Jane Austen was a feminist and an English author ahead of her own time. Jane was born in 1775 and died in 1817 at age 41 due to an illness, which at the time was incurable.
Today Jane’s work is recognized and greatly appreciated all over the world partly thanks to the reproductions of her classical works, and the television and movie productions covering her novels.
One of the main things that separated Jane Austen from the women of her time was her refusal to marry for the sake of wealth instead of love – this practical conviction is one of the themes in many of her books. Jane Austen was a true feminist who strongly believed that the women not only had the right to educate, but also the right to choose for themselves. This also is reflected in her stories, especially in her headstrong female main characters and their convictions. In Jane’s stories she challenges the class structure of her society. She employs satire and irony to provoke the people in high positions in social consequence.
Jane herself was very independent and intelligent. Today many see her as an example of female right and power.
Like most writers, Jane drew on her own experiences, personality and dreams – as the sevenths child out of eight, the bond with her siblings were often incorporated into her writing. In Pride and Prejudice (1813) you observe the bond of the two elder sisters Jane and Elizabeth and in Sense and Sensibility (1811) you observe the bond of all three sisters especially the eldest Elinor and Marianne.
Jane Austen was raised among books and began reading and writing at an early age. She had a close relationship with almost all of her siblings but especially her older (and only) sister Cassandra and her older brother Henry who became her literary agent. In her own lifetime she was only known as “a lady” and not recognized as a serious author. After her death her own name was used in connection with her works. It was her brother Henry who