and she really lived by her pen...

“I will live by my pen” she would say and the world would laugh her off. These were the words of a very well know romantic fiction novelist, Jane Austen.

Jane Austen, an English lady was born to a humble family in a time known as the “regency period” must have been a real sturdy willed lady. To tell you all why, it’s because this “regency period” referring to the era between the late 70’s and early 80’s (or the times before or afterwards for that matter) were not very “women friendly”. The attires, the fashions, the sports, the interiors etc were not the only things intricate then. This web of intricacy was spread to the atticates, talking, walking , curtsying and a lot more.

Women were like a showcase back then. They were a status symbol, they were the assets exhibited in parties, social gatherings and leisure activities by their spouses. They were devoid of smallest of rights like earning for themselves, inheriting wealth (not even their husband’s). Marriage was the only means for them to have a secure and comfortable future and yes, marrying the one they liked was hardly a possibility. Their job was just to sit around, take care of the house, the kids, and get elaborately and marvelously ready for social appearances not to make them, but to make their husbands noticed in the society. The class segregation was rather lucid. The rich condemned the poor. The hierarchy decided the ranks and the class and nobody could question it.

But this is just a brief history of what happened then. Now this lady “Miss Jane Austen” I mentioned above belonged to that time, with each one opposing her dream to earn through her work. Smitten by love, constrained by responsibilities, obligated by the society she worked her way through all of that and became not just a writer, but earned her living through it. Now my facts might not be all that accurate but this post is just to give a tribute to a lady such strong who with just six novels got so celebrated that after almost two centuries, she is still a known name and curtsy to many more after her who through the extreme of difficulties and social policies made their own name.