Jane Austen and Pride and
Prejudice
Her Life
Jane Austen was born
on 16 December,
1775, at the rectory in
the village of
Steventon, in
Hampshire. The
seventh of eight
children of the
Reverend George
Austen and his wife,
Cassandra, she was
educated mainly at
home and never lived
apart from her family.
Jane had a happy childhood amongst all
her brothers and the other boys who
lodged with the family and whom Mr.
Austen tutored. From her older sister,
Cassandra, she was inseparable. To
amuse themselves, the children wrote
and performed plays and charades,
and, even as a little girl, Jane was
encouraged to write. The reading that
she did of the books in her father's
extensive library provided material for
the short satirical sketches she wrote
as a girl.
At the age of 14 she wrote her first
novel, Love and Freindship (sic) and
then A History of England by a
partial, prejudiced and ignorant
Historian.
In her early twenties Jane Austen
wrote the novels that were later to
be re-worked and published as
Sense and Sensibility, Pride and
Prejudice and Northanger Abbey.
As a young woman Jane enjoyed
dancing (an activity which features
frequently in her novels), and she
attended balls in many of the great
houses of the neighborhood. She loved
the country, enjoyed long country
walks, and had many Hampshire
friends. It therefore came as a
considerable shock when her parents
suddenly announced in 1801 that the
family would be moving away to Bath.
Mr. Austen gave the Steventon living
to his son James and retired to Bath
with his wife and two daughters.
The next four years were difficult ones
for Jane Austen. She disliked the confines
of a busy town and missed her Steventon
life. After her father's death in 1805, his
widow and daughters also suffered
financial difficulties and were forced to
rely on the charity of the Austen sons. It
was also at this time that, while on
holiday in the West country, Jane fell in
love, and, when the young man died, she
was deeply upset. Later she accepted a
proposal of marriage from Harris BiggWither, a wealthy landowner and brother
to some of her closest friends, but she
changed her mind the next morning and
was greatly upset by the whole episode.
After the death of Mr. Austen, the
Austen ladies moved to Southampton to
share the home of Jane's naval brother
Frank and his wife Mary. There were
occasional visits to London where Jane
stayed with her favorite brother Henry,
at that time a prosperous banker, and
where she enjoyed visits to the theatre
and art exhibitions; however, she wrote
little in Bath and nothing at all in
Southampton.
Then, in July, 1809, on her brother
Edward offering his mother and sisters a
permanent home on his Chawton estate,
the Austen ladies moved back to their
beloved Hampshire countryside. It was a
small but comfortable house with a pretty
garden, and, most importantly, it provided
the settled home which Jane Austen
needed in order to write. In the seven and
a half years that she lived in this house,
she revised Sense and Sensibility and
Pride and Prejudice and published them (
in 1811 and 1813) and then embarked on
a period of intense productivity.
Jane Austen's House
Chawton, Alton, Hampshire, England
Mansfield Park came out in 1814,
followed by Emma in 1816 and she
completed Persuasion (which was
published together with Northanger
Abbey in 1818, the year after her
death). None of the books published in
her life-time had her name on them —
they were described as being written
"By a Lady". In the winter of 1816 she
started Sanditon, but illness prevented
its completion.
Jane Austen had contracted Addisons
Disease, a tubercular disease of the
kidneys. No longer able to walk far, she
used to drive out in a little donkey carriage
which can still be seen at the Jane Austen
Museum at Chawton. By May 1817, she
was so ill that she and Cassandra, to be
near Jane's physician, rented rooms in
Winchester. Tragically, there was then no
cure, and Jane Austen died in her sister's
arms in the early hours of 18 July, 1817.
She was 41 years old. She is buried in
Winchester Cathedral.
Novels
Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Emma
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
Pride and Prejudice
First version
written 1796-1797
First published in
1813
Consistently Jane
Austen’s most
popular novel
Advice to Women in the
Regency Era…
On being weak and passive: ‘they affect to be
incapable of lifting the smallest burdens, and
would blush to be thought robust and strong’
On being pleasing to men: ‘girls ... are fonder of
things of show and ornaments ... from whence
we see their taste plainly adapted to their
destination ... almost all of them learn with
reluctance to read and write; but readily apply
themselves to the use of their needles.’
