JaneAusten(1775-1817)
Englishwriter,whofirstgavethenovelitsmoderncharacterthroughthetreatmentofeverydaylife.AlthoughAustenwaswidelyreadinherlifetime,shepublishedherworksanonymously.Themosturgentpreoccupationofherbright,youngheroinesiscourtshipandfinall福乎次省ymarriage.Austenherselfnevermarried.Herbest-knownbooksincludePRIDEANDPREJUDICE(来自1813)andEMMA(1816).VirginiaWoolfcalledAusten"t阿县停李波修赶汉手hemostperfectartistamongwomen."
"Itisatruthuniversallyacknowledged,thatasinglemanin360问答possessio越儿沉末nofagoodfo按互做走叶rtune,mustbe育具inwantofawife."(fromPrideandPrejudice,1813)
JaneAustenwasborninSteventon,Hampshire,whereherfather,Rev.GeorgeAusten,wasarector.Shewastheseconddaughterandseventhchildinafamilyofeight.TheAust件新绝ensdidnotlo卫包友波seasingleoneoftheirchildren.CassandraLeigh,Jane'smother,fedherinfantsatthebre田研夫轻心侵和测astafewmonths,andthensentthemtoawetnurseinanearbyvillagetobelookedafte获注非律拿今宽穿力搞rforanotheryearorlonger.
Thefirst25year脸裂封激哪早范互写持气sofherlifeJanespentinHampshire.Onherfather'sunexpectedretirement,thefami比部区城过析扬lysoldoffeverything,includingJane'spiano,andmovedtoBath.Jane,agedtwent在女烧半叶y-five,andCassa只制蛋怕缩ndra,hereldersister,agedtwenty-eight,wereconsideredby出须东父的落胞认又contemporarystandardsconfirmedoldmaid,andfollowedtheirparents.
JaneAus伯印均tenwasmostlytutoredathome,andirre营gularlyatschool,butshereceivedabroadereducationthanman找完例占ywomenofhertime.Shestartedtowriteforfamilyamusementasachild.Herparentswereavidreaders;Austen'sownfavoritepoetwasCowper.Herearliest-knownwritingsdatefromabout1787.Veryshyaboutherwriting,shewroteonsmallpiecesofpaperthatsheslippedunderthedeskplotterifanyonecameintotheroom.Inherletterssheobservedthedailylifeofherfamilyandfriendsinanintimateandgossipymanner:"JamesdancedwithAlethea,andcutuptheturkeylastnightwithgreatperseverance.Yousaynothingofthesilkstockings;Iflattermyself,therefore,thatCharleshasnotpurchasedany,asIcannotverywellaffordtopayforthem;allmymoneyisspentinbuyingwhiteglovesandpinkpersian."(AusteninalettertohersisterCassandrain1796)
Austen'sfathersupportedhisdaughter'swritingaspirationsandtriedtohelphergetapublisher.Afterhisdeathin1805,shelivedwithhersisterandhypochondriacmotherinSouthamptonandmovedin1809toalargecottageinthevillageofChawton.Austennevermarried,buthersociallifewasactiveandshehadsuitorsandromanticdreams.JamesEdwardAusten-Leigh,hernephew,wantedtocreateanotherkindoflegendaroundherandclaimedthat"ofeventsherlifewassingularlybarren:fewchangesandnogreatcriseseverbrokethesmoothcurrentofitscourse...Therewasinhernothingeccentricorangular;noruggednessoftemper;nosingularityofmanner..."Austen'ssisterCassandraalsonevermarried.Oneofherbrothersbecameaclergyman,twoservedinthenavy,onewasmentallyretarded.Hewastakencareofalocalfamily.
Austenwaswellconnectedwiththemiddling-richlandedgentrythatsheportrayedinhernovels.InChawtonshestartedtowritehermajorworks,amongthemSENSEANDSENSIBILITY,thestoryoftheimpoverishedDashwoodsisters,MarianneandElinor,whotrytofindproperhusbandstosecuretheirsocialposition.Thenovelwaswrittenin1797astherevisionofasketchcalledElinorandMarianne,composedwhentheauthorwas20.Accordingtosomesources,anearlierversionoftheworkwaswrittenintheformofanovelinletters,andreadaloudtothefamilyasearlyas1795.
