Knowledge of life and a special tact in depicting characters that the reader cannot fail to recognize are somewhat reminiscent of the merits of the Flemish school of painting. The plots are rarely refined and, of course, never grandiose, but they are written close to nature and with a precision that delights the reader.

W. Scott

Today we will talk about English literature of the early 19th century, we will talk about the work of the author, who was not a supporter of romantic aesthetics. Let's try to understand why his writings enjoy the attention of readers.

Jane Austen has a special place in English literature XIX century: it continues the tradition of realistic literature XVIII century and is the link between the realism of the Enlightenment and the realism XIX century. She was born and worked during the reign of romanticism, but she herself used a different creative method and preached other values, sometimes criticizing and parodying romantic cliches and ideals (a vivid example is the novel Northanger Abbey). Her work was truly appreciated after the death of the writer, who lived a short life. Her novels rather anticipate prose XIX century, and not contemporary romantics, who sought to portray the unusual, mysterious, bright.

Sadly little is known about the writer herself: her sister, Cassandra Austin, either fulfilling Jane's will, or hiding some family secret, or perhaps trying to protect the deceased's personal life from immodest views, destroyed most of the correspondence and thereby deprived biographers most valuable material.

The future novelist was born in the family of a provincial priest, she showed an early interest in literature and philosophy and outstanding artistic talents. Even at a young age, the future writer got acquainted with the works of historians and philosophers of the 18th century, the works of Fielding, Richardson. Stern. The first literary experiences of fifteen-year-old Jane were parodies of popular fiction. late XVIII century, in which sentimental motifs and gothic horrors prevailed. Austen's youthful writings, known as Juvenilia, were not published during her lifetime; they first saw the light in fragments in 1871.

Jane Austen's father belonged to a wealthy clergy, was related to the "gentry" (local nobility), graduated from Oxford University, had a parish in Hampshire (it is no coincidence that priests often appear in Austen's novels, the main characters choose just such a vocation); her mother came from a noble noble family. George Austin's family was large: six sons and two daughters (Jane was the seventh child in the family). The Austins lived in modest prosperity. The atmosphere in the family was calm, cheerful and good natured.

Throughout her life, the aesthetic principles of the writer did not change: she remained a convinced realist, striving to truthfully reflect the world. O A distinctive feature of realism is the appeal of art to the direct depiction of the daily life of people, devoid of any religious or mythological plot motivation. P At the same time, Austin wrote only about what she herself knew well: therefore, her novels may seem chamber, limited by the scope of the image. Austin doesn't shine at all historical events, of which she was a contemporary: the Great French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, an uprising in Ireland and the first speeches of the Luddites. She deliberately limited herself to depicting the everyday life of the provincial nobility - the circle of people to which she herself belonged, whose life she knew and observed well.

Why are the works of D. Austin popular?

Austin's creative path is usually divided into two stages. The division is conditional. The writer did not seek to publish her works as soon as possible, she carefully finalized them. Therefore, the novels of the first and second periods were published almost simultaneously. The novels Sense and Sensibility (1795, published in 1811), Pride and Prejudice (1796. published in 1813), Northanger Abbey (Northanger Abbey) (1798, published in 1818) belong to the first period, and Mansfield Park (publ. 1814), Emma (publ. 1816), Reasons (publ. 1818) to the second. The last novel of the writer published during her lifetime was “Emma”. Arguments of Reason - the last of the created works and the early novel Northanger Abbey - appeared after the author's death in 1818. All lifetime publications were published without the name of the author.

The writer appears on the literary stage at a time when “sensitive” novels, gothic works, as well as works that contained intricate intrigue, incredible adventures and a clear distinction between vice and virtue dominate there. It is no coincidence that at that time the British recognized poetry as the highest form of art. Jane Austen changed her attitude to the genre of the novel, which was then continued by V. Scott.

The place of action in the works of J. Austin is the English province. The writer refused a panoramic image of reality, the circle of heroes in her writings is limited, Special attention she devoted to depicting the process of character formation under the influence of circumstances (this is an important principle of realistic art) . Nothing out of the ordinary happens in Austen's novels; they depict everyday everyday life and worries ordinary people; if something dramatic happens, it never develops into a tragedy. The reader is presented with a gallery of bright, recognizable characters shown in their familiar environment.

The author's skill was manifested in the ability to unobtrusively, with her subtle irony, emphasize the main thing in each of the characters, tear off the cover of external decency, respectability from some and show their true face. Against the background of contemporary literature, the works of Jane Austen stood out for their exquisite simplicity, accuracy and depth of the socio-psychological motivations for the behavior of the characters, and stylistic skill. The first review of the writer's work was given by W. Scott (1816) in a review of the novel "Emma": "Knowledge of life and a special tact in depicting characters that the reader cannot but recognize, somehow remind us of the merits of the Flemish school of painting. Plots are rarely refined and, of course, never grandiose, but they are written close to nature and with accuracy that delights the reader.

The writer did not seek to fill her works with didacticism, did not idealize the characters, avoided melodrama - everything that was inherent in the prose of her time. Absent from Austen's writings detailed descriptions, detailed portrait and landscape characteristics, author's comments. The heroes of novels manifest themselves in actions and speeches. Basically, the entire narrative keeps a masterfully constructed dialogue, which reveals the behavior of the characters, their psychology, and moral struggles. The writer actively used the technique of improperly direct speech to characterize inner world heroes, external details, subtext. Another feature of Austen's novels is irony, which manifests itself in the discrepancy between the actions and speeches of the characters, in the characteristics that the author gives them.

