The first woman novelist of English literature, Jane Austen is widely appreciated for her social analysis of late 18th century upper class England. Her novels Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park and Emma are held as milestones of English literary journey.
Born to Reverend George Austen and Cassandra, Jane Austen had her education in local schools and also in Oxford. She started writing at the age of 14, but her first important novel ‘Northanger Abbey’ was published in 1798. It was a satire on Gothic novels exposing the difference between reality and fantasy.
Jane Austen’s second novel Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811 under a pseudonym ‘A Lady’. It is more of an autobiographical novel portraying her sister Cassandra as a restraint woman and herself as an emotional one. Jane Austen vindicated the stand of Cassandra who married a sensible man, while the emotional sister ultimately had a responsible husband, she did not love.
Jane Austen’s most successful novel Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813. The novel brings out the complexity of human nature, although the novelist’s moralizing effects on the characters persist. The transformation of Darcy from a proud man to a polite one and the prejudice of Elizabeth’s against Darcy to love reflect many social manners of the eighteenth century. The novel is highly rated in English literature because of its realistic portrayal of the then society.
Mansfield Park was published in 1814. It is the most controversial novel of Jane Austen as the Regency critics praised it for its moralistic approach, while modern day scholars dismissed it as piggish. Emma is a comic novel published in 1916. It is a great departure of Jane Austen’s other novels where marriage becomes the sole aim of a woman. Emma, not willing to marry, also lacks sexual desire.
Persuasion was Jane Austen’s last novel published posthumously in 1818. It is also appreciated for a moving love story. The success of Jane Austen lies not only in contemporary appreciations, but also in several plays, movies and TV serials made on her novels till today.
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