Austen'sheroinesaredeterminedtomarrywiselyandwell,butromanticMarianneofSenseandSensibilityisacharacter,whofeelsintenselyabouteverythingandlosesherhearttoanirresponsibleseducer."Icouldnotbehappywithamanwhosetastedidnotineverypointcoincidewithmyown.Hemustenterintoallmyfeelings;thesamewithbooks,thesamemusicmustcharmusboth."ReasonableElinorfallsinlovewithagentlemanalreadyengaged.'"Ihavefrequentlydetectedmyselfinsuchkindofmistakes,"saidElinor,"inatotalmisapprehensionofcharacterinsomepointoranother:fancyingpeoplesomuchmoregayorgrave,oringeniousorstupidthantheyreallyare,andIcanhardlytellwhyorinwhatthedeceptionoriginated.Sometimesoneisguidedbywhattheysayofthemselves,andveryfrequentlybywhatotherpeoplesayofthem,withoutgivingoneselftimetodeliberateandjudge."'WhenMariannelikestoreadandexpressherfeelings,Elinorpreferstodrawanddesignandbesilentofhisdesires.TheyarethedaughtersofHenryDashwood,whoseson,John,fromaformermarriage.Afterhisdeath,JohninheritstheNorlandestateinSussex,wherethesisterslive.John'swife,thegreedyandselfishFanny,insiststhattheymovetoNorland.TheimpoverishedwidowandandherdaughtersmovetoBartonCottageinDevonshire.ThereMarianneissurroundedbyadeviousheartbreakerWilloughby,whohasalreadylovedanotherwoman.ElinorbecomesinterestedinEdwardFerrars,whoisproudandignorant.ColonelBrandon,anoldergentleman,doesn'tattractMarianne.SheisfinallyrejectedbyWilloughby."MarianneDashwoodwasborntoanextraordinaryfate.Shewasborntodiscoverthefalsehoodofherownopinions,andtocounteract,byherconduct,hermostfavoritemaxims."
InallofAusten'snovelsherheroinesareultimatelymarried.PrideandPrejudicedescribedtheclashbetweenElisabethBennet,thedaughterofacountrygentlemanandanintelligentyoungwoman,andFitzwilliamDarcy,aricharistocraticlandowner.Theirrelationshipstartsfromdislike,butDarcybecomesintriguedbyhermindandspirit.Atlasttheyfallinloveandarehappilyunited.Austenhadcompletedtheearlyversionofthestoryin1797underthetitle"FirstImpressions".ThebookwenttothreeprintingsduringAusten'slifetime.In1998appearedasequeltothenovel,entitledDesireandDuty,writtenbyTeddyF.Bader,etal.ItfollowedtheideasJaneAustentoldherfamily.
Emmawaswrittenincomictone.AustenbegunthenovelinJanuary1814andcompleteditinMarchofthenextyear.Thebookwaspublishedinthreevolumes.IttoldthestoryofEmmaWoodhouse,whofindsherdestinyinmarriage.Emmaisawealthy,pretty,self-satisfiedyoungwoman.Sheisleftalonewithherhypochondriacfather.Hergoverness,MissTaylor,marriesaneighbor,Mr.Weston.Emmahastoomuchtimeandshespendsitchoosingproperpartnersforherfriendsandneighbors-blindtoherownfeelings.ShemakesaprotégéeofHarrietSmith,anillegitimategirlofnosocialstatusandtriestomanipulateamarriagebetweenHarrietandMr.Elton,ayoungclergyman,whohassethissightonEmma.EmmahasfeelingsaboutMr.Weston'sson.WhenHarrietbecomesinterestedinGeorgeKnightley,aneighboringsquirewhohasbeenherfriend,Emmastartstounderstandherownlimitations.Hehasbeenhermoraladviser,andsecretlylovesher.FinallyEmmafindsherdestinyinmarriagewithhim.Harriet,whoislefttodecideforherself,marriesRobertMartin,ayoungfarmer.