As E. Genieva notes: “ The world of Jane Austen's novels is the world of ordinary men and ordinary women: young "county" girls who dream of marriage, chasing inheritance, respectable matrons who are by no means brilliant, selfish and selfish beauties who think that they are allowed to control the fate of other people. Although this world is devoid of the mystery that Jane Austen's contemporaries were so honored with, it is by no means unclouded. Emotions rule here, mistakes occur, generated by wrong upbringing, bad influence environment. Jane Austen looks at this world and at her heroes ironically. She does not impose a moral position on readers, but she herself never lets it out of her sight.

The writer continued the traditions of G. Fielding and created "mixed characters", devoid of unilinearity. Her heroes are multifaceted, often they are mistaken, make mistakes, but they are able to soberly assess themselves, overcome weaknesses and delusions. Under the influence of circumstances environment, the case is the development of their characters, the formation of personality.

“Pride and Prejudice"(“Pride and prejudice”, 1796-1797) is one of the best works Austin, which the writer considered her "beloved brainchild". In the center of the novel is the provincial Bennet family, where five daughters grew up, quite different. The two older Jane and Elizabeth are very different from their younger sisters: they are smart, distinguished by their ability to behave in society. The second of Elizabeth's daughters stands out among others: she is educated, has a lively mind, observation, irony. Although she is the daughter of a poor landowner, she has a developed feeling dignity, who is especially hurt by the tactless actions of her mother and younger sister Lydia. She is confronted by the out-of-the-ordinary aristocrat Darcy, who is staying at a nearby estate. Darcy does not hide his contempt for the provincial society and at first behaves pointedly arrogantly in the presence of Elizabeth and her relatives. In turn, in Elizabeth, outraged and offended by such an attitude, a prejudice against Darcy is born. The conflict in the novel is the clash between Elizabeth and Darcy. The plot is based on a double mistake made by the characters because of pride and prejudice, the causes of which are in class and property relations (Elizabeth is on the social ladder below Darcy). Offended pride, combined with chance - acquaintance with the enemy Darcy Wickham - gives rise to prejudice in the soul of the heroine. She is mistaken about Wickham, believing him to be a victim. The turn in her attitude towards Darcy is the latter's letter, which forces Elizabeth to think, and then free herself from false conclusions. Only gradually, getting to know each other better, and under the influence of a flared mutual feeling, do the heroes overcome their delusions, weaknesses and shortcomings.

Darcy is also prejudiced against the Bennet family, so the words in the title apply to both Darcy and Elizabeth: both characters are influenced by pride and prejudice.

The heroes of the novel are surrounded by many other characters, giving a vivid idea of ​​the mores, customs and psychology of the privileged strata of English society at the turn of the 16th and 2nd and 19th centuries.

In the work, we observe the process of development of the characters' characters under the influence of circumstances that allow them to get to know each other, to see what is hidden behind Darcy's pride and Elizabeth's mockery.

The images of the main characters reflect the author's ideal of personality: Jane Austen did not accept either a complete rejection of the principles of rationality, blind adherence to passions, or naked rationalism. Feeling and reason, according to the writer, must be balanced, must be in harmony. Heroes who deviate from this rule violate the norm of sanity and fall into difficult situations, they cannot understand other people, the motives of their actions.

The issues of marriage, not only the organization of life itself, but the responsibility in choosing a companion and companion, which are borne by parents and young people themselves, is one of the main themes in Pride and Prejudice.

Austin, like her romantic contemporaries, often uses the contrast technique in her works, emphasizing the originality of the characters: so kind, striving to justify everyone, Jane is the beloved sister of the mocking, sharp-tongued Elizabeth. In her early novel Sense and Sensibility, the writer created images of two sisters: an enthusiastic, exalted, maximalistic Marianne and a reasonable, restrained, but at the same time deeply feeling Elinor. These heroines find themselves in similar situations: they fall in love and face the impossibility of connecting with the object of feeling. And if Elinor hides her feelings, tries not to give her loved ones cause for concern, then Marion revels in both her happiness and grief, exposing her feelings to everyone.

A vivid image of the novel “Pride and Prejudice”, which has become a household word in English culture, is Cousin Collins, a narcissistic careerist, a pedant who above all appreciates the patronage of noble persons. Austin masterfully uses the technique speech characteristics heroes whose characters are revealed in the manner of behaving with interlocutors. “His writing is such a mixture of servility and self-satisfaction,” Mr. Bennet characterizes Collins.

“Mr. Collins was not a gifted person. And this omission of nature was not made up in him by education and communication with people. He spent most of his life under the supervision of his father, an uneducated and petty man. While at the university, he took a course in science, but did not start any useful acquaintances. Suppressed by his father's upbringing, which initially instilled servility in his character, he acquired over time the complacency of a narrow-minded person who lives on his own and unexpectedly succeeded early. in life. By a stroke of luck he happened upon the widow of Sir Lewis de Boer at the moment when the parish of Hunsford became vacant. Respect for her high rank, reverence for the personality of the patroness and, together with so high opinion about one's own person, the authority of a clergyman and rights the heads of the church parish made of him a man whose character peculiarly intertwined arrogance and servility, complacency and humiliation” (ch.XV).

The image of Mr. Bennet is also a vivid human type. “This is one of those portraits from everyday life that shows the talent of our author from the most beneficial side. One of our friends, whom the writer had never seen or heard of in her life, was immediately recognized in his family as the prototype of Mr. Bennet, and we do not know if he still bears this nickname, ”Walter Scott wrote in his review. .

