Review of Her Legacy,

Jane Austen’s Impact on Me and the Modern World

I can speak to no end about the subject of which this blog is titled. Austen is, in my humble opinion, the most influential writer of all time.

This blog post will include…

• • • A look into her life
    • Why I love Austen

Knowing where to start with Austen is a daunting task, but it is impossible to write a weekly blog without giving an introduction to the subject. Jane Austen was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampsire as the seventh of eight children. She and her siblings would read aloud to each other and write short theater performances that were performed in the family barn for small crowds.

Austen wrote many short poems and stories, but she wrote only six novels in her lifetime. Her works include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey. Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were both published after her death. She published all of these works anonymously, and because the publisher found out that the novels were written by a woman, the publisher made Austen pay him to publish the novels, and he made her pay him commission on copies he sold. All of these works have stood the test of time and remained the favorite classic literature of many.

She was 41 when she died, having never found much credit for her works or true love for herself. Many of her writings were destroyed and never published. Each of her novels were extremely influential, as one can imagine. Countless retellings and modern stories have been derived from the infamous original six. It makes me look back in bittersweet agony of how different the world would be now if Jane published just one more novel.

I was only 13 when my mom took me by the hand and guided me into Austen’s world. Together we watched my first Austen film adaptation ever, Pride and Prejudice 1995. It changed my life. The dialogue didn’t make any sense to me. I had to rely on the visuals of the characters’ body language and cinematography to tell what was going on, forcing my mom to pause when I was confused. I loved the pretty dresses and the beautiful English countryside, but most of all, I adored the smart and slightly flawed protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet. After all six episodes of the film, all 327 glorious minutes, I became obsessed with Jane Austen.

My mom gifted me the Penguin’s Classic Edition of her 6 novels that Christmas, and now I have a collection of seven copies of Pride and Prejudice novel, five copies of the Pride and Prejudice films, a container of “Pride and Peppermints”, and a Pride and Prejudice tote bag. If you couldn’t tell, Pride and Prejudice is my favorite of her novels, but I love all of her works.

I love Austen because she calls people out. Her biggest critique was the structure of society. She didn’t like the idea of women being confined to the roles of marriage, especially when it was not for love. Her wit has lasted more than 200 years, and her contribution to feminism remains unforgotten.

If you’ve read Austen, comment your favorite work down below. If it’s your first time, I recommend starting with a film adaption to get started!