On education: ‘the education of women should
always be subject to men. To please us, to be
useful to us, to make us love and esteem them,
to educate us when young and take care of us
when grown up...’
On being weak and passive: ... in your sex manly
exercises are never graceful ... a tone and figure
of the masculine kind are always forbidding ...
men of sensibility desire in every woman soft
features ... a form not robust and demeanour
delicate and gentle.
On education: ‘As a small amount of knowledge
entertains in a woman, so from a woman ... a
small expression of kindness delights,
particularly if she has beauty!’
On being pleasing to men: ‘Never perhaps does a
fine woman strike more deeply than when
composed into pious recollection ... she assumes
without knowing it superior dignity and new
graces ... the beauties of holiness seem to
radiate about her.’
On being ignorant: ‘Be ever cautious in
displaying your good sense. It will be
thought you assume a superiority over the
rest of the company. But if you have any
learning, keep it a profound secret
especially from the men, who generally
look with a jealous and malignant eye on a
woman of great parts and a cultivated
understanding.’
P & P Major Characters
The Bennets: Mr. Bennet,
Mrs. Bennet, Jane,
Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty,
Lydia.
The Bingleys: Bingley,
Louisa Hurst, Caroline.
Mr. Collins.
The Darcys: Darcy,
Georgiana Darcy.
Lady Catherine, her
daughter Anne de Bourgh.
Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Mr. Gardiner, Mrs.
Gardiner.
The Lucases: Sir William,
Lady Lucas, Charlotte,
Maria.
The Regency Period
About 1800-1820
So named for the
Prince Regent
George III was
deemed unfit to
rule and his son,
later George IV,
ruled in proxy
It was a period of excess for the
aristocracy. For example, it was
during this time that the Prince
Regent built the Brighton Pavilion;
however, it was also an era of
uncertainty caused by riots, the
Napoleonic wars and a perceived
threat of the English mimicking the
French Revolution.
Money and Property…
Pemberley
Pemberley is the
estate of Mr. Darcy,
who is very wealthy
gentleman. In this time
period, “gentleman”
meant landowner. The
lands surrounding a
great estate like
Pemberley would be
worked by farmers
who would look to the
family who owned the
estate—especially the
heir or owner—for
financial support.
Pemberley, continued
Pemberley and its
‘beautiful grounds’
play an important part
in the plot of Jane
Austen’s Pride and
Prejudice.
In his home Darcy is
exemplary, and the
description of his
estate, though
general, is a natural
analogue of his social
and moral character.
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is a system of inheritance
where all property is handed down to the
first-born son. In the Middle Ages, the
oldest son would become the Lord of the
Manor upon the death of his father, much in
the same way that the oldest son of a king
would gain the crown. The younger sons
would have to find other careers.
Very few careers were considered
“respectable” for the sons of great
families, though. In most cases, the
choice was limited to the army or the
church. Doctors, lawyers, and business
owners were considered to be “in
trade”—beneath the social level of
gentleman, and not careers to be taken on
by men of the best families.
Entailment
An entail was a holdover from
Medieval, feudal times. It meant,
basically, that an estate must pass
on to a certain group of direct
descendants. Since property was
passed from father to son, if a
landowner had no male heirs, the
property would pass to his closest
male relative.
Many entailments also prevented the
landowner from dividing the estate.
(This was to keep the property, and
the wealth, in the hands of a few.) A
great landowning family who splits
their 100 acres among four sons for
three generations would, in 50
years, just be a bunch of families
with a dozen acres each.
Poor Mr. Bennett
This situation is what
happens to poor Mr. B.
He and Mrs. B try FIVE
times for a son, but
each time had a
daughter. None of the
five daughters may
inherit Longbourne.
Instead, the estate will
go to Mr. Collins, a
cousin of Mr. B. If Mr.
B dies, the girls and
their mother will be: A)
homeless B) penniless.
