Jane Austen
Jane Austen Jane was born on December 16, 1775, in Hampshire England, she died in July 1817, Hampshire. She was the first English writer to give the “novel” its distinctly modern character through her narative of ordinary people in everyday life. During her life time she published four novels, her first was Sense and Sensibility in 1811 followed by her novell for which she is most famous, Pride and Prejudice (1813) as well as Mansfielsd Park (1814) and Ema (1815) which is considered by many of her critics to be her masterpiece. In these novels she was able to vividly depicted English midle-class life of that period these literary works became timless classics that remained populae for two centuries after her death.
She was the second daughter and seventh child in a family of eight, six boys and two girls. Throughout her life her closest companion was her elder sister Cassandra, neither of the two sister married. Their father who was a Clergyman, was also a scholar who encouraged the love of learning in his children and his wife possesed great wit and the great family amusement was acting and reading aloud. This lively and affectionate family environment provided a stimulating setting for her writing. In 1809 folowing her father’s death, she moved to Chawton toghether with her mother and sisters where she began to prepare Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice for publication. Eventualy she was able to have Sense and sensibility published anonymously in 1811. The following years seem to have been the most rewarding of her life. She had the satisfaction of seeing her works in print, as well as being well reviewed and furthermore the knoledge that her novels were widely read and appreciated. In 1817 her health started to decline due to a rare autoimmune disease, she wrote her final will in April, and died on the 18th of July in Winchester where she is burried.
Pride and Prejudice
When Charles Bingley, a rich single bachelor, moves to the Netherfield estate, the local residents are thrilled, especially Mrs. Bennet, who hopes to marry off one of her five daughters to him. When the Bennet daughters meet him at a local ball, they are impressed by his outgoing personality and friendly disposition. However they are less impressed by Bingley’s friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, a landowning aristocrat who is too proud to speak to any of the locals, and whom Elizabeth Bennet overhears refusing to dance with her.
Bingley and the eldest of the Bennet daughters, Jane, soon form an attachment. Any serious relationship between the two, however, is opposed by Bingley’s sisters (who does not approve of Jane as a potential wife for Bingley due to her mother’s lower status) and by Darcy (who believes that Jane is indifferent to Bingley). Meanwhile, Darcy finds himself attracted to Elizabeth despite his objections to her family. He is drawn to her spirited wit and expressive eyes, and Caroline Bingley’s jealous criticisms of Elizabeth can do nothing to lessen Darcy’s admiration.
As Darcy grows more interested in Elizabeth, Elizabeth continues to despise him,whilst on the other hand is attracted to George Wickham, a handsome and personable militia officer. Wickham tells Elizabeth that his father worked for Darcy’s father and that he and Darcy grew up together. Stating that he was favored by Darcy’s father, Wickham claims that Darcy disobeyed his father’s bequest of a clergyman’s revenue to Wickham out of selfish resentment. Wickham’s tale makes Darcy appear not only proud but cruel, and Elizabeth accepts Wickham’s account without question, disliking Darcy even more because of it.
In the midst of Jane and Elizabeth’s developing relationships, the Bennet family is visited by Mr. Bennet’s cousin, William Collins, a clergyman who will inherit Mr. Bennet’s estate upon his death because of a legal stricture known as an entail. Full of apologies for the entail and praises for his patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, Mr. Collins informs the Mrs. Bennet that Lady Catherine has instructed him to marry and that he plans to choose a wife from the Bennet daughters. He settles on Elizabeth, but is stunned and offended when she refuses him. He quickly turns his attention to Elizabeth’s friend, Charlotte Lucas, who is eager to marry for security rather than love, and the two are soon engaged and married.
At the same time, Jane is dismayed to find out that Bingley and the entire Netherfield entourage have unexpectedly departed for London. Caroline Bingley writes to Jane and informs her that they do not intend to return, and she foresees a match between Bingley and Darcy’s sister, Georgiana, who is also in London. Although Jane quietly resigns herself to a life without Bingley, Elizabeth is angry for her sister and suspects that Bingley’s sisters and Darcy are trying to keep him from Jane.
Elizabeth visits Charlotte at her new home in Hunsford, Kent, and meets Mr. Collins’ patroness and Darcy’s aunt, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, an overbearing woman who thrives on meddling in other people’s lives. Soon after Elizabeth’s arrival in Kent, Darcy visits his aunt with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Darcy puzzles Elizabeth with his behavior; he seems to seek out her company, but he never says much. One day, he surprises Elizabeth by proposing to her. Still repelled by his pride and believing Darcy is responsible for Bingley’s separation from Jane and for Wickham’s misfortune, Elizabeth refuses him. The next day, Darcy gives her a letter explaining his role in influencing Bingley away from Jane and details the facts of Wickham’s situation. A careful examination of the facts reveals that Darcy, while proud, is innocent of wrongdoing, leaving Elizabeth mortified at her discovery of how her own pride prejudiced her against Darcy.
After returning home for a month, Elizabeth goes on a trip with her aunt and uncle Gardiner to Derbyshire county, where they visit Darcy’s estate of Pemberley. There they meet Darcy unexpectedly and are all surprised at how graciously he treats them. He calls on Elizabeth at her inn, introduces her to his sister, and invites her to Pemberley for dinner. Darcy is still in love with Elizabeth, and Elizabeth begins to have similar feelings for him.
In the midst of this promising situation, Elizabeth receives two letters from Jane telling her that Lydia has eloped with Wickham, causing Elizabeth and the Gardiners to leave for home immediately. Elizabeth fears that Lydia and the Bennet family are permanently disgraced and that her newly-discovered love for Darcy is hopeless. When Lydia is found, however, she and Wickham marry. After the wedding, Elizabeth discovers that Darcy was instrumental in orchestrating the marriage, thereby saving the reputation and marriageability of the other Bennet daughters.