Jane Austen

Jane Austen (Steventon, 16 December 1775 – Winchester, 18 July 1817) is one of the most famous writers of English literature. Her books are well-known all over the world. Jane Austen wrote about the English upper class and in her books are critical comments about this class. Among her most popular books are Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Emma (1815).

Jane Austen grew up in a close-knit family and was a member of the lower English aristocracy. Her father taught her and her brothers mostly. She learned a lot by reading too. Her family supported her writing talent. Meanwhile, most readers read the so-called sentimental novels. She was very critical about them and developed her own writing style. Austen's novels became the transition to the more realistic ones of the nineteenth century.

In her novels Austen was very critical about the position of women. At that time women were dependent on a good marriage to secure their social standing and economic security. English law was restrictive of women's rights. For example, the daughters of a man without sons could not inherit family property, which would go to a close male relative such as a cousin.

Austen chose to publish her books anonymously. Although the critics were favorable, she was never recognized as the author of those books. It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that she became well-known, more than a hundred years after her dead.