Source:
BBC Documentary - Jane Austen Behind Closed Doors
Notes:
Her books are about homes lost and mansions gained, the threat of poverty and promise of wealth.
Hampshire. Jane spent 25 years living in her birth house. 1775 (Geroge the 3rd). Jane's father was considered to be a gentleman but the family still struggled with low income. Father run boy's boarding school ad farmer. The house was really crowded. 'She had free access to her father's library. Age 11 she began writing. Jane was a keen walker (they couldn't afford a carriage so she had to walk miles to see friends). Music was a big part of her life - piano player. There are always characters in her books which play - many of her plots centre around music and balls.
She went to plenty of balls - which is where she met a guy called Tom. They flirted for a while (exposed in Jane's letters) but his family didn't approve. During their last ball together Tom did not propose. This is because he had 10 siblings which he needed to provide for and therefore he needed to marry someone a lot richer than Jane. Money before love. This was the year that Jane began to write Pride and Prejudice.
Kent - brother Edward's house. Jane's parents gave Edward away (adopted). Jane sometimes stayed here - huge, expensive house. Luxury. People were hyper-social and enjoyed spending time outdoors - they thought she was a bit strange. Home theatricals. Jane wrote plays as a child. She acted them out with her nieces and nephews. 3 surviving manuscripts of plays Jane wrote.
Lyme Regis (tourism). Jane couldn't swim but she was dipped into the sea. Lyme was a free and easy sort of place. Budget resort. The stayed in the cheap place. But she didn't care because she could look out of the window and watch the sea. She loved travelling to the seaside. A place for passion. Persuasion has a scene based in Lyme Regis.
Her father decided to retire - the family moved to Bath. When she first heard they were moving, she fainted. Sydney Place. Newly built - it had the right sort of neighbours and it was just about affordable. 3 years. First impressions in Bath matters and no one stayed very long.
Husband hunting. She didn't have a lot of money, she is a vicar's daughter and she's not particularly beautiful. Also, humour may put some men off. But, she did receive a proposal which she accepted. She was nearly 27 (getting on a bit) so she must have been relieved. But, the next morning, she called it all off. He didn't have much conservation, could sometimes be very rude and she didn't love him. Also, she thought that she was soon going to become a published author - she was right and Northanger Abbey was bought (but not printed in her lifetime). It was the start of a difficult time - the Austens were going down in the world. They were forced to have a really bad house. Her father got really sick and died (possibly malaria). His death was a disaster - the family was now reliant on Jane's brothers.
1806 - moved to a rented house in Southhampton. Southhampton was the lowest point in her life. Lovely garden - the were missing greenery. It soon got full up with lots of people (8 or 9 women). Earning money was inappropriate for a gentlewoman. Jane had no income except for family and friends. She had no prospects at all.
Edward's wife died and he moved the whole family to live with him. 1809. Moved into Chawton cottage down the road to him in Hampshire. Here Jane settled down into a daily routine. Jane started rewriting the novels. Published Sense and Sensibility. She sold the rights to Pride and Prejudice which became a bestseller. She also wrote a brand new novel - Mansfield Park.
London was where she wrote Emma. Jane seized control of her affairs and began to negotiate with the person who may publish her books (and get copyright for them).She refused to let him get the copyright. However, this was, unfortunately, a terrible decision. It did not pay off. Jane was no longer dependent - she could go where she liked. But less than a year after Emma was published she was back with her family, very ill. She was only 41. She had already made her will.
18 July 1817 she died.
Learning Outcomes:
Gathered a lot of information about Jane Austin's life in terms of her romance, housing, family and writing success. Already, I can see strong connections between her own experiences and the novels she wrote which I hope to extend when reading Persuasion.
Future Research:
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