Austenfocusedonmiddle-classprovinciallifewithhumorandunderstanding.Shedepictedminorlandedgentry,countryclergymenandtheirfamilies,inwhichmarriagemainlydeterminedwomen'ssocialstatus.Mostimportantforherwerethoselittlematters,asEmmasays,"onwhichthedailyhappinessofprivatelifedepends."AlthoughAustenrestrictedtofamilymatters,andshepassedthehistoricaleventsoftheNapoleonicwars,herwitandobservantnarrativetouchhasbeeninexhaustibledelighttoreaders.Ofhersixgreatnovels,fourwerepublishedanonymouslyduringherlifetime.Austenalsohadtroubleswithherpublisher,whowantedtomakealterationstoherlovescenesinPrideandPrejudice.In1811hewrotetoThomasEgerton:"Yousaythebookisindecent.YousayIamimmodest.ButSirinthedepictionoflove,modestyisthefullnessoftruth;anddecencyfrankness;andsoImustalsobefrankwithyou,andaskthatyouremovemynamefromthetitlepageinallfutureprintings;'Alady'willdowellenough."AtherdeathonJuly18,1817inWinchester,attheageofforty-one,AustenwaswritingtheunfinishedSANDITON.ShemanagedtowritetwelvechaptersbeforestoppinginMarch18,duetoherpoorhealth.
AustenwasburiedinWinchesterCathedral,nearthecentreofthenorthaisle."Itisasatisfactiontometothinkthat[sheis]tolieinaBuildingsheadmiredsomuch,"Austen'ssisterCassandrawrotelater.Cassandradestroyedmanyofhersister'sletters;onehundredsixtysurvivedbutnonewrittenearlierthanhertentiethbirthday.
Austen'sbrotherHenrymadeherauthorshippublicafterherdeath.EmmahadbeenreviewedfavorablybySirWalterScott,whowroteinhisjournalofMarch14,1826:"[MissAusten]hadatalentfordescribingtheinvolvementsandfeelingsandcharactersofordinarylifewhichistomethemostwonderfulIhaveevermetwith.TheBigBow-WowstrainIcandomyselflikeanynowgoing;buttheexquisitetouch,whichrendersordinarycommonplacethingsandcharactersinteresting,fromthetruthofthedescriptionandthesentiment,isdeniedtome."CharlotteBrontëandE.B.Browningfoundherlimited,andElizabethHardwicksaid:"Idon'tthinkhersuperbintelligencebroughtherhappiness."ItwasnotuntilthepublicationofJ.E.Austen-Leigh'sMemoirin1870thataJaneAustencultbegantodevelop.Austen'sunfinishedSanditonwaspublishedin1925.
Forfurtherreading:MemoirsbyJ.E.Austen-Leigh(1870);JaneAustenandHerWorldbyMaryLascelles(1939);JaneAustenandHerArtbyM.Lascalles(1941);JaneAustenbyR.W.Chapman(1948);TheNovelsofJaneAustenbyRobertLiddell(1963);TheLanguageofJaneAustenbyN.Page(1972);TheDoubleLifeofJaneAustenbyJaneHodge(1972);TheCriticalHeritage,ed.byB.Southam(1987);JaneAustenbyClaudiaL.Johnson(1990);EroticFaithbyRobertM.Polhemus(1990);JaneAusten'sNovelsbyRogerGard(1992);TheCambridgeCompaniontoJaneAusten,ed.byEdwardCopeland,JulietMcMaster(1997);JaneAusten,ObstinateHeartbyValerieGrosvenorMyer(1997);JaneAusten:HerLifebyParkHonan(1997);JaneAusten:ALifebyDavidNokes(1998);JaneAusten:ALifebyClaireTomalin(1998);AHistoryofJaneAusten'sFamilybyGeorgeHolbertTucker(1998);CriticalEssaysofJaneAusten,ed.byLauraMooneyham(1998);JaneAustenbyDeirdreLeFaye(1998);TheAuthor'sInheritance:HenryFielding,JaneAusten,andtheEstablishmentoftheNovelbyJoAlysonParker(1998);Pride&Promiscuity:TheLostSexScenesofJaneAustenbyArielleEckstut,DennisAshton(2001);JaneAustenbyCarolShields(2001)-Seealso:J.F.Cooper-Museum:JaneAusten'sHouse,Chawton,Alton,GU34ISD.-AustenwroteMansfieldPark,Emma,andPersuasionwhilelivinginthishouse.
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