The 20th-century English writer Somerset Maugham was more critical of Austen's novel: Pride and Prejudice is a well-constructed novel. The episodes follow one after the other naturally, our sense of authenticity does not suffer anywhere. It may seem strange that Elizabeth and Jane are well-mannered and well-behaved, while their mother and three younger sisters are... "noticeably below average," but making them that way was necessary for the plot to progress. I myself remember wondering how Miss Austen did not circumvent this dangerous turn by making Eliza and Jane Mrs. Bennet's daughters from Mr. Bennet's first marriage, and Mrs. Bennet his second wife and mother of three younger daughters.

Austin attached great importance to education. In her opinion, the shortcomings of upbringing in childhood are a serious obstacle to the development of personality, communication of a person with others in subsequent periods of life. Often the spoiled characters are the result of connivance on the part of their parents (Lydia Bennet), sometimes a consequence of high conceit due to their high position in society (Lady Catherine de Beur). Darcy, explaining his former behavior to Lizzy, notes that his "overly generous parents" brought up in him selfishness, authority and disdain for everyone who was outside their family circle. Almost all of the writer's works depict the process of changing the personality of the characters under the influence of the circumstances of their lives, which allows us to consider Austin's works as novels of education.

The idea of ​​the novel "Pride and Prejudice" is to affirm the idea that the shortcomings of people, the inability to understand others can become an obstacle to their happiness, and the ability to rise above one's prejudices gives the possibility of well-being.

“Emma"- Austen's mature novel of 1816, which she herself did not value very highly, since in the family circle the reviews about "Emma" were not enthusiastic: at the family council it was recognized that there was neither action nor noble characters in the novel. The reviews that appeared in 1816 practically coincided with the family “verdict”.

However, it was this essay that received a very flattering assessment in an article by Walter Scott for "knowledge of life and a special tact in depicting characters that the reader cannot help recognizing." The novel, in his opinion, "shows a deep knowledge of the human heart, and this knowledge is put at the service of honor and virtue." In this mature work, the talent of the writer manifested itself especially brightly, her ironic mind created memorable and recognizable images that will be of interest to modern readers. The English novelist is distinguished by a good knowledge of human nature, the ability to show common flaws with humor.

The main character is a young noblewoman, Emma Woodhouse, who, before the eyes of the reader, goes through a path of development: she realizes her errors and mistakes and finds the right tone in relations with people. You can classify Austin's writing as a parenting novel, as Emma grows up, faced with life's circumstances.

At first, we are presented with a very self-confident girl who imagines herself an expert on human feelings: in fact, she simply noticed the mutual inclination of her governess, Miss Taylor, and Mr. Weston, a worthy man. The novel begins just with the announcement of the marriage of the young lady's mentor.

On the first pages, the author describes Emma's lifestyle, her position in society: “Wodehouses were the first in position here” and reports the first grief that overshadowed the life of the heroine - about parting with “dear friend” Miss Taylor. It is the loss of a confidante that pushes the heroine to look for a replacement, which she sees in the person of a boarding school graduate, Mrs. Goddard Harriet Smith. Jane Austen very subtly notes the reasons for young Emma's desire to patronize new girlfriend: a young girl needs entertainment and awareness of her own importance, and Harriet's appreciation flatters her vanity: “... she was so far from obsession, so decently kept at a proper distance, breathed such gratitude for being admitted to Hartfield ... all this revealed in her a sound meaningful and worthy of encouragement.”

Jane Austen sneers at Emma, ​​who undertakes to arrange the happiness of her friend, but in fact almost upsets the very successful marriage of the latter with the local farmer Mr. Martin. The young heroine is constantly mistaken in her assessments of people: this is how the local priest, Mr. Elton, shows signs of attention not at all to Harriet Smith, but to Emma herself, which the latter does not notice for a long time and finds herself in an absurd situation; Frank Churchill seems sincere and frank to her, and he is secretly engaged to Jane Fairfax, over whom Jane jokes with him.

Gradually, the heroine's conviction in her knowledge of human nature gives way to doubts and remorse, which is largely facilitated by an old family friend and neighbor, Mr. Knightley. This mature man symbolizes reason in the novel, he sincerely worries about Emma, ​​seeks to help her get rid of snobbery and become more attentive to others.

conflict in the novel- Emma's encounter with life circumstances that upset all her matrimonial plans.

The images of not only the main characters are very interesting, but also secondary characters: Miss Bates, Jane Fairfax, Mr and Mrs Elton. The writer uses the “crooked mirror” technique: Emma’s flaws are also inherent in the unpleasant Mrs. Elton, who seeks to patronize the unfortunate Jane Fairfax. After all, the heroine herself imposes her own opinion on Harriet, completely disregarding the feelings and inclinations of the young girl. Austin also makes fun of Mr. Woodhouse's innocent weaknesses: he is very worried about the health of everyone, he is afraid of drafts and the need to leave his comfortable home, and the worst thing, in his opinion, is when people get married. The author makes fun of him: at the beginning of the novel, Emma's father complains about the marriage of the governess, and at the end of the work he has to come to terms with the marriage of his youngest daughter.

Another object of the author's irony is Miss Bates, an old maid, very eloquent, she causes ridicule and irritation of Emma, ​​and only the intervention of Mr. Knightley, who sharply reprimands his young friend, makes Miss Woodhouse realize her own faux pas.

