Persuasion

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist. Her work, including such novels as Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma, has long been celebrated for its feminism, humor, and unfiltered critique of British aristocratic society. Born the daughter of an Anglican rector, Austen was raised in the rural village of Steventon, in the south of England. Mostly self-educated—she was sent to school alongside her sister Cassandra until the family could no longer afford it—Austen’s earliest writing was done to entertain herself and her family. As her skill became apparent, however, her father George helped to bring her novels to publication, albeit anonymously, and Austen achieved moderate success and critical acclaim in her lifetime. It was not until after her death at the age of 41, however, that Austen’s work achieved the fame and notoriety it is associated with today. Her novels, which have rarely gone out of print, have inspired generations of readers as well as countless films, theater adaptations, and critical essays.