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Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in Steventon, England. She was the second youngest of eight children and one of only two girls.
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Jane and her sister Cassandra were sent to school in Oxford to be educated by Mrs. Ann Cawley. Later they moved with the school to Southampton. A year later Jane and Cassandra contract Typhus and almost die.
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Jane and Cassandra return home due to the fact that the family no longer has enough money to pay for their schooling.
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It is believed that in 1787 Jane begins to write poems, plays and stories for her family's amusement. She wrote a 34 page book called "The History of England" which Cassandra illustrated.
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In 1789, Jane decides that she wants to take her writing to a new level and write for profit. In the new few years she begins to write longer and more sophisticated
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Jane worked on a short novel Lady Susan from 1793-1795
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Jane met Tom Lefroy when he was in town visiting family. He had recently graduated from law school and was moving to London to become a lawyer. It is believed that they had feelings for one another but could not do anything about it because both were poor. Tom's family could sense a growing attachment and sent him away to separate him from Jane. She never saw him again.
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Jane began to work on her second novel, First Impressions in 1796. She completed the final draft the next year when she was 21. Jane's father George wrote to a friend in publishing to have the novel published which sadly the friend passed on the work. Jane decides to revise Elinor and Marianne and it becomes Sense and Sensibility. She then begins working on her third novel, Susan (Northanger Abbey)
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Mr. Austen decides to retire and move the family to Bath. Jane is heartbroken over this decision to leave her beloved home. During this time Jane did not write much, it is thought that her creativity had vanished being taken from her home.
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When visiting her friends in Basingstoke, Jane receives a marriage proposal from their younger brother Harris Bigg-Wither. He was a large, plain-looking man who spoke little, stuttered when he spoke, was aggressive in conversation, known as tactless. However, Jane had known him since childhood and knew and the marriage offered advantages to Jane and her family. She accepted the proposal, the next day after having all night to think, Jane went to Harris and retracted her acceptance.
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Illness struck George Austen suddenly and he died on January 21, 1805, only 5 years after moving the family to Bath.
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After the death of George Austen, Jane, Cassandra and their mother spent the next few years staying at different family member's homes. Finally in July of 1809, they were offered a cottage on their brother's property in Chawton
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Once Jane, Cassandra and their mother had their own established home again, Jane began to write again. She wrote dailyand began to go back and revise her earlier works.
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Jane attempted her first full length novel when she wrote Elinor and Marianne in 1796. This novel later became known as Sense and Sensibility when it was published in 1811.
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Through her brother Henry, the publisher Thomas Egerton agreed to publish Jane's writing starting with Sense and Sensibility 1811 followed by...
Pride and Prejudice 1813
Mansfield Park 1814
Emma 1815
Persuasion 1816 -
Jane died in Winchester on July 18, 1817 at the age of 41.She is buried in Winchester Cathedral.
