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Austen's World

Who is Jane Austen?
What is Pride and Prejudice about?
How did Austen's world influence her works?
Scroll around to find out!

Jane Austen is one of the most influential writers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Her novels, such as Pride and Prejudice, are classics that have been loved for years. Her timeless stories are supplemented by a unique portrayal of society, in which people marry for true love, and heroines don't always conform. My iSpace project explores the ninteenth century and its connection to Austen's novels.

Jane Austen's Life and Works	The Nineteenth Century	Time Period's Influence on Austen's Works
Early Life	England	General
Pride and Prejudice	The World	As Found in Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen's Life and Works

Early Life

Born on December 16th, 1775
Daughter of an English clergyman, Reverend George Austen
Family not very rich
Close to older sister, Cassandra
Educated at home
Moved to Chawton, Hampshire in 1809, where she lived for most of the remainder of her life

Pride and Prejudice

Published in 1813
The love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy
Discusses first impressions and their tendency to be incorrect

Nineteenth Century

England

Women were seen as inferior to men
Industrialization was beginning to appear
Religion, especially Christianity, was important to life
Many women felt that their sole role in life was to get married

The World

The Enlightenment was fresh in everyone's minds
Napoleon was the ruler of France

Time Period's Influence on Austen's Works

General

Many see Austen as one of the world's early feminists
She attempted to "break the mold" of the time period's traditional novel
Austen created unconventional heroines that are strong and opinionated

As Found in Pride and Prejudice

Austen poked fun at characters such as Mrs. Bennet and Lydia who are obsessed with marriage
Elizabeth is not the perfect woman, but her flaws make her more relatable to the average person
Austen made very religious characters, such as Mr. Collins, appear ridiculous to reveal her opinion on religion

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Last updated 6.2.06
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