship, and would until the end of Jane's life.

Jane's formal education began in 1783 when she and Cassandra traveled to Southampton to be taught by an aunt. However, when an infectious disease broke out in the area, the two girls returned to their home. Two years later, Jane followed Cassandra to the abbey boarding school at Reading. Although Jane was considered too young to profit from such an education, she would not allow herself to be separated from her cherished older sister. The abbey education ended in 1784, and Jane received no more formal lessons. Instead, she learned the skills deemed appropriate for a young woman in a genteel society. These skills, which included drawing and piano-playing, were taught primarily for the snaring of a husband. Jane also enjoyed dancing and long walks in the countryside. She continued to educate herself by raiding her father's extensive library, reading voraciously from classics and the period's popular novels. She also began writing parodies, which she created for the amusement of her friends and family.

Although Jane Austen never married, she had several suitors. In 1802, she became engaged and then broke it off the next day. Although she loved her family, and especially enjoyed small children, she would never become a wife or mother. She lived with family all of her life, and focused on her flourishing writing career.

From 1795 to 1799, Jane worked on versions of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, and Lady Susan. In 1797, Pride and Prejudice was offered to a publisher, who refused to even glance at the manuscript. Six years later, Jane sold Northanger Abbey to a publisher, but it was not seen in print until 14 years later. In 1810 or early 1811, Sense and Sensibility was accepted, and published as anonymous; only Jane's close family members knew who had written it. Pride and Prejudice appeared in print in January of 1813, and in 1814, Mansfield Park was published to much success. Emma came along in December of 1815, and Persuasion followed in August of 1815.

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