JANE AUSTEN

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 at Steventon, England. She was the seventh child of the rector of the parish at Steventon, and lived with her family until they moved to Bath when her father retired in 1801.

Among her siblings she had one sister, Cassandra, with whom she kept in close contact her entire life. Although her family was neither noble nor wealthy, Rev. Austen had a particular interest in education, even for his daughters. Although her novels focus on courtship and marriage, Jane Austen remained single her entire life. She died in Winchester on July 8, 1817.

Jane Austen published four novels anonymously during her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815). Two novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published posthumously in 1817. These novels are prominent for her satiric depiction of English society and manners.

Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813.  Jane Austen began writing the novel in 1796 at the age of twenty-one, under the title First Impressions. The original version of the novel was probably in the form of an exchange of letters. Jane's father had offered the manuscript for publication in 1797, but the publishing company refused to even consider it. Shortly after completing First Impressions, Jane began writing Sense and Sensibility, which was not published until 1811. She also wrote some minor works during that time, which were later expanded into full novels. Between 1810 and 1812 Pride and Prejudice was rewritten for publication. While the original ideas of the novel come from a girl of 21, the final version has the literary maturity of a thirty-five year old woman who had spent years painstakingly drafting and revising, as is the pattern with all of her works. Pride and Prejudice is usually considered to be the most popular of Jane Austen's novels.