This short article was originally intended as a reply to Sylwia’s Wit and Sexuality in Pride and Prejudice thread. Since that discussion has scrolled off into the back pages of this site, I thought it fitting to post this as a birth anniversary tribute to our much beloved Jane Austen instead.

Happy Birthday, Jane!

There is no shortage of discussions as to why JA never married, and if there was anything wrong with her never marrying, it was probably due to the fact that she had a mind of her own. A serious failing, indeed.

I would like to touch upon not only Pride and Prejudice but her other works as well. And I think that it’s important to understand Jane Austen’s state of mind and spirit at the time when she was writing her novels. Maybe if we focused more on the puppeteer we can better see the humanity behind the puppets.

Arguably the most celebrated of Jane Austen’s “affairs” was the one with Tom Lefroy. In fact, they are, even now, making a movie about it. This dalliance took place around the early part of 1796. Jane was not one-and-twenty. She was quite popular with a number of young men, among whom were Charles Fowle, a Mr. Hartley, a Mr. Taylor, Charles Powlett, John Warren. But of all these admirers, one stood out as Jane’s favorite—Tom Lefroy.

In her letters to Cassandra she refers to Tom as her Irish friend. It was not really clear how he felt about her, but her letters betray her feelings well enough. In a later letter to her sister, she goes further, “Tell Mary that I make over Mr. Heartley and all his estate to her for her sole use and benefit in future, and not only him, but all my other admirers into the bargain wherever she can find them, even the kiss which C. Powlett wanted to give me, as I mean to confine myself in future to Mr. Tom Lefroy, for whom I do not care sixpence [teasing].” Undoubtedly she was in very high spirits. And much in love.

However, shortly afterwards, Tom’s family must have sensed serious involvement on his part and saw to it that the pair was separated for good. Neither had money, either of their own or from family, and as the saying goes, no money, no honey.

She later writes to Cassandra, “At length the day is come on which I am to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy, and when you receive this it will be over. My tears flow as I write at the melancholy idea.” Already showing her trademark sarcasm, she seems to be making light of the situation, but in view of her buoyant tone in earlier letters prior to the breakup, it is my guess that this was a grievous disappointment. Interesting double entendre, don’t you think?

This was early 1796. Later that year she started writing First Impressions (Pride & Prejudice). The heroine, a young lady with fine eyes (Jane was much admired for her bright hazel eyes), not one-and-twenty, with an elder much beloved sister Jane with whom she corresponded a great deal. Jane Austen was also known to not have much affection towards her mother, who was a hypochondriac herself (just like Mrs. Bennet). How much of the original was retained between this time and its final publication in 1813 no one can tell. But the following year it was offered to Cadell for publication, so it must have been in “final” form the way it was.

Suffice it to say that the work was definitely autobiographical to a great extent.

At about this time, Jenny, as her father referred to her, had begun rewriting Elinor & Marianne, from the original epistolary form to what we now know as Sense & Sensibility. She must have realized the difficulty in telling this story in the form of letters, since it necessitated that the correspondents be geographically apart from each other, and as we see in S&S, the two sisters are almost never away from one another. (It would be interesting, though, to see how she could have pulled it off.)

These were not happy times at all for the sisters. After Jane’s recent breakup with Tom Lefroy, Cassandra now suffers the tragic loss of her fiancée, Tom Fowle. It is unfortunate that little is known of the particulars during this time because of the absence of letters between the sisters. It is assumed that Jane stayed with Cassandra most, if not all, of the time to console her.

1798, Susan, to be published posthumously as Northanger Abbey. Most scholars agree that Jane saw this story through the eyes of Henry Tilney. Quite singular. An interesting “affair” came about at this time. It is said that Anne Lefroy, Tom’s aunt, and probably instrumental in ending the connection between the young lovers, had tried to make up for it by playing match maker for Jane. She introduced her to a certain Reverend Samuel Blackall. This self-extolling young man must have reminded Jane of one of her characters—“Partiality aside, I am certainly more accomplished in every language, every science, every art and every thing than any other person in Europe.” Which led Jane to describe him as “a piece of perfection, noisy perfection.”

It is safe to assume that his advances suffered the same fate as that of Mr. Collins with Lizzy.

The year 1800 starts the darkest period in our heroine’s life. First she was to learn that the family was moving to Bath. Upon learning the news, she supposedly fainted from the shock. A number of scholars dispute this, but it is clear how much she disdained the thought of living in Bath. This sentiment was aptly displayed by Anne Elliot in Persuasion.

The following year, they were residing in Bath. The year after, the infamous proposal of marriage from Mr. Harris Bigg-Wither, which Jane accepted, only to turn around the following day to reject him.

1803, more disappointment. Susan (Northanger Abbey) was sold to Crosby who then refused to publish it. 1804, Mrs. Lefroy died from falling off her horse. Half a year later, Jane’s father is dead from a sudden and unexpected illness.

1806 seemed to turn things around, which was when they moved to Southampton. Soon after, Jane finished writing Lady Susan. Then in 1809 they finally move to Chawton.

…to be continued.