Their only hope is to
get married (and marry
well—in other words, a
man with $$$!)
Travel and Visits
High transportation
costs (Jane Austen
predates the railway
era by twenty years),
and the lack of
formal "jobs" with
fixed hours for most
wealthy gentlemen
and all undistressed
"gentlewoman,”
resulted in long
visits.
Chaise:
Generally an enclosed four-wheeled carriage seating up
to three people, and driven by a rider mounted on one of
the horses. The more or less standard vehicle for
families which are "respectable", but not extremely
wealthy.
Postchaise: A chaise used with rented horses
"Coach and 4":
A "coach" is a large enclosed four-wheeled carriage,
drawn by four or more horses, with at least two rows of
seats in the compartment, and usually with seats on the
top etc. in addition to those in the compartment. The
"box" is a luggage compartment to the front of the main
coach body. Coaches are used by wealthy families and in
long-distance public transportation.
Barouche:
This is intermediate in carrying capacity between a chaise
and a coach. It has two rows of seats in the compartment,
so that the passengers sit facing each other (unlike a
chaise, in which all the passengers face forward).
Barouches are "convertible" -- they can be partially opened
in good weather.
Phaeton:
A four-wheeled carriage which is open (completely
unenclosed), and, therefore, appropriate for a fair-weather
excursion around the park.
Curricle:
Curricles and gigs are light two-wheeled carriages open in
front. They seat no more than two people (one of whom
acts as the driver) and are generally favored by young men.
A curricle is drawn by two horses, a gig by one.
Stage-coach, Stage:
A coach used as a public conveyance ("stage" means more
or less the same thing as “post”).
Some facts about life in Regency
Times…
Life in high society during
the Regency was a
glamorous round of balls
and parties, governed by
strict rules of etiquette.
Members of society, called
the ton (tawn—fashion) after
a French word for taste,
spent much of their time
socializing, and, if they were
single, looking for mates.
Rank was very important…
Duke
Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronet
But most of Austen’s characters were
not members of the peerage…
The Landed Gentry:
a vague term
meaning members
of "good" family
who did not hold
titles. Most families
in this group did
hold quite a bit of
land.
So was proper behavior,
and following The Rules…
Coming Out
The London social season (lasting from Easter until August 12th,
the start of Grouse hunting season) was each year awash in girls
just "out" in society. The principle reason for "coming out" was to
marry well. Girls were expected to be quite childlike until they
were about 18, when they were taken to London from their
parents' country homes to be presented at court. This was their
official entry into society which made them available for parties,
balls, and, of course, marriage. At least, this is the idea for the
daughters of the nobility and gentry. I have yet to discover what
exactly this meant for girls of "good" family such as the Bennets
or the Dashwoods. Neither family was nobility who would have
been received in court. For their daughters to be "out" meant that
they were permitted to go to social events. Therefore, when Lady
Catherine De Bourgh questions Elizabeth Bennet on the subject,
Lizzie replies that all her sister are "out" because they all attend
the local parties and balls.
The Gentleman:
1. In riding horseback or walking along the street, the lady always has the wall.
2. Meeting a lady in the street whom you know only slightly, you wait for her
acknowledging bow- then and only then may you tip your hat to her, which is
done using the hand farthest away from her to raise the hat. You do not speak
to her - or to any other lady - unless she speaks to you first.
3. If you meet a lady who is a good friend and who signifies that she wishes to
talk to you, you turn and walk with her if you wish to converse. It is not "done"
to make a lady stand talking in the street.
4. In going up a flight of stairs, you precede the lady (running, according to one
authority); in going down, you follow.
5. In a carriage, a gentleman takes the seat facing backward. If he is alone in
a carriage with a lady, he does not sit next to her unless he is her husband,
brother, father, or son. He alights from the carriage first so that he may hand
her down. He takes care not to step on her dress.
6. At a public exhibition or concert, if accompanied by a lady, he goes in first in
order to find her a seat. If he enters such an exhibition alone and there are
ladies or older gentlemen present, he removes his hat.
