Getting to Know Jane Austen
When Jane Austen passed away on July 18, 1817, Cassandra, her older sister, burned her letters. There were hundreds, but only a small fraction survived, which gave historians an idea on the novelist whose books were among the most widely read in English literature. Cassandra, an amateur watercolourist, drew the only known portraits of her more famous sibling. One was a black-and-white portrait done in 1810, which relatives described as hideous. Jane looked like the household servant, which not a few wondered if this was an accurate depiction of her.
During Jane's lifetime, women lived by a class system that many find ruthless. They must be beautiful, as this was the only way to find a good man to settle down - and have a pleasant life. The native of Steventon, Hampshire made a satire about it, but it wasn't difficult to see the similarities between the novelist and her characters. The Bennet sisters, for instance, would remind Austen's fans of the sisters, who remained single throughout their lives. Emma Woodhouse, on the other hand, was Jane herself after she inherited a sum of money from her father, George, after his death. This gave her the freedom to do whatever she wanted.
Jane's novels were witty descriptions on how a man and a woman met and find love (or lose one). Some would call this courtship novels. It wasn't meant to be an insult to her writing ability, but Charlotte Brontë wasn't stoked, comparing it to a lovely garden. But the author of "Jane Eyre" might be pointing out the different backgrounds of the Brontë sisters and Austen, as the wild Yorkshire moors and the genteel fields of Steventon would have a profound effect on their literary career.
Readers would be engrossed in Jane's stories right away, not realizing Europe was embroiled in a series of conflicts during that time. Elizabeth Bennet seemed oblivious, as she was more worried about her conflicting feelings towards Mr. Darcy. Some might suggest that this was Jane's way of being grateful to the system, as without it, Great Britain would have been in chaos. There was the French Revolution during the final years of the eighteenth century, followed by the Napoleonic Wars during the early nineteenth century. The Storming of the Bastille had far-reaching effects throughout the continent while a victory by Napoleon Bonaparte would have been catastrophic to the British Empire. Was Jane thinking of a greater good without considering her own happiness? Only Cassandra knew the answer, as she was her sister's confidant. Whatever her reasons for burning those letters, it resulted to a renewed interest in her and her works long after her death.
It was hard to tell if Jane Austen was really happy. Lizzy and Emma find Mr. Darcy and Mr. Knightley respectively. Jane found companionship in books. As for Charlotte Brontë comparison, there's a good metaphor. If she had bouts of grief, then they were hidden somewhere. Some would say it was the British character.
