Jane Austen
Her Life & Her Works
Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was a famous English author most noted for 6 of her major works, her most famous being Pride & Prejudice. These novels encapsulate and critique British societal norms at the end of the 18th century, often exploring the women's roles of this time.
Her Family
Born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, Jane Austen was the second daughter and seventh child of George Austen, an Anglican clergyman. She had seven siblings, six brothers and one sister which came to be a very tight-knit family.
Her parents, George Austen & Cassandra Austen (formerly Leigh), were married in 1764. Her father was an orphan but had received help from a rich uncle, who helped him to attend school; this helped him get ordained by the Church of England. Afterward, his previously low social status was elevated to provide a match worthy for Cassandra, whose family's social standing was much higher than his.
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Looking back a few generations, it's seen that Jane's family tree is scattered with many important and noble figures, such being Greys, Staffords, Nevilles, Throckmorton's, Fitzalan's, Beauchamps, Beauforths, and King Edward III.
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Georgian society
The Georgian Period in England (1714-1837) was a time when Britain was able to establish itself as an international power, seeing its empire expand.
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When the union of England and Scotland in 1707 came to be, it created 'Great Britain'. From this, a new identity for Britain was created and celebrated. However, even with this new identity England still kept its distinctive characteristics in the early Georgian period. The two opposing sides of British culture were evident; from one side being artistic and noble, with its refined manners and fashions, literature, and architecture, and the other being juxtaposed with casual violence, sports, squalor, and gin drinking.
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Even with the opposing sides, Britain as a whole was flowering with arts, philosophy, and architecture developing from the growing wealth in London. At this time, there was a new wave of optimism that lasted till around 1793, with news of the French revolution and the French Revolutionary War. This period marked a high point in Georgian confidence, culture, and vitality - which is why this period is known as Britain's "Golden Age".