Jane Austen says…

Inspiring Quotes tells us:

Jane Austen was an English author still beloved today for her sharp, witty descriptions of the social life of the landed gentry in the early 1800s. While she only lived to age 42, she wrote at least six novels and other works, most notably Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park.

Austen’s writing centers women’s experiences in an insulated world largely dominated by men. Her father was a country Rector and she had six brothers and one sister. She was close to her older sister, Cassandra, and the relationships between sisters are central to her works.

Importantly, Austen published anonymously as, “A Lady,” which was still a relatively bold declaration in an era when women’s literature was printed and respected much less than men’s work. Women authors often used male pen names at the time. Austen’s brother, Henry, helped her to get published and revealed her identity posthumously.

Austen never married. She accepted one proposal then changed her mind, and there are conflicting accounts that she loved a man who died soon after their meeting. After their father died, her brothers helped Austen, her mother, and her sister with their finances. While she became a successful author, she was still vulnerable to the fates and fortunes of men — a fact that is reflected in her protagonists’ lives.

Austen’s dry humor, engaging dialogue, gift for capturing the absurdities and poignancies of human relationships, and deft storytelling landed her a place in the Western canon of literature. Her works are still read and studied, and her popularity endures — in 2017 she was featured on a £10 bank note, and her works have been frequently adapted for both TV and film, most recently in the 2020 movie, Emma.

Perhaps her most powerful legacy is in helping to establish the value of a woman’s story told by a woman. Here are 20 quotes that exemplify her keen and sensitive voice.