Jane Austen was born December 19th, 1775. She was the seventh child of eight with six brothers and one sister. Jane formed "an exceptional bond with her father", George Austen who worked at a rectory and as a part-time teacher. When Jane turned eight, she was sent to boarding school with her older sister, Cassandra, They continued their education at home with their father and brothers. Jane's father allowed her to use his books and writing tools to experiment with her creative side. She began writing in her own notebooks and storing her poems and ideas, like Love and Friendship and Sir Charles Garandison or the Happy Man, and Elinor and Marianne. These stories would be "read aloud for the amusement of the Austen family.
It is a common misconception that Jane Austen never fell in love, she just wrote about it. In December 1795, she met the nephew of her neighbors, Tom Lefroy. There are letters between Jane and her sister Cassandra, remarking on his style and his personality. She wrote, Tom is "a very gentlemanlike, goodlooking, pleasant, young man" (Halperin 721). Jane expected "to receive an offer" from Tom. However, she is disappointed as Tom is sent away before "more mischief might be done" because the "two young people... commanded nothing to live on-and that was that" (Halperin 721). They never saw each other again.
Jane had many other suitors including Samuel Blackall, who pursued her while visiting her neighbors the Lefroys. He did not interest Jane in the same way Tom did. Nine months after he first pursued Jane, he wrote to her again with "less love and more sense" proposing that they would be an admirable match. However, with pride, Jane stated that "Blackall had made his feelings known to her the previous year, and... his feelings were not reciprocated" (Halperin 724). She later met a clergyman, who was well liked by the family and by Jane. They had met on holiday in Devon and had planned to meet again. Fully expecting a proposal, she received a "notice of his death" (728). The remainder of Jane Austen's suitors were too short and insignificant to really consider. She lost the two men that she had really hoped would support her as a wife.
At the age of 27, Jane was proposed to by another man, and she unhappily accepted. However, their engagement was not long. She could not play the role of a contented wife in an unhappy marriage, much like Elizabeth's friend Charlotte, who marries Mr. Collins out of desperation. Jane may not have known about what it was like to be married, however, she did know what it was like to be in love and to lose love. The loss of Tom Lefroy seems to directly relate to Jane Bennet's loss of Mr. Bingley. The unrequited love between Samuel Blackall and Jane Austen was almost identical to Elizabeth Bennet's refusal to Mr. Collin's proposal.
Without the distractions of suitors, Jane was able to perfect her masterpieces. First, she published Sense and Sensibility in 1811, which completely sold out by 1813. Soon after, Pride and Prejudice was published which was also a great success. Immediately following, Mansfield Park, which was her best selling book. Because of her popularity, she was forced to work with a more well known publicist in London, John Murray. Under John Murray, Northanger Abbey, Emma, and Persuasion were published. Jane's health began to fail an she died at the very young age of 42. She was buried at Winchester Cathedral.
It is a common misconception that Jane Austen never fell in love, she just wrote about it. In December 1795, she met the nephew of her neighbors, Tom Lefroy. There are letters between Jane and her sister Cassandra, remarking on his style and his personality. She wrote, Tom is "a very gentlemanlike, goodlooking, pleasant, young man" (Halperin 721). Jane expected "to receive an offer" from Tom. However, she is disappointed as Tom is sent away before "more mischief might be done" because the "two young people... commanded nothing to live on-and that was that" (Halperin 721). They never saw each other again.
Jane had many other suitors including Samuel Blackall, who pursued her while visiting her neighbors the Lefroys. He did not interest Jane in the same way Tom did. Nine months after he first pursued Jane, he wrote to her again with "less love and more sense" proposing that they would be an admirable match. However, with pride, Jane stated that "Blackall had made his feelings known to her the previous year, and... his feelings were not reciprocated" (Halperin 724). She later met a clergyman, who was well liked by the family and by Jane. They had met on holiday in Devon and had planned to meet again. Fully expecting a proposal, she received a "notice of his death" (728). The remainder of Jane Austen's suitors were too short and insignificant to really consider. She lost the two men that she had really hoped would support her as a wife.
At the age of 27, Jane was proposed to by another man, and she unhappily accepted. However, their engagement was not long. She could not play the role of a contented wife in an unhappy marriage, much like Elizabeth's friend Charlotte, who marries Mr. Collins out of desperation. Jane may not have known about what it was like to be married, however, she did know what it was like to be in love and to lose love. The loss of Tom Lefroy seems to directly relate to Jane Bennet's loss of Mr. Bingley. The unrequited love between Samuel Blackall and Jane Austen was almost identical to Elizabeth Bennet's refusal to Mr. Collin's proposal.
Without the distractions of suitors, Jane was able to perfect her masterpieces. First, she published Sense and Sensibility in 1811, which completely sold out by 1813. Soon after, Pride and Prejudice was published which was also a great success. Immediately following, Mansfield Park, which was her best selling book. Because of her popularity, she was forced to work with a more well known publicist in London, John Murray. Under John Murray, Northanger Abbey, Emma, and Persuasion were published. Jane's health began to fail an she died at the very young age of 42. She was buried at Winchester Cathedral.