Major Themes, Influences, and Artistic Stlyes

Jane Austen had a few recurring major themes in her novels. First, she focuses on being individual and proper behavior of how one acts in society. Another is love, courtship, and marriage. Such as in Pride and Prejudice she talks about how men like accomplished women and also about how men should act around women. A formal cole of behavior or manners prescribes conduct and distances feelings. In her books, does she present characters who simply feel less, or feel strongly and can't express their true feelings. What are the advantages and the drawbacks of living in such a society as Austen presents them? The advantages and drawbacks may seem quite different from the perspective of someone today reading.

"Jane Austen lived in a time of violent change. Her birth, in 1775, coincided with the beginning of the American War of Independence and the perfection of James Watt's steam engine" (http://janeaustenlit.tripod.com/id14.html ). "Jane Austen's view of the world and of human nature was rooted in the 18th century. In Britain at least, the century turned its back on the excesses and enthusiasms of the previous century that had led to civil war. Order, and the management of life -both social and individual- according to the dictates of reason rather than emotion was considered necessary to hodl in check Man's violent, corrupt and fundamentally volatile nature" ( http://janeaustenlit.tripod.com/id14.html).