There is no way that anyone could have predicted the impact that her writing would have when she published her first novel. In fact it took scholars nearly 100 years to begin examining her works. Although she may not have started out so huge, today there are societies dedicated to reading and celebrating her works (Kear).
Unlike many authors of her time, she did not write of political or social issues in her novels, rather she wrote stories of people who were affected by unfair laws and customs. The majority of the issues within her novels had to do with women. During her life, women were not seen as equal to men and this is what she wrote about. Her characters had to deal with issues including inheriting money, a lack of education, wealth, and status. |
4 Reasons Jane Austen is Relevant Today
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Although Jane Austen was not the first to write about these issues, she is the one that is remembered most today. Before her, Mary Wollstonecraft wrote of similar topics. However shortly after her death her husband published a memoir in the hopes that it would help her cause for the vindication of women. However the memoir actually had the opposite effect, spilling the truth about her unorthodox lifestyle, leaving her reputation in shreds (Rendell).
A woman's reputation was extremely important during this time period, Wollstonecraft's books went unread, while Jane Austen's were flying off the shelves. Readers were falling in love with her characters, who were so similar to people they knew in their lives. |
"There would be more genuine rejoicing at the discovery of a complete new novel by Jane Austen than any other literary discovery, short of a new major play by Shakespeare, that one can imagine." |
"Her longevity is noteworthy. She has delighted generations of readers and will continue to do so in years to come." "One doesn't read Jane Austen; one re-reads Jane Austen." |