There is a place for both humor and serious reflections in the novel. Austin's skill manifested itself in the ability to create vivid, memorable images that embody the vices and weaknesses inherent in people of different eras. This is what explains the demand for English writer and in our time.

Austin's work was highly appreciated by the classic English Literature 20th century John Fowles: he celebrated the stage magic of Emma. In this work, in his opinion, there is not the slightest flaw, by means of an external description, any writer can create a complete realistic character, Austin is able to show the hero from the inside, through actions. Her forte is characters who cannot be liked right off the bat (Emma, ​​Elinor), but "she encourages us to love them against our will." " Good people she has those for whom the feelings of others are more important than their own; the bad ones are those who think otherwise.” Jane Austen would become Fowles' standard of realistic prose.

4. Mikhalskaya N.P. History of English Literature: A Textbook for High Schools (Grift UMO). 2nd ed., ster. M.: Academy, 2007. 5. Khrapovitskaya G. N., Korovin A. V. History foreign literature: Western European and American romanticism: textbook. allowance for students. higher textbook institutions / Ed. G. N. Khrapovitskaya. M.: "Academy", 2007.

6. Demurova N. Pride and prejudice: a novel / trans. from eng. I. Marshak. St. Petersburg: Publishing House“ABC Classics”, 2009, pp. 5-22.

© Elena Isaeva

Jane Austen knew the alphabet of the dumb. It is assumed that the second son of George and Cassandra Austin, named after his father, never learned to speak.

Jane Austen spoke French with a grace that was completely uncharacteristic of provincial young ladies. The merit of this is her cousin Eliza, the widow of the French nobleman Comte de Feyid. De Feyid died on the guillotine during the revolution, and Eliza managed to escape to England, where she lived for a long time with the Austin family. She addicted Jane and other relatives to the theater. Mr. Austin even set aside a barn for home productions. Eliza was later married by one of Jane's brothers, Henry Thomas (in total, Jane had six brothers).

Illustration for the novel Pride and Prejudice. Hugh Thomson, 1894.

- At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, it was considered indecent for a woman to engage in writing - it's like walking in a man's suit. Therefore, all the first editions of Jane Austen: lifetime ("Sense and Sensibility" (1811), "Pride and Prejudice" (1813), "Mansfield Park" (1814) and "Emma" (1816)) and posthumous ("Northanger Abbey" and "Conviction", 1818)) - published without the name of the author. Miss Austin hid her activities for a long time, even from close friends. She wrote on small slips of stationery that could be quickly hidden if someone unexpectedly caught her in class. In addition, the writer had a special alarm - a creaking door in the hall. Jane rejected all attempts to fix her.

- The name of Mr. Collins, the pompous and stupid priest from the novel Pride and Prejudice, has become a household word in the English language and means pomposity, pomposity, servility, intoxication with title and position. There is an expression "Not sent me a Collins" (He sent me a "collins") - this means a letter, lengthy, tedious, dotted with stupid platitudes.

- Rudyard Kipling wrote the story "Janeists", in which he described a club organized by officers of one regiment, admirers of Austen's work. In the story, a tipsy waiter (the narration is being conducted on his behalf) says: “No, sorry, good gentlemen, but here I know something, I can even say that I am sufficiently informed on this issue. She does have one legitimate offspring. son, yes. And his name is Henry James!
Indeed, Henry James is considered by many to be the heir to the literary tradition of Austen, when entire pictures and scenes in a work are recreated not in the author's perception, but in the perception of the characters.

— In the winter of 1815, Jane Austen was visiting London and was contacted by the Reverend J. S. Clark, the Prince Regent's private secretary. He told her that his highness did not mind if Austin dedicated his future works to him. She wrote back (in four months!), Is it necessary for her to use the gift? They answered yes. Then on the title of the new book "Emma" Austin writes: "To His Royal Highness the Prince Regent With the permission of His Royal Highness, this work respectfully dedicates to His Royal Highness Obedient and humble servant, the Author" - feel the mockery?
Later, the Prince Regent made proposals to create a positive image of the priest (otherwise, all the ministers of the church at Austin were written out parodic or satirical) and write historical novel, glorifying the deeds of the Saxe-Coburg house. Jane Austen rejected both proposals, citing mediocrity.

Illustration for the novel Pride and Prejudice. C. E. Brock, 1895

- The fact that Jane Austen saw her heroes in detail (although she never described their appearance in books, limited to adjectives of general meaning - such as “beautiful”, “ugly”), is evidenced by a passage from her letter to her sister Kasandra (it tells about a visit to a London art gallery, where Jane went to look at portraits in search of suitable images for her heroines): “This is Mrs. Bingley herself, down to the smallest detail, height, overall more charming expression - I have not seen anything more like it! She's wearing a white dress with green trim, which convinces me of what I've always suspected: green is her favorite color. I think Mrs. Darcy (i.e. Elizabeth Bennet) will wear yellow.” She goes on to say that she looked for an image of Elizabeth at the J. Reynolds exhibition, but did not find one similar: “I can only think that Mr. Darcy appreciates any image of her so much that he did not want to put it on public display. I suppose we would have had a similar feeling too - a mixture of love, pride and restraint.

- Walter Scott was a great admirer of Jane Austen's talent. But Charlotte Bronte did not share the enthusiasm of her contemporaries: “And what did I find there (in the novel by Jane Austen - ed.)? An exact, as in a daguerreotype, image of a banal face, a carefully fenced off, well-kept garden with even borders and delicate flowers; no bright, breathing physiognomy, no open spaces, no blue mountains, no silvery streams. Compared to the "deep and wise" George Sand, Jane Austen was only "observant and intelligent," Miss Bronte thought.

