Jane Austen discussion
The Writer
>
How was it to be a writer in the 1700's
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Michele
(new)
Jan 12, 2012 09:48AM
I know that it wasn't easy for women to write during Jane Austen's time. Novel reading during Austen's time wasn't seen as being "respectable". So you can imagine what it was like if you were a woman who wanted to write.
reply
|
flag
That's a very interesting question. I particularly like female authors of that time and from what I've read, it was not easy to be a female writer. That's why several female writers used a pen name to write their books. Moreover, as you can guess, women didn't have much rights at that time (politically but also socially). They had to respect a way of bahaving, and writing books wasn't really part of what they had to do! For Jane Austen, she had some success when she managed to publish her books but the latter have been "rediscovered" in a certain way today and have much more success now.
I would find it scary to write at that time period. I find it funny how women were allowed to learn to write, but never to write books. Here they sat at their homes most of the day stitching things for their future families with much time on their hands and a ink pen and paper in front of them. No one could blame Jane Austen for writing, she had the writers mind. And look at what we have now, more than 7 incredible books which were all made into movies!
Jane Austen was lucky, she grew up in a family that allowed her to read, improve her mind and write since she was a girl. At first she wrote plays for her brothers and sister to perform for family and friends.In Regency time a woman can't publish her book without the consent of her father or her husband. Actually a woman didn't exist as an individual: she was a daughter or a wife or a sister.
That's why at first Reverend Austen tried to sell Jane work to an editor and, after his death, was one of her brothers who taked care of business with the London editor.
From society point of view, the only acceptable reason for a woman to write was to economically substain her family, for example if she was a widow or if she has an sick parent.
Jane Austen first published novel was Sense and Sensibility and was published as written by "An Author". Pride and Prejudice, published some years latare, was written by "The author of Sense and Sensibility".
So her identity was unknown to the great audience (poor Jane).
Mod
Oh, "The author of Sense and Sensibility" sounds like such a sad way to get acknowledged! Although Sense and Sensibility is a great book. And "An Author" sounds just as bad. Ah well, at least my two favorites were published while she was alive.Which ones were published after her death? That would be awful! I wish she could be here today to see how much we love her work.
Mod
It's a shame she couldn't use her name. But because of how men were considered inferior to woman it is understandable. But it's a real shame!
It makes me sad that she wouldn't have known how huge she would be. I'd like to go back in time and let her know, that 200 years later, she'd be one of the most successful and famous authors of all time! She died far, far too young too :(
Mod
:'( I agree with you both! It would be great if she had lived longer and wrote more, and I would love to go back and meet her too, Sarah! We need to figure out a way to do this...
Haha it totally is! What would we call it? :)
I am rubbish with titles, my novel is named after my main characters! I can see the movie though... The JA forum members get in a time machine and go back to inform Jane how loved she is! :)
Mod
I would not mind working with Andrew Davis (think that is his name, remaking these classics. Like the others said because of the position that women held socially, economically and politically it was much easier on men to be writers. Jane mentions Radcliffe's novels in her work and she may have been a source of inspiration for her. Remember when Tilney was teasing Catherine about women and novel writing. Men were regarded as writing the edifying books whilst women wrote trifling novels. Pen names were frequent. Jane Austen you are an inspiration to me.
Mod
It was very common then and it is sad about woman writing the silly novels! Couldn't have phrased it better myself Marren :)
Mod
Indeed, it would be an amazing experience :D
Inspiration to me too. Before I found a publisher for my novel, and kept wondering if I'd ever get published, I kept remembering that if Jane Austen could do it in the 1700's when women were not 'supposed' to be writers, I can do it now when there's no such barrier! (not that I'd ever compare my writing to her... I wish!)
Mod
Mod
Found in on someone's topic on Goodreads.
I'm kind of amazed by all writers before computers.
Wow! I wrote four novels pre-computer! Now I look back and it's like so quaint what we had to do, with cut and paste literally using scotch tape!
Mod
Anyone who ever wrote for novels pre-computer should be commended.
Okay, commend me! But I am certainly not the only one. There's, um, Tolstoy, and Dickens, and Austen, and....shall I continue?
I see your point, Marcy ;-).
