简奥斯汀的传记

JaneAustenBiography

PersonalBackground

JaneAusten'sliferesembleshernovels—atfirstglancetheyseemtobeposedofaseriesofquiet,unexceptionalevents.Suchanimpressionissupportedbythementofherbrother,Henry,whowroteafterherdeaththatherlifewas"notbyanymeansalifeofevent."Similarly,hernephewJamesaddedinabiographypublishedfiftyyearslaterthat"Ofeventsherlifewassingularlybarren:fewchangesandnogreatcrisiseverbrokethesmoothcurrentofitscourse."However,justasreadersfindthattheplexityofAusten'snovelliesinitscharactersandstyle,thosestudyingAustenherselfdiscoverthattheeventsofherlifearesecondarytoherpellingpersonality,quickwit,andhighlydevelopedpowersofobservation.ThefactthatAusten'slifelackedthedramathatotherauthorsmayhaveexperiencedinnowaydetractedfromherskillasawriter.Inactuality,Austen'slackof"extraordinary"experiences,aswellasofaspouseandchildren,probablymadeherwritingpossiblebyfreeinghertimetoworkonherbooks.Additionally,becauseherbookswerepublishedanonymously,Austenneverachievedpersonalrecognitionforherworksoutsideofhersphereoffamilyandfriends.Suchanonymitysuitedher,for,asliterarycriticRichardBlythenotes,"literature,nottheliterarylife,wasalwaysherintention."

FormativeYears

BornonDecember16,1775,JaneAustenwastheseventhofeightchildrenborntoGeorgeandCassandraAusten.ThefamilylivedinSteventon,asmallHampshiretowninsouthcentralEngland,whereherfatherwasaminister.TheAustenswerealoving,spiritedfamilythatreadnovelstogetherfromthelocalcirculatinglibraryandputonhometheatricals.ItwasforthefamilycirclethatAustenfirstwrotehighspiritedsatires—someofwhichlaterbecamenovelsafternumerousandcarefulrewritings.

Outofhersevensiblings,Austenwasclosesttoheronlysister,Cassandra.From1783to1785,thetwogirlsattendedschoolsinOxfordandSouthamptonandtheAbbeySchoolatReading.WhentheAustenscouldnolongeraffordthetuition,JaneandCassandrareturnedhometoreadextensivelyandlearnfromtheirfamilyhowtospeakFrenchandItalianandplaythepiano.MostaccountsagreethattheAustendaughterswereprettyandenjoyedtheslightlylimitedbutinterestingroundofcountrypartiesdescribedinAusten'snovels.

WhenAustenwastwenty,shemetTomLefroy,ayoungIrishmanvisitinghisuncleinHampshire.Seeingthatthetwoyoungpeoplewereonthevergeofanengagement,Lefroy'sfamilysenthimhomeratherthanlettinghimattachhimselftosomeoneaspoorasaclergyman'sdaughter.Austen'ssecondbrushwithmarriageoccurredatagetwentyseven,whenthewealthyHarrisBiggWitherproposedandAustenaccepted.Thenextmorning,however,Austenchangedhermind,givingupthewealthandsecurityinherentinsuchamatchbecauseshedidnotlovehim.AlthoughAustennevermarried,theemphasisofcourtshipandmarriageinhernovelsdemonstratestheimpactthattheseexperienceshadonherandherinterestinloveandmarriage.

EarlyNovels

From17961798,Austenwroteherfirstthreenovels—NorthangerAbbey(originallytitledSusan),SenseandSensibility(originallytitledElinorandMarianne),andPrideandPrejudice(originallytitledFirstImpressions)—butnonewaspublisheduntillater.NorthangerAbbey,whichwaspublishedposthumouslyin1818,satirizestheGothicnovelsthatwerepopularatthetimebypresentingaheroinewhoseoveractiveimaginationandloveofGothicnovelsleadhertoseemysterieswherenoneexistwhenshestaysatNorthangerAbbey.InSenseandSensibility,publishedin1811,Austenexaminesthecontrastbetweentwosisterswhorepresentreason(sense)andemotion(sensibility)astheydealwithbeingforcedtoliveonameageramountofmoneyaftertheirfatherdies.Thethreatofafather'sdeathcausingareducedinealsoovershadowstwosistersinPrideandPrejudice,whichwaspublishedin1813.InPrideandPrejudice,however,thatthreatofgenteelpovertyisstilljustathreatratherthanareality,andAustenfocusesinsteadonhowprideandfirstimpressionscanleadtoprejudice.

Inherearlywriting,Austenbegantodefinethelimitsofherfictionalworld.Fromthefirst,therewasasteadyemphasisoncharacterassheconsciouslyrestrictedhersubjectmattertoaspheremadeupofafewfamiliesofrelativeswiththeirfriendsandacquaintances.Shedeliberatelylimitedwhatshewroteabout,andherworkgainsintensityandbeautyfromitsnarrowfocus.Inherbooks,thereislittleconnectionbetweenthisuppermiddleclassworldandthestrataaboveorbelowit,orconsciousnessofeventsexternaltoit.Itis,infact,theworldinwhichtypicalmiddleclasscountrypeoplelivedinearlynineteenthcenturyBritain.Thefamilyisatthecoreofthissettingandthusthemaneuveringsthatleadtomarriageareallimportant,becausematrimonysuppliesstability,alongwithsocialandeconomiccontinuity.

LaterWorks

In1800,Austen'sfatherdecidedtoretireandmovethefamilytoBath,asearesort.MovingfromthehomeshelovedwasdifficultforJane,especiallybecausethefamilylivedinseveraldifferentplacesuntil1809,whenMr.Austendied.Duringthatperiodofnineyears,Austendidnotwrite.Afterherfather'sdeath,AustenandhermotherandsistermovedtoChawton,acountrytownwhereAusten'sbrotherlentthefamilyahouseheowned.ThereAustenwasabletopursueherworkagain,andshewroteMansfieldPark,Emma,andPersuasion.

Publishedin1814,MansfieldParktellsthestoryofFannyPrice,agirlfromapoorfamilywhoisraisedbyherwealthyauntanduncleatMansfieldPark.Thebookfocusesonmoralityandthestrugglebetweenconscienceandsocietalpressuresandisconsideredbysomecriticstobethe"firstmodernnovel."InEmma,publishedin1816,AustenintroducesEmmaWoodhouse,the"handsome,clever,andrich"heroinewhofanciesherselfamatchmaker.Hereffortsatbringingpeopletogether,however,resultinteachingherhumilityandherowndiscoveryoflove.CriticspraiseEmmaWoodhouseasbeingAusten'mostplexcharacter,whilereadersfindthattheyeitherloveorhateEmma'sstory.Austen'sfinalpletednovel,Persuasion,waspublishedposthumouslyin1818.ItdealswiththebrokenengagementofAnneElliottandCaptainWentworthandtheirsecondchanceatloveeightyearslater.Criticsmentonthebook's"autumnalfeel"andnotethatAnneElliottisnotonlyAusten'soldestheroine,butalsotheonewiththeleastselfconfidence.

DeathandLegacy

AustenlivedthelasteightyearsofherlifeinChawton.Herpersonallifecontinuedtobelimitedtofamilyandclosefriends,andsheprizedherselfonbeingawarmandlovingauntasmuchasbeingasuccessfulnovelist.Asuddenillness,possiblyAddison'sdisease,madeherstopworkonthenovelSandition,andshediedin1817.

Afterherdeath,duringthenineteenthcenturyromanticperiod,Austenwasoftenlookeduponwithbegrudgingadmiration,asher