Jane was born to country pastor George Austin and his wife Cassandra in Steventon, Hampshire on December 16, 1775. She had six brothers and an older sister, who, like her mother, was called Cassandra. The family was not rich, and George Austin, on whose shoulders lay the care of numerous offspring and his wife, was forced to take on additional work - he received students at home and prepared them for admission to Oxford. George Austin was a well-read and well-educated man, he instilled a love of books in his children. Jane was very attached to her father - later she would transfer this line of relationship to her novels.

The atmosphere in the family was warm and creative: in addition to reading books and needlework, the children acted out home performances, scenarios for which they invented themselves. Jane, who discovered at a young age a penchant for writing, read to her brothers and sisters excerpts from her poems and plays. One of the brothers, Henry, with whom Jane was particularly close, subsequently took on the role of her literary agent.

Miss Jane Austen. (wikipedia.org)

When Jane was 8 years old, she and Cassandra were sent to a boarding school where the girls were taught languages, dances and music. At school, the sisters were seriously ill - they contracted typhus. Soon the financial situation of the family worsened, and the girls could no longer continue their education. Them further education father and brothers did. Jane also drew knowledge from books, which, fortunately, were in abundance in the home library.

At the age of 14, Jane wrote the parody comedy "Love and Friendship", an ironic story about the life and customs of the young ladies of the 18th century. Then she seriously decided to engage in literature and began work on a novel in the epistolary genre "Lady Susan". It tells the story of a widow who is concerned about how it would be more successful to attach her daughter and remarry herself. The book was never published during the life of the writer.

In addition to her passion for literature, Jane had quite ordinary interests for a young girl of that time. She loved dresses, hats and, of course, dancing. In her many letters to her sister, there are many cute details, such as what kind of lace and ribbons she managed to buy for sewing a new ball gown. By the way, she was an excellent dressmaker and later, when the father of the family died, she sewed her relatives and earned a living with her skill.

Little is known for certain about the personal life of Jane Austen, the woman who created the whole world of women's romance. This is partly the fault of Cassandra, who, after the death of her sister, destroyed the lion's share of her correspondence. And although she was guided by good intentions - some letters probably contained information of a too personal nature, for researchers of the life of the writer, this was a huge loss and problem.

One of Jane's letters to Cassandra. (wikipedia.org)

Lefroy. He was originally from Ireland, trained as a lawyer and was a relative of the nearest neighbors of Austen. H To call their relationship a full-fledged novel, perhaps, is impossible. Even by the standards of the late 18th century. Young people danced several times at the ball, which Jane told in a letter to Cassandra: “I am horrified to tell you how we behaved with my Irish friend. Imagine all the most profligate and shocking that can be when two people dance or sit side by side. However, I will have only one opportunity to show myself again, because he leaves the country shortly after next Friday, when we are supposed to dance at the ball. He is a real gentleman: an attractive, pleasant young man, I assure you. True, I can’t say much more about him, because we hardly met, except for those three balls.

In subsequent messages, Jane returned to the description of Lefroy several more times, talked about his plans and hobbies. She did not know only one thing: Tom had been in love with the sister of his school friend for several years, and the young people were going to get married. Shortly after Lefroy's return to Ireland, they became engaged.

The history of the relationship between Jane and Tom was subsequently embellished and heavily romanticized. According to Austin's notes, she had some dreams about Lefroy. She hoped to meet him in London when their family was staying there for a while. Probably, they could see each other one more time - in the city of Bath, where Austin then moved. But that was 8 years later. Tom by that time was deeply married to the same girl, made a good career, and hardly lamented about Jane. However, according to the memoirs of his nephew, Thomas Edward Preston Lefroy, he once asked his uncle if he had any feelings for Austen. Tom, who was in his 50s at the time, replied that he was in love with her, but it was immature, "boyish" love. He also felt a little guilty about probably letting her hope for something more. One way or another, but by 1798, the story of Jane and Tom could be considered closed.

Thomas Lefroy. (wikipedia.org)

Happy ending did not happen, but this sad experience benefited creativity. Jane began work on a novel, tentatively titled First Impressions, which would become the well-known story of pride and prejudice. The draft was completed in 1799.

At the same time, Jane's father made an attempt to publish one of her novels. He sent a copy to a publisher owned by a man named Thomas Cadell, but the latter sent the manuscript back without even bothering to read it.

Northanger Abbey was the first book Austen independently prepared for publication. Jane initially managed to sell the manuscript to a booksellers company for £10, but for some reason the decision was made not to release the novel. Austin asked for the manuscript back, but the publisher demanded his money in return. Jane, who at that time was in distress, was forced to leave the book in the possession of the company indefinitely. The manuscript was redeemed only a few years later, and published after the death of the writer.

Austen's first published novel was Sense and Sensibility. Henry, Jane's favorite brother, sent the original to publisher Thomas Egerton, who agreed to publish the book. This happened only in 1811. The novel received laudatory reviews and brought Austin a good profit. By this time, the head of the family had died, and the children, in particular the sons, were forced to take care of the well-being of their mother and sisters. Sense and Sensibility was so popular that Egerton decided to follow up with Pride and Prejudice. The book sold out almost instantly. Following this novel, Mansfield Park and Emma saw the light.

