Jane Austen Research Paper

The late 1700s and early 1800s marked significant times in history, including the American, French, and Industrial Revolutions and the Napoleonic Wars. These scenes of turmoil abroad signaled times of rebellion and dissatisfaction at home. Though war was not her primary focus, Jane Austen fits flawlessly into the seemingly rebellious time period in which she was born. This admirable author is known for her widespread novels that capture the life and manners of eighteenth-century England. Her classic Pride and Prejudice, published after years of revising in 1813, is a masterpiece that challenges the provincial thoughts of the time through a compelling love story unlike any other. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was largely influenced by her

Cawley’s school in Oxford. After an epidemic broke out, Jane transferred to the Abbey School in Reading until she was eleven. Once she returned home, she was taught by her father, who owned an extensive library from which she read numerous books and plays. When Jane was around ten years old, she began writing her own tales and composing plays. John Halperin comments in “The Life of Jane Austen” that through Jane’s education “she was taught to question rather than to accept blindly” (16-17). This is exemplified in the novel when Jane questions common social expectations rather than simply complying with them. Jane Austen was much better educated than most girls in the late eighteenth century, probably due to the differing roles between men and women of the

Austen takes this domain from her own life, as she lived in a similar world as the one in the story. Through her main character, Elizabeth, Jane is incredulous towards women’s roles in the life of the “landed gentry” (“Pride and Prejudice” 283). During this time there was one main goal for women: marrying a prosperous man and bearing children. Although Mrs. Bennet is eager to find suitable husbands for her daughters, Elizabeth aspires more than merely society’s expectations. Narrow views impacted Jane’s personal life when partner, Tom Lefroy, was supposedly too poor to marry, resulting in an end to the relationship. This event could have influenced Jane’s doubts of the importance of property, wealth, and status in her