Jane Austen Background Information

National flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain

• 16 December 1775 - 18 July 1817

• Birthplace - Hampshire, England

• Writing style involved wit, romance, passion, emotion, logic, great structure, and sarcasm.

• Also uses comedy to critique the portrayal of women in the 19th century. 

• First novel, Sense and Sensibility, was published in 1811

• Social Class:

• Upper
• Middle
• Lower

• Industrial Revolution: 1760 - 1820/1840

• Before the Industrial Revolution the class system in England was very separate. 

• It is the arrival of the Industrial Revolution that led the emergence of a strong middle class in England.

• Employment:
• Railroad Worker
• Charcoal Production
• Farming

• Male/Female Roles:

Painting that depicts gender roles in the 1800's

• A woman's purpose in life is to find a husband, have children, and spend the rest of her life taking care of them. If a woman decided to stay single, she would be ridiculed by the community. The man's purpose was to work and provide for the wife and children.

Many of Austen's novels illustrated the genre of Romance




• Themes

• Many themes are  found in Austen’s novels including love, marriage, wealth, class, gender roles, and femininity.

•  Death rarely occurs in her novels



Anglican Church in Dublin

• Austen's father was a clergyman in the Church of England (Anglican)

• Novels include a strong sense of moral code underneath comedy.

• Represented the Church of England and believed in the Puritan tradition.

Original copy of Pride and Prejudice printed in 1813

• Pride and Prejudice Intro:

• Published in 1813

• Sold over 20 million copies worldwide

• One of the most popular novels in English literature

• Modern interest has resulted in many adaptations and novels imitating Austen's original characters.