This week sees Jane Austen’s wonderful novel, Pride &
Prejudice, turn 200 years old. A
monumental milestone in anyone’s eyes, the book is thought to have sold
approximately 20 million copies worldwide since publication.
The Author
Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of
Steventon, Hampshire, to George & Cassandra Austen, both members of
significant families (George was descended from woollen manufacturers who had
risen to the lower ranks of the landed gentry, and Cassandra was a member of
the prominent Leigh family).
Jane was one of eight children, her siblings being James,
George, Edward, Henry Thomas, Francis William and Cassandra Elizabeth.
When Jane was 26 years, following Mr Austen’s decision to
retire from the ministry, the family moved to the city of Bath (in South West
England) and later, after her father’s death, Jane and her mother & sister
moved into Chawton House (part of her brother Edward’s estate).
Jane did not marry – she did receive a proposal of marriage
from Harris Bigg-Wither in December 1802; Jane initially accepted this offer of
marriage however shortly afterwards withdraw her acceptance, realising that she
had made a mistake.
Jane died on 18 July 1817.
While the exact cause of Jane’s death is unknown, the general consensus
is that she was suffering from Addison’s disease (however a variety of illness
have been suggested, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma, bovine tuberculosis and
typhus). The following memorial gravestone
marks where Jane is buried in the north aisle of the nave at Winchester
Cathedral:
The Novel
First published in
1813 (by Thomas Egerton), Pride & Prejudice was Jane’s second novel (the
first being Sense & Sensibility).
The story follows
the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet (who is one of five daughters of a country
gentleman) as she deals with issues of marriage, education, manners and
morality in early 19th century England.
At the core of
the story is the developing relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy,
however the story also gives an account of the siblings of both Elizabeth &
Darcy, as well as numerous other characters (including Elizabeth’s parents).
Perhaps the most
central themes of the book are marriage, money and class, all of which were
vitally important during Jane’s lifetime.
It was common for parents to effectively “arrange” a suitable marriage
for their children (particularly in regard to daughters), thus ensuring their
social status and lifestyle for the future.
Also covered in the novel is the importance of upbringing and
environment on the development of character.
Both Elizabeth and Darcy are proud
and prejudiced due to the
attitudes passed down to them from their families.
Celebrating the bicentenary
No doubt, all over
the world, events will be held to celebrate the novel’s bicentenary.
The Jane Austen
Centre in Bath
is hosting a twelve hour international read-athon, during which various celebrities
(including authors, musicians & politicians) and competition winners will
read through the novel. This read-athon
is also going to be broadcast online for those who can’t make the pilgrimage to
Bath.
The BBC (British
Broadcasting Corporation) will be recreating the Netherfield Ball (one of the
key moments in the romance of Elizabeth & Darcy). A the team of experts will look at the
planning and rehearsal of a typical early 19th century ball, including taking a
look at first-hand testimony of ball-goers of the time, before ending the
programme (due to air in Spring 2013) with an authentic recreation based on
Austen's Netherfield Ball.
In June, Cambridge
University will be
hosting a “Pride & Prejudice” conference, which will explore the original
historical context of the novel as well as the modern afterlives, through a
series of lectures and screenings. As
part of this conference, the University will also be hosting a Regency ball and
organising a day trip to Chawton.
So why not pick up the
book? If you’ve never read it before,
now is a good time to do so and if you have previously read it, just pick it up
and start all over again and immerse yourself in the amazing story created by
Ms Austen!
