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Essay / Jane Austen – a revolutionary English novelist
Jane Austen is a memorable and revolutionary English novelist. She was born in Steventon, Hampshire on a cold winter's night on December 16, 1775 and died on July 18, 1817. She was the second daughter and seventh child of her parents. When she was eight, Jane and her sister were sent to a boarding school to learn French, dancing, and other forms of "education" appropriate for young girls of the time. However, once back home, Jane and her sister were able to use the large library her father had accumulated due to his position as a church member. Since then, Jane has discovered her love for reading and writing. Her family's penchant for creative writing, improvisation, and house plays is believed to have nurtured Jane's talent and pushed her to become a serious writer. Austen's work included but was not limited to six full-length novels such as Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), Emma (1815) which were published during Austen's lifetime. 'Austen and other novels such as Northanger. Abbey (1818), Persuasion (1818) and Lady Susan (1871) which were published posthumously. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayJane Austen unfortunately did not live long enough to witness her own fame, as she did not reveal her identity when she published her first book, but even after she became a writer, she still wasn't that famous. In fact, Jane Austen became popular years after her death. Jane Austen's modern popularity comes from the multiple television and film adaptations of her books. The authentic characters she presented and their stories became beloved nationwide and transcended over the decades. What sets Austen's work apart from other authors is her ability to relate, from the characters she presents in her books to the social situation those characters must go through. Her charismatic approach to the problems women suffered in the late 18th and early 19th centuries made her work timeless. Characters such as Elinor Dashwood or Elizabeth Bennet remain a source of inspiration for modern women who can still identify with these strong female figures. As such, Austen emerged as a feminist voice in a society that looked down on women and limited their role to marriage. Jane was not particularly opposed to the idea of marriage; however, she was the first to introduce in her work that women have the opportunity to marry for love and are encouraged to do so and not because of the social burden they must bear. Such is the case with Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice (1813), where she and her sisters are encouraged to find a suitable husband to save the family from a social downturn. Nevertheless, Elizabeth refused her cousin's marriage proposal and the inheritance of her father's estate due to the lack of love between her and the cousin. At first one might think that Elizabeth is selfish in her action and that she should have saved the family's future by marrying a man she did not love, but as the story progresses unfolds, we can see how Elizabeth's final choice to marry Mr. Darcy, the man she truly loved, was even more beneficial to her and her family. As such, Austen gave women an option they had never had before; marry the one you love. Additionally, Jane's ladies were always portrayed as being highly educated and cultured. So giving its female characters a strong voice is what made.