If I could meet any woman in the
world, I would want to travel back in time and meet one of the most influential
woman authors of all time, Jane Austen. She was a middle class woman living at
a time when the greatest achievement a woman could pursue was getting married. Regardless, she
had the courage to go against the grain and follow her passion, writing.
I have read two of Jane Austen’s
novels - Emma and Pride & Prejudice. These two novels include many astute
observations about the society and the times she lived in. Jane Austen was a
very witty and clever person, so I think if I met her, I would have a lot of
questions for her. Was there a real life Darcy? Was Mr. Collins based on one of
her brothers? Did Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill get a happily ever after? One
quote that really stuck with me was in Pride and Prejudice, when Austen talks
about pride and vanity. “Vanity and pride are different things, though
the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being
vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would
have others think of us.” It seems so obvious now, but until I read this, it
never struck me this way. Her scrutiny of society during her time, and her
elegantly phrased observations give us insights into her life and company, which
were not that different from ours today. I would want to meet her because her
thoughtful reflections tell us so much about her and us, then and now.
I
also admire how, as a woman, she broke the norm of her times and wrote novels
that were not only popular during her time, but continue to astound and impress
readers all over the world even now. She socialized with friends and family
frequently, and drew deep from her experiences when she wrote. It was only
after her father died that she started publishing her papers anonymously. She
received credit for her work only posthumously, yet is considered one of the
greatest writers to have ever lived. Her wit and intelligence continue to live
on through her books.
As
an aspiring writer myself, if I could meet any woman in the world, I would want
to go back in time to meet this bright, independent, witty, observant woman who
made a difference in the world with her words.
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I wrote this because I had to write an essay about a woman that I would want to meet. I actually debated between Michelle Obama and Jane Austen, but figured Austen would be a less common answer, so decided to write about her. It was very easy to write about her, I did light research, but mostly just used what I know.
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I wrote this because I had to write an essay about a woman that I would want to meet. I actually debated between Michelle Obama and Jane Austen, but figured Austen would be a less common answer, so decided to write about her. It was very easy to write about her, I did light research, but mostly just used what I know.
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