Creative success, of course, satisfied Jane's ambitions, but there was a lull in her love life. After the story with Lefroy, Austin received only one marriage proposal. It came from Jane's childhood friend and well-to-do man Harris Big Wither in 1802. After reflecting on her position, Austin agreed, but almost immediately changed her mind, and the next morning announced that she was withdrawing her positive answer. She didn't think about marriage anymore. Sister Cassandra never married either. Her fiancé, who went on a military expedition to earn money for the wedding, died back in 1797.

James McAvoy and Anne Hathaway in Jane Austen. (wikipedia.org)

So, Jane actually declared herself an old maid. However, she was not at all embarrassed by such a status and even wore a cap on purpose to emphasize her conscious choice to remain alone. Where did Miss Austin draw inspiration from when describing the passions that boiled in the souls of her characters? Partly from books, partly from the lives of their loved ones. She was very observant, able to listen and empathize. Being a subtle empath with a developed fantasy, Jane easily tried on various roles. After the resounding success of the first novels, there was a pause. The second edition of Mansfield Park did not sell as well. The Austin brothers also suffered financial setbacks, and the family's financial situation became critical. Hoping to rectify the situation, Jane began work on the novel "The Brothers", having managed to write 12 chapters, but she did not manage to complete the book.

At the age of 41, Jane's health deteriorated sharply. She weakened, practically could not carry out the simplest daily routine, getting out of bed less and less. Researchers would later come to the conclusion that Austin most likely had cancer that had metastasized. She slowly faded and died on July 18, 1817, surrounded by loving brothers, sisters and nephews.

On the way to fame, Jane Austen had to overcome many difficulties, including natural modesty, which did not allow her to sign her creations, the indestructible provinciality of a native of Hampshire, and even the prejudice of readers to female authors. The writer's first attempt to publish her work ended in failure: in 1797, a London publisher refused even to read Miss Austen's work, entitled "First Impressions". Six years later, another publisher purchased for ten pounds the manuscript of "Susan," a new work by the writer, which was some progress. However, after reading the novel, the publisher still resolutely refused to publish it. Such an inspiring beginning somewhat cooled the ardor of the novice writer.

But her material was fertile - the little rural joys of life around her, small local balls, gossip of familiar gossips and visits to neighboring villages to friends and relatives. Jane Austen had a lot to say about this. And when a woman has something to say, even the short-sighted persistence of the best London publishers will not stop her.

First Impressions

Jane Austen was born December 16, 1775 in the village of Steventon, in the north-east of Hampshire. Her father, George Austin, was a parish priest and came from a medical family. In the eighteenth century, this profession was not very revered, in any case, a very tangible social line separated even the small-scale poor nobles from doctors. Therefore, marrying Cassandra Lee, whose relatives, albeit distant, but still, were representatives of the landed aristocracy, for the poor priest was a step up the social ladder. Jane became the seventh child and second daughter in the family. Her father had a quite decent income (about 600 pounds a year), thanks to the students who came (or even lived in his house), but he could not be called rich. Like Mr. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, he could not give a large dowry for his daughters. This undoubtedly played a role in their fate.

Jane's education can hardly be called academic, but it was quite enough for a woman of those times when even in a nightmare a loyal subject of her majesty could not dream of a lady at a polling station. Jane attended a school in Reading, although she was clearly too young to have learned much from that education. But her sister Cassandra went to school - and Jane's mother always said: "If Cassandra's head was going to be cut off, Jane would want it too." However, an epidemic soon broke out at the school, and the girls were taken home. Since then, Jane and Cassandra have been taught mostly at home - and the bare essentials. And the main advantages of an educated woman in those days were considered the ability to play music and draw.

What Jane lacked in education, however, she made up for in reading. She was equally fond of serious and entertaining literature and with pleasure absorbed the numerous novels that her father acquired (by 1801, more than 500 volumes were stored in his library). No matter how decent her novels were, it should not be forgotten that she was well acquainted with the work of Fielding and Richardson, whose style and plots were much more liberated than the works of the authors of the approaching Victorian era. Among Jane Austen's favorite books were the novels Cecilia and Camilla by Bernay, praised by her in Northanger Abbey, and Belinda by Mary Edgeworth. In addition, Jane was fond of the works of Walter Scott and Byron. However, Jane treated even the romantic works of venerable authors with a fair amount of irony. For example, in one of her letters she wrote that she had read Byron's Corsair "from nothing to do, darning linen."

Jane's first attempt at pen took place in 1787. The writing debut was small humorous parodies on contemporary literature. These sketches, very elegant and not devoid of wit, were intended for reading in a narrow family circle and, in the main, had dedications addressed to relatives and friends of the family. Lovingly preserved and collected by Jane's family, these passages were subsequently published in the form of three monumental volumes called Youthful Writings.

Encouraged by her first success, Jane tries herself in the genre of the novel, but successive failures with publishers quickly undermine her self-confidence. In 1801, her father retired, leaving his parish in the care of his son, and moved with his family to Bath. Jane, who was then 26 years old, leaves for a while literary creativity and begins to think seriously about finding a groom.

Mind and feeling

A lot of heterogeneous, and often contradictory, information has been preserved about the appearance of Jane Austen. Ideas about her as some kind of intellectual who did not find her equal, or about a romantic beauty who remained an old maid in an age when dowry meant more than appearance, are equally close to the truth and far from it. First of all, Jane was not a beauty. Perhaps she seemed attractive to some of her contemporaries, but our century would hardly have appreciated her type of beauty. Jane was not a sophisticated air creature, but a plump brown-haired woman with inexpressive features and a magnificent bust. A certain Mrs. Mitford described Jane as "the prettiest, stupidest, most flighty girl of all the hunters for husbands" that the honorable Mrs. had ever seen in her lifetime.