7. A gentleman is always introduced to a lady - never the other way around. It
is presumed to be an honor for the gentleman to meet her. Likewise a social
inferior is always introduced to a superior.
8. A gentleman never smokes in the presence of ladies.
A Lady…
1. If unmarried and under thirty, she is never to be seen in the
company of a man without a chaperone. Except for a walk to
church or a park in the early morning, she may not walk alone, but
should always be accompanied by another lady, a man, or a
servant. (Note: this would seem to have become a more general
rule later in the century, as Austen's women are seen walking
alone.)
2. Under no circumstances may a lady call upon a gentleman
alone unless she is consulting that gentleman on a professional
or business matter.
3. A lady does not wear pearls or diamonds in the morning.
4. A lady never dances more than three dances with the same
partner.
5. A lady should never "cut" someone, that is to say, fail to
acknowledge their presence after encountering them socially,
unless it is absolutely necessary. By the same token, only a lady
is ever truly justified in cutting someone.
They wrote and sent A LOT of MAIL
All postal charges were payable on receipt, except sometimes within penny
post cities (a city which has its own intra-city postal system). Returned
mail was returned free to the sender.
In London in the late 1700s, letters were picked up and delivered 4 to 8 times
daily with 10 to 12 delivered in business centers. Outside London the
service was slow and undependable through most of the 18th century.
In 1801, postage was raised to two-penny for intra-city mail and three-penny
for outer London districts (Browne 40). Despite postage increases,
postal volumes remained high. Post Office Secretary Francis Freeling
recruited carriers to deliver directly to people's homes in London so that
more value was obtained for higher postal charges (Browne 41).
In the early 1800s, 20% of London's population lived in poverty and the
sound of the postman's knock was one of fear and dread to many
families who often had to go out and sell a household item to pay the
postage (Browne 43). Carriers were often delayed by waiting for change
at most other residences as well (Robinson 204). Stamps impressed in
red ink on each sheet indicated that the postage had been paid.
"
I have just had a letter from
Jane, with such dreadful
news. It cannot be
concealed from any one."
Elizabeth, Pride &
Prejudice, 176
"Every day at Longbourn
was now a day of anxiety;
but the most anxious part
of each was when the post
was expected. The arrival
of letters was the first
grand object of every
morning's impatience."
Pride & Prejudice, 189
Are you:
A Regency Girl?
A Regency Boy?
At dinner, a young man begins to pay you
attention. You're intrigued because
A. He could be fun to flirt with while you‘re
marooned in the country.
B. He‘s loaded. He could be your meal ticket out of
the rectory.
C. He seems virtuous, is of good family, and was
kind to your sister.
A marriage proposal arrives from
someone your family deems unsuitable.
You . . .
A. Opt for a secret engagement. They may
come around in time.
B. Demur politely. Those who know you
love you best.
C. Immediately elope to Gretna Green.
Sod ‘em – you can feel your internal dial
mechanism ticking!
How do you conduct yourself at a ball? Do
you...
A. Reject all suitors as socially beneath
you,
B. Flirt outrageously with every young
buck in the room,
C. Talk demurely to your elderly aunt
until a gentleman approaches.
At dinner, a young lady catches your eye.
You‘re intrigued because
A. It could be fun to flirt with her while
you're marooned in the country.
B. She‘s loaded. Her cash could pay off
your debts and set up your mistress in
Brighton.
C. She seems virtuous, is of good family,
and was kind to your sister
You’re worried your best friend has fallen
for a fortune hunter. Do you:
A. Discreetly remove him to the quiet of
your northern estate?
B. Decide he is unworthy of your concern
and resign him to his fate?
C. Seek to prove the unsuitability of the
wench by seducing her yourself?
Your younger sister has eloped with a
bounder.
You . . .
A. No longer have a sister,
B. Challenge the blackguard to a duel,
C. Pursue them, express strong
disapproval, but settle a sum on her
which allows her to live as a lady.
Film Adaptations
1940, Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier
Regency “Fashion” Courtesy of the Bingley Sisters
Regency House Party-The Regency
Era goes Reality TV!