A Dinner with Jane Austen by Madison

A Dinner with Jane Austen by Madison - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

If I was able to have dinner with any historical figure, I would most definitely choose Jane Austen, an 18th century English novelist. I have been a huge admirer of her all of my life and would deeply enjoy getting to know her personally.
My grandmother has always loved the works of Jane Austen. For as long as I can remember, she has bought every single movie that depicted one of Miss Austen’s novels. Anytime I would come over to spend the night at her house, we would curl up on the couch and watch one of these movies together. My personal favorite is Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. This movie was what truly sparked my interest in Jane Austen. With my growing interest, I began reading Austen’s novels, starting with Pride and Prejudice, of course. After realizing my true appreciation for her tremendous gift of writing, I decided to learn more about the famous author.
Through my research I have discovered many things about Jane Austen, including several similarities between herself and I. We were both born into a lower class, with a small means of income. She is very family oriented, just like myself, besides the fact that her family is much larger with having seven other siblings as compared to my one. We are both considered “Daddy’s little girl,” which she also portrays Elizabeth Bennet as in Pride and Prejudice. Austen and I are both seen as strong, independent women who do not bother following society’s stereotypes. I have also found that she was an upcoming writer in a time where women were not seen as equally gifted as men, and that she did not receive much fame until later on after her death, like most classic writers. I found it unique that she never married, especially during an era where a large portion of a woman’s status and income depended on marriage.
Jane Austen’s ability to create a bridge between romance and realism with wit, a sense of humor, and a dislike of romantic hysteria has always left me awestruck. I have truly loved each and every one of her novels, never seeming to get enough. I would love to praise her on these wonderful masterpieces and ask her many things. I would like to know how the characters lived on after the novel, something she often talked to fans about. I would like to know how she feels about becoming a legacy after her death. I would like to know if she was truly happy on her own or if she just refused to love anyone after Mr. Lefroy. I would like to know how she felt paving the way for female authors and how she dealt with the criticism. I would like to learn more about her time period and what is was like to travel around for months at a time.
If I could have dinner with any historical figure, I would choose Jane Austen because she has always been the heroine of my life. I admire her very much and often reread her excellent novels. I would like to talk to her about how she is a big part of my life and how she, along with her characters, continue to inspire me each and every day.