However, it is believed that Jane was not in better relations with the author of the above statement, in any case, this description is difficult to correlate with the Jane we know from letters. “She is not at all pretty,” Cousin Philadelphia wrote of her. “She is very stiff for her age, capricious and unnatural.” Even more categorical was one of Jane's friends, who wrote in her diary: "Jane turned into a frozen, silent perpendicular - an example of" happy celibacy ", and until Pride and Prejudice revealed to everyone what a precious diamond is hidden in this in a hard case, in society they paid no more attention to it than to a poker or a grate. Letters from Fanny, Jane's beloved niece, have been preserved, which indicate that the writer did not have a special taste in clothes and had, if not bad, then extremely provincial manners.

Besides, Jane was neither an intellectual in the modern sense of the word, nor a bluestocking. She loved entertainment: in her early writings, she talks a lot about the balls and parties she attended in Hampshire, as well as travels to London, Bath and Southampton, where she could join cultural life. Of course, her erudition was impressive, and, like many educated girls of her time, Miss Austin knew French and Italian, but her restless disposition and lively character did not allow her to delve too deeply into tedious and serious works. However, her own prose also owes much to the ease and fascination of the narration to the natural gaiety of the writer's character. In one of her letters, she remarked: “I am not able to write either a historical novel or an epic poem. Only saving my life would make me seriously take up such an essay! And if I could never laugh at myself and others, I am sure that by the end of the first chapter I would have hanged myself from despair. The writer was more than self-critical: "I think that I will not exaggerate and will not sin against the truth if I say that I am the most uneducated and most unenlightened woman who has ever taken up a pen."

No details of Jane's heart have been preserved. So, it is known that in the mid-90s she accepted the courtship of Thomas Lefroy, an Irish relative of her close friend Anna Lefroy. However, these relationships were obviously doomed to failure: Mr. Lefroy was not rich and could not afford to marry a girl without a dowry. Many years later, when Lefroy became Chief Justice of Ireland, he confessed to his nephew that he once had a "child love" for Jane Austen. Mrs. Lefroy (who was upset by the breakup between Thomas and Jane) a year later tried to woo Jane the Reverend Samuel Blackall, but he was not interested in the picky bride.

Jane's most romantic adventure took place on the Devonshire coast, where the Austin family traveled in the summer. It was there that Jane met a certain young man who, according to Cassandra, had the most tender feelings for her sister. Subsequently, Cassandra spoke highly of this admirer, and even claimed that he was reciprocated. "They broke up, but he promised to definitely find her again ...". However, they never met again - after some time, Jane found out about his sudden death. Perhaps this story had a strong influence on Jane, but she herself did not tell anyone about it. Only years after Jane's death, her sister Cassandra told her nieces about this tragic love.

Another case is also known. In 1802, Jane and Cassandra were staying at the Biggs' home near Steventon. Harris Bigg-Weather proposed to Jane (not embarrassed by being six years her junior), and Jane accepted. However, by the next morning she changed her mind, and she and her sister showed up at Steventon, where they demanded of their brother that he immediately send them home to Bath. It might not have been very polite to the Biggs, but Jane retained her self-respect. Harris Bigg was rich, which did not prevent him from being "huge and clumsy" at the same time.

One way or another, Jane never married and her entire supply is unspent. maternal love transferred to her numerous nieces and a few literary creations. For example, "Pride and Prejudice" she called nothing more than "her favorite child."

Jane Austen - famous writer classical literature familiar to readers from works in the genre of realism. Her novels are still popular among young people and adults, and famous directors transfer Jane's works to TV screens.

On December 16, 1775, in the small town of Stephenson, in the county of Hampshire, located in the south of Great Britain, a daughter, Jane, was born in the Austin family. Since the winter was severe, the girl was baptized in the church only on April 5th. We can say that the parents of the future writer predetermined her fate, because the name Jane means "God is merciful", "God's grace."

The Austin family lived modestly, the head of the family was the parish priest, and his wife ran the household. The couple met at St. John's College. Cassandra came from a noble family, her father was the rector at the College of All Souls. Mrs. Lee's dowry was quite modest, because her elder brother James received the entire inheritance from her grandmother. George also came from a wealthy family of merchants, but his family was impoverished.

During the Enlightenment, medicine was not developed, and at that time there was a high infant mortality: diseases such as mumps, cholera, tuberculosis and many others progressed. But all the children of George Austin and his beloved miraculously survived.

Thus, the writer grew up in a large family, in which, in addition to her, six boys and one girl were brought up. Jane was the penultimate child and was born ten months pregnant. Initially, newborns were at home under the supervision of their mother. Then the woman gave them to the care of a neighbor, Elizabeth Littlewood, who raised the children up to 12-18 months.

The elder James from childhood realized his creative potential and was engaged in literature: he wrote fiction stories. But fate prepared a different path for the young man: as he got older, James began to serve as a pastor in a local church. About another brother - George - history is silent, because. The Austins preferred not to talk about him. It is known that the boy was retarded and never learned to talk. But the writer loved George, so for his sake she learned the alphabet of the deaf and dumb.

