Week 7 Jane Austen (1775-1818).pptVIP

Jane Austen (1775-1818) Main contents I. Life and Literary Career II. Six Main Novels III. Austen’s Writing IV. Analysis of Chapter 1 in Pride and Prejudice Life Literary Career Birth and Family: Born of a rector (head of church) of the village of Steventon in Hampshire (southern England). Education: Received good education at home Career: Devoted all her life in reading and literary creation. The Austens were moderately well off. The household was lively and bookish. The family also enjoyed writing and performing plays for evening entertainment. When young she went to balls and picnics, and paid visits like any other girl of her class. Once, it seems, she may have been seriously in love, but the man died. She never married. Six Main Novels: She wrote six novels in her life. Sense and Sensibility《理智与情感》（1811） Pride and Prejudice《傲慢与偏见》（1813） Emma《爱玛》（1815） Mansfield Park《曼斯菲尔德公园》（1814） Persuasion《好事多磨》（1818） Northanger Abbey 《诺桑觉寺》（1818） Six Main Novels The main Concerns of her Novels All of her six novels deal with marriage mart--- the business of getting married. The most urgent preoccupation of her bright, young heroines is courtship and finally marriage. Heroine: All her novels have a female central character who gets married at the end of the book. The English Society The England she depicts is one in which social mobility is limited and class consciousness is strong. Under such a social milieu, social advancement for women was usually through a successful marriage, which explains the pervasiveness of matrimony as a goal and topic of conversation in Austen’s writings. Themes Money --Jane Austen’s heroines are usually middle class. They are not poor, but they are not rich either. Love and marriage -- Marriage was a form of financial transaction for women in this time. All of Austen’s heroines marry for LOVE. Sisters/families -- For Austen’s heroines families sometimes offer love and support, sometimes they provide