－1－SUMMARY

Jane Austen and Books

KITAWAKI Tokuko

Jane Austen is one of the most popular novelists in Britain. Her fans, who are called Janeite,

love Austen’s works very much. There are so many critical essays about Austen.

Jane Austen was born and brought up at Steventon Rectory. Her father, George Austen, was

a clergy and “an accomplished scholar well read in several languages and with a fine taste in

literary style.”(Cecil 20) Jane was very happy to have such a father and two Oxford brothers and

two navy brothers. Above all, she was very lucky, surrounded by more than fi ve hundred books

of her father’s library. After the school education of just one year and a half, Jane was educated

at home by her parents, brothers and sister. Her family read many books and talked about

classical literature and contemporary books as well. George Austen read poetry and novels to his

family. Jane was encouraged to read and write novels by her father.

Jane Austen wrote six famous novels, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride

and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion. Many of the characters of these

novels read poetry, dramas and novels and talk about literature, music and art just like Austen

family. Her heroines are educated by their future partners who are well read and informed:

Catherine Morland by Henry Tilney; Fanny Price by Edmund Bertram; and Emma Woodhouse by

Mr. Knightley. Catherine Morland and Marianne Dashwood are too sensitive to distinguish fi ction

and reality. Jane Austen criticises too much sensitivity, but she never denies it. Austen gives her

heroines the chances to grow into sensible persons.

Austen admires Dr. Johnson. Therefore, her favorite heroines are Johnsonian. Elinor

Dashwood is the counsellor of everyone with an excellent understanding and cool judgement.

Her sensible manners are based on Dr. Johnson’s ideas. Fanny Price and Anne Elliot are also

Johnsonian and happy to be used by the others. Among the heroines who read well, Emma is not

fond of reading “requiring industry and patience”(E29) and indulges herself in a fancy. Her faults

are pointed out very often by Mr. Knightley. She fi nds that she has loved him, facing the crisis of

losing Mr. Knightley. Mr. Darcy is a gentleman who has a great family library. His idea of an

accomplished woman is that she must “add something more substantial, in the improvement of

her mind by extensive reading.”(PP33)

－2－ SUMMARY

For Jane Austen and “for her central characters books and life are not divided; books are a

vital part of life.”(Grundy 207) Austen’s heroines learn their ways of life through reading. Their

education is through books.