Jane Austen - A short composition Table of Contents Introduction Jane Austen’s Life Sense and Sensibility Pride and Prejudice Facts Dine with Sense and Sensibility Pictures List of References Introduction I chose to study Jane Austen because I like English literature. Today Jane Austen is well-known and very popular. Her books appear in new editions and her novels are adapted for the screen. Last autumn I read an article in a magazine about having dinner in England in the 19th century. I thought it was interesting so I have written a bit about it. I have also watched the movie Pride and Prejudice and it was fantastic. I would like to write much about it but I haven’t time enough. There is very much information about Jane Austen and her work. I found it necessary to limit my composition, or I would need several months to study her. I have tried to commonly introduce her, and then I have studied things that interest me. Jane Austen’s Life The English author Jane Austen lived from 1775 to 1817. Her novels are highly prized not only for their irony, humour, and depiction of contemporary English country life, but also for their underlying serious qualities. Jane Austen was the daughter of a well-off, cultivated clergyman, Rev. George Austen. She was born in the Hampshire village of Steventon. Jane had one older sister, Cassandra, and six brothers. She never married, but she had many suitors. Jane Austen wrote her first book when she was 14. Her early work was probably devised as family entertainment. Despite her isolated life, she was an "observant, often slightly cynical writer" who portrayed the provincial middle and upper classes. Her sharp mind enabled her to write ironically amusing sketches of character and situation. Several of her books contain comments on the literature of the time, such as her defence of novels and their readers and her look at the popular gothic genre. She wrote plays, verses, short novels, prose and letters. Her earliest novel, Sense and Sensibility, was begun about 1795 as a novel-in letters called "Elinor and Marianne" after its heroines. Next year, she began First Impressions, later to become Pride and Prejudice, her favourite work. She also wrote the novels Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Mansfield Park. The years after 1811 seem to have been the most rewarding of her life. Her works were printed, the critics praised the novels for their moral entertainment and people read them. They were so much enjoyed by the Prince Regent, later George IV, that he had a set in each of his residence. The novel Emma was "respectfully dedicated" to him. Jane was suffering from Addison´s disease. On the morning of July 18 1817, at 4.30 am, she died. Six days later she was buried in Winchester Cathedral. During her lifetime, Austen’s work was already growing popular outside of England. The first French translation of Sense and Sensibility appeared in Paris in 1815. Emma was published in Philadelphia in 1816. Sense and Sensibility The romantic comedy Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwood family. They lose everything when Mr. Dashwood suddenly falls ill and is forced by law to leave his fortune and his vast estate to his son. They are taken in by a kindly cousin, but the family's reduced circumstances cast a shadow over the romantic aspirations of daughters Elinor and Marianne, who must learn to mix sense with sensibility in approaching their problems with both money and men. But this is a romance, and through the hardships and heartbreak, true love and a happy ending will find their way for both the sister who is all sense, and the one who is all sensibility. Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice, an ironical novel of manners, opens with one of the most famous sentences in English literature, "It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has consistently been Jane Austen’s most popular novel. It portrays the initial misunderstandings and later love between Elizabeth Bennet and the haughty Mr Darcy. The title Pride and Prejudice refersto the ways in which Elizabeth and Mr Darcy first view each other. Elizabeth’s liveliness, intelligence and quick wit have often attracted readers. Jane Austen wrote in a letter about Elizabeth, "I must confess that I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print, and how I shall be able to tolerate those who don’t like her at least, I don’t know". Elizabeth’s mother, the empty-headed Mrs Bennet has only one aim - that of finding a good match for each of her five daughters Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kate and Lydia. Two wealthy men, Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy move to the neighbour estate Netherfield. Mr Bingley falls in love with Jane but Mr Darcy tells him not to marry her. He thinks the Bennet family is crazy and not rich enough. Elizabeth becomes prejudiced against Mr Darcy because of his interference. Mr Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth - a blow to his pride - but when he proposes to her, she rejects him. Later when she visits his country-estate she begins to fall in love with him. However, his help when Lydia elopes, dissolves Elizabeth’s prejudice. He is still in love with her, proposes, and they get married. Facts Books Pride and Prejudice - 1796/97 (published 1813) Sense and Sensibility - 1797/98 (published 1811) Northanger Abbey - 1798 (published posthumously 1818) Mansfield Park - (published 1814) Emma - (published 1816) Persuasion - 1811/16 (published posthumously 1818) Movie Adaptations Emma [date unknown] TV Northanger Abbey (date unknown) TV Clueless (1995) Movie Persuasion (1995] Movie Sense and Sensibility (1995] Movie Mansfield Park (1983] TV Pride and Prejudice (1979) TV Persuasion (1971) TV Pride and Prejudice (1940) Movie Interesting Years 1775 Jane Austen was born at Steventon Rectory in Hampshire 1811 Sense and Sensibilitywas published anonymously ("By a Lady") 1813 Pride and Prejudice: A novel. In three volumes. By the Author of Sense and Sensibility was published on January 29. 1815 Emma was published. Within a year, 1,200 copies of its first edition of 2,000 were sold. 1816 Jane Austen’s health began to fail. 1817 She died on Friday, July 18 at the age of 42. Six days later she was buried in Winchester Cathedral. Dine with Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen wrote her books in the beginning of the 19th century. She portrayed the provincial middle- and upper classes. Her sharp mind enabled her to write ironically amusing sketches of character and situation. The meal, central in the social life, was documented in the book "The Jane Austen Cookbook" by Black and Le Fay, British Museum Press. The dinner was served in the afternoon, or in elegant homes in the evening. Three different dishes were placed in the middle of the table. For example ham, fish and bird. First courses and sweets were side by side. The dessert hadn’t the same importance as it has today. At formal dinner-parties the table was laid several times with clean table-cloths and new courses. The dinner was a daily challenge for every housewife. Fridge and freezer didn’t exist and sometimes it could be hard to get beef and vegetables. The kitchen garden was tender seen, and in the end of the summer fruits and vegetables were preserved. Pictures List of References Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice, Wordsworth Editions Limited 1992, Hertfordshire ICA-Kurriren, no 39, Stockholm 1996 Encyclopedia Britannica Internet: http://curly.cc.utexas.edu/~churchh/jabrokil.html http://curly.cc.utexas.edu/~churchh/janeinfo.html#janetoc Internet Movie Database