Edward was adopted by relatives of the Austins, the boy was brought up in rich family Knights, and Henry - an ambitious man - worked as a banker, and then took the dignity. Francis and Charles connected their lives with the sea, and sister Cassandra, who painted watercolor paintings, never found happiness in her personal life. Jane and Cassandra were in many educational institutions, but the girls had no luck with headmistresses. Among other things, on one of her trips to Southampton, Jane contracted deadly typhus, and the Austin family had no money to study.

George quickly realized that in this way his daughters would not receive a decent education, so he personally acted as a teacher, taking on all the responsibilities. Thus, the future writer and her sister learned more from the lectures of an erudite and well-read father than at school. The man focused on literature, so girls with early age fell in love with creativity, Hume, Richardson and other writers. After reading, they retell each other works from memory, discussed novels, debated and expressed opinions.

Literature

In 1816, Jane became the author of the everyday novel The Reasoning (published posthumously), the plot of which revolves around the life of the smug and conceited Sir Walter, who was on the verge of bankruptcy due to his own stupidity. Of all the abundance of characters in this work, Walter's 27-year-old daughter Ann Elliot can be distinguished, because this lonely girl is an atypical book hero for Jane Austen.

Despite her youth, Ann appears to readers in the form of a wise and sophisticated woman, who is called an old maid in society. Ann fell in love with a young man, however, guided by the arguments of reason, she rejected him for the sake of further well-being.

If speak about writing style Jane Austen, then, of course, she is a sophisticated psychologist who understands both the souls of people and everyday problems, as can be judged from her works. Moreover, Jane used to spice up her manuscripts with a dose of irony and sarcasm. Although enlightened and Victorian era passed hundreds of years ago human vices like hypocrisy, greed, pride, lust, laziness, etc. have not sunk into oblivion.

All this was even in the days of luxurious balls and literary salons. For example, one can recall how Mrs. Bennet's hatred for Darcy is instantly transformed into enthusiastic feelings after the news that a young man is going to propose to her daughter ("Pride and Prejudice"). Thus, Jane smashed to smithereens the stereotypes that developed among readers of sentimental novels.

Personal life

The personal life of the English novelist is filled with secrets and mysteries. For example, biographers to this day do not know the true appearance of the Lady. Some sources claim that she was a lovely young lady, others describe her as a plump simpleton, who was teased by her brothers in childhood, pulling her cheeks. There are also different opinions about the character of the girl: sometimes she appears as a prim and obstinate girl, then, on the contrary, she is a sensitive and charming lady with a soft voice and a kind character. Jane's appearance can be judged from the portrait that Cassandra made in 1810.

The novelist gave the world elegant love stories, but she herself never found happiness. Her life was turned upside down in 1796. Thomas Langlois Lefroy, an educated young man of Huguenot origin, came to visit his relatives, who, ironically, lived near the Austins. Thomas captivated the writer's heart, a fleeting passion resulted in a short romance, which, as quickly as it began, quickly faded away. According to family legend, the relationship of young people reached an impasse due to the displeasure of Aunt Lefroy. Later, contemporaries said that these events found echoes in Reasoning, but Thomas used to say that he loved Jane with “childish love” - the relationship meant nothing to him.

But Austin was not guided by the arguments of reason, but turned into a sentimental girl who remembered her unrequited love day and night, because, as Eugene Onegin used to say, “than less woman we love, the easier she likes us.” While the novelist was suffering, Thomas easily adjusted his personal life: he became the chief judge of Ireland and married a rich lady, Mary, who gave her husband eight children.

But the young man Harris Bigg had everything quite the opposite: the guy loved Jane. The girl agreed to the marriage proposal, but she was a bride for only one day: Austin did not help the medicine of time, she did not forget Thomas, so the lady exchanged the future for an illusory past. The girl couldn't feel herself loving wife and to know the beauty of motherhood, because the novelist had no children. In her free time from literature, Jane was engaged in sewing and helped her mother around the house.

Death

Jane Austen suffered from Addison's disease (adrenal cortex insufficiency). Judging by the clinical description, this ailment can proceed for several years without symptoms and go unnoticed, but it progresses due to stressful situations or other diseases. The patient's appetite is disturbed, nausea, weight loss, tetany, etc. appear.

The writer passed away in the summer of 1817 at the age of 42. She arrived in Winchester for treatment, but the girl never managed to cope with the disease. Jane did not have time to complete Sanditon, The Watsons, and Lady Susan. The novel Northanger Abbey was published posthumously.

Movies

It is not surprising that Austen's works filled with meaning have been filmed more than once.

Participated in the melodrama "Pride and Prejudice". Emma Thompson again acted as screenwriter and chose to change the dialogue from the handwritten original.
Anne Hathaway in Jay Austen, 2006

• In 2006, the biographical film Jane Austen by Julian Jarrold was released, which tells about the relationship between the writer and Lefroy. She played the role of a novelist, and reincarnated as her lover.
• In 2008, director Dan Zeff presented the mini-series Jane Austen's Book Alive, starring Jemima Ruper and Elliot Cowen.
• The same year saw the release of Jeremy Lovering's Jane Austen's Love Failures.

Bibliography

• "Love and Friendship" (1790);
• "History of England" (1791);
• "Three Sisters" (1792);
• "Sense and Sensibility" or "Reason and Sensibility" (1811);
• "Pride and Prejudice" (1813);
• "Mansfield Park" (1814);
• "Emma" (1815);
• "Arguments of reason" (1817);
• Northanger Abbey (1818).
• "Beautiful Cassandra";
• "Lady Susan";
• "Watsons";
• "Sanditon";
• "Castle Leslie"