Module1PrideandPrejudiceSection2BackgroundinformationoftheplayPygmalionSomethingabouttheauthorJaneAustenEnglishwriter,whofirstgavethenovelitsmoderncharacterthroughthetreatmentofeverydaylife.AlthoughAustenwaswidelyreadinherlifetime,shepublishedherworksanonymously.Themosturgentpreoccupationofheryoung,well-bredheroinesiscourtship,andfinallymarriage.Austen'sbest-knownbooksincludePrideandPrejudice(1813)andEmma(1816).VirginiaWoolfcalledher"themostperfectartistamongwomen."JaneAustenwasborninSteventon,Hampshire,whereherfatherwasarector.Shewastheseconddaughterandseventhchildinafamilyofeight.Thefirst25yearsofherlifeAustenspentinHampshire.Shewastutoredathome.Herparentswereavidreadersandshereceivedabroadereducationthanmanywomenofhertime.Onherfather'sretirement,thefamilymovedtoBath.Austenstartedtowriteforfamilyamusementasachild.Herearliest-knownwritingsdatefromabout1787.Veryshyaboutherwriting,shewroteonsmallpiecesofpaperthatsheslippedunderthedeskplotterifanyonecameintotheroom.Afterthedeathofherfatherin1805,shelivedwithhermotherandsisterinSouthamptonandmovedin1809toalargecottageinthevillageofChawton.Austennevermarried,buthersociallifewasactive.Shewasconnectedwiththemiddling-richlandedgentrythatsheportrayedinhernovels.InChawtonAustenstartedtowritehermajorworks,amongthemSenseandSensibility,thestoryoftheimpoverishedDashwoodsisters,MarianneandElinor,whotrytofindproperhusbandstosecuretheirsocialposition.Thenovelwaswrittenin1797astherevisionofasketchcalledElinorandMarianne,composedwhentheauthorwas20.Austen'sheroinesaredeterminedtomarrywiselyandwell,butromanticMarianneisacharacterwhofeelsintenselyabouteverythingandlosesherhearttoanirresponsibleseducer."Icouldnotbehappywithamanwhosetastedidnotineverypointcoincidewithmyown.Hemustenterintoallmyfeelings;thesamewithbooks,thesamemusicmustcharmusboth."ReasonableElinorfallsinlovewithagentlemanalreadyengaged.'"Ihavefrequentlydetectedmyselfinsuchkindofmistakes,"saidElinor,"inatotalmisapprehensionofcharacterinsomepointoranother:fancyingpeoplesomuchmoregayorgrave,oringeniousorstupidthantheyreallyare,andIcanhardlytellwhyorinwhatthedeceptionoriginated.Sometimesoneisguidedbywhattheysayofthemselves,andveryfrequentlybywhatotherpeoplesayofthem,withoutgivingoneselftimetodeliberateandjudge."'Austenfocusedonmiddle-classprovinciallifewithhumorandunderstanding.Shedepictedthelifeofminorlandedgentry,countryclergymenandtheirfamilies,inwhichmarriagemainlydeterminedwomen'ssocialstatus.Mostimportantforherwerethoselittlematters,asEmmasays,"onwhichthedailyhappinessofprivatelifedepends."AlthoughAustenrestrictedtofamilymatters,andshepassedthehistoricaleventsoftheNapoleonicwars,herwitandobservantnarrativetouchhasbeeninexhaustibledelighttoreaders.Ofhersixgreatnovels,fourwerepublishedanonymouslyduringherlifetime.AtherdeathonJuly18,1817inWinchester,AustenwaswritingtheunfinishedSanditon.AustenwasburiedinWinchesterCathedral.Austen'sbrotherHenrymadeherauthorshippublicafterherdeath.EmmahadbeenreviewedfavorablybySirWalterScott,whowroteinhisjournalofMarch14,1826:"[MissAusten]hadatalentfordescribingtheinvolvementsandfeelingsandcharactersofordinarylifewhichistomethemostwonderfulIhaveevermetwith.TheBigBow-WowstrainIcandomyselflikeanynow用心爱心专心116号编辑going;buttheexquisitetouch,whichrendersordinarycommonplacethingsandcharactersinteresting,fromthetruthofthedescriptionandthesentiment,isdeniedtome."CharlotteBronteandE.B.Browningfoundherlimited.ItwasnotuntilthepublicationofJ.E.Austen-Leigh'sMemoirin1870thataJaneAustencultbegantodevelop.Austen'sunfinishedSanditonwaspublishedin1925.用心爱心专心116号编辑
