Jane Austen Research Paper

The Austen family welcomed their seventh child and second daughter into the world on December 16, 1775. Born in Steventon, Hampshire, England, Jane Austen was raised by George and Cassandra Austen, respected members of community life. Her father lived as a “country clergyman, who had advanced himself through ambition and intelligence while her mother, Cassandra Leigh, was of much higher birth; one of her ancestors had been Lord Mayor of London under Queen Elizabeth I” (Telgen). She was the seventh child out of eight, and “her closest companion throughout her life was her elder sister, Cassandra, who also remained unmarried” (Augustyn). She grew up in a family that stressed education and learning, yet “Austen and her older sister Cassandra ‘had

Austen began writing Pride and Prejudice, originally given the name First Impressions, in 1796. When her father discovered the manuscript of her novel, he sent it into a publisher in London, who refused to publish it. She gave up on writing for nearly five years, during which time she had the relationship with Bigg-Wither, but resumed work on it in 1811. As she neared completion of the literary work, she had to rename it Pride and Prejudice because another author had published a piece of literature with her original title. When her work was finally published in 1813, it was done so anonymously. Austen wrote her major literary works in the span of twenty years, years that coincided with England reaching its height of power. She continued writing many more pieces, some of which got completed and published until the very end of her life. Her last few years of her life were kept busy with her writing, until she died on July 18, 1817. All of her published works remained anonymous throughout her lifetime. Her brother Henry was the one to finally announce that Austen was the author of all of the literary works she published. Many tossed the news aside as insignificant. It was not until years after her death that her readers’ and literary critics realized that they had lost one of the smartest observers and writers of their

Elizabeth, one of Austen’s more spirited female characters, is known to be one of the most engaging characters in English literature. The two themes of pride and prejudice come into play on both sides of the relationship: Darcy is detached because of Elizabeth’s inferior social status, while Elizabeth is uncertain of her feelings for Fitzwilliam mainly because of his snobbish behavior. Ultimately, both put their differences aside to come together, unified by their strong feelings for each