Just Jane (33 page)

Thirty years after her death, Jane Austen’s nephew James Edward wrote a biography of his aunt. There were few people left who’d known her personally. Surely this nephew would offer some profound insight as to the real Jane.

Sadly, James Edward got it wrong. To expand on the notes at the end of the book, he said, “Of events her life was singularly barren: few changes and no great crisis ever broke the smooth current of its course. Even her fame may be said to have been posthumous: it did not attain to any vigorous life till she had ceased to exist. Her talents did not introduce her to the notice of other writers, or connect her with the literary world, or in any degree pierce through the obscurity of her domestic retirement.” Although the last part of his assessment offers some truth, the first line angers me. Barren? Without change and crisis? I try to find excuses for this nephew. I try to remember his memories are that of a young boy and his words may be couched with the prejudices of a nineteenth-century male.

For I found Jane’s life to be quite full and eventful. Evident among her days are every dose of emotion. And I find there to be crisis enough for any one life. (I dare James Edward to compete, incident for incident!) Her nephew’s disconcerting opinion aside, amid my readings I discovered a Jane Austen whom I would have liked to call friend. She was witty, wise, discerning, creative, and loyal. She was also stubborn, judgmental, insecure, and needy. She was . . . a lot like us.

I find that fact to be one of the most enlightening things that comes out of writing bio-novels about women in history. No matter when they lived or where they lived, the core of who they were and what they desired from life parallels our own issues and quest to find purpose and meaning. Jane’s lifelong search to find a place to belong, a place to feel secure and confident in herself, is our search.

That is one reason why her novels have endured for two hundred years. Jane Austen wrote about people. In her stories, the world does not intrude with catastrophe or universal tragedy. The crises her characters experience develop from their everyday lives, from their families, and from their society—that though small, still wields a mighty influence. There are rules and morals, and right and wrong amid God’s constant presence. Conversely, there are people who break the rules, bend the morals, and choose wrongly. And as they do so, and as they suffer the consequences or the victory of their actions, we empathize with them and celebrate with a sense of camaraderie. We are among friends. Jane’s stories are our stories, and ours, hers (minus our sad lack of barouches, bonnets, and balls).

How I wish Jane knew the impact her stories have on millions of people around the world. All those Jane Austen societies . . . . Jane, a woman who never ventured beyond England, would be astonished. And humbled. Yet most likely, she would still prefer to spend her days within her beloved Chawton Cottage. Her true home. Her true place to be just Jane.

May you find your true place to be just . . . you. And may you, like Jane, journey forward to find your unique purpose.

Fondly,

Nancy Moser

As a novelist, making things up is my forte. Yet in writing
Just Jane
I strove to discover the facts about Jane Austen’s life. In a bio-novel it’s my job to “scene-out” true-life events, not to change them. Unfortunately, there are often gaps in the information and I have to do what I’m loath to do: guess. There are many biographies about Jane, and many of the letters she sent to her sister, Cassandra, still exist. But after Jane’s death, Cassandra purposely destroyed a great many of those letters. Yet the very fact she left us some suggests the letters she destroyed were probably the ones where Jane’s deepest emotions were expressed. I found a disconcerting silence during many crisis moments in Jane’s life. How I longed for a letter where she let it all out! When confronted with these times of silence, I had to fend for her, imagine how Jane might have felt, and yes, perhaps borrow a bit of how
I
might have felt. For that is probably the largest area of freedom I’ve taken—in regard to Jane’s feelings. Jane belonged to a family where being pragmatic was a given. Great effusions of emotion were not acceptable. Forgive me, Jane, if I got it wrong. I tried to be true to you—and I even used your own words when possible. Below is the truth as I know it . . . and notation where I was forced to fudge. I hope the list adds to your enjoyment of the book and does not disappoint.

• Jane never noted the real-life inspiration for her characters, yet many associations
can
be made. The symbolic correlation of certain books being written during certain times was never boldly alluded to but seems logical. I’m sure there are many more incidents of art imitating life.

• The letters to and from publishers regarding Jane’s work are actual.

• The personalities and relationships of Jane’s family are based on facts derived from their actions and Jane’s letters. I find the entire family delightful, even amid their flaws and foibles.

• Jane’s feelings toward household duties, illness, suitors, her sisters-in-law, people at dances, her parents’ decision to move to Bath, and the rules of society: I used quotations from her letters when appropriate, while employing a novelist’s freedom to have her muse about certain subjects while in certain settings. Although the actual moment and method of the musings are my own creation, I truly believe the content of those introspective times suit Jane—and are common to many who deal with such issues.

• Jane’s love life: No one really knows why she held on to her connection with Tom Lefroy for three years with little encouragement. Jane had plenty of male attention. She was a good conversationalist and a talented dancer. But as she got older, and after witnessing the forced flirtation that epitomized Bath, her savvy realization that finding a mate was often inane, illogical, and unfair made her particular. William Jones, the man she met at Devon, who died before they could meet again, may or may not have been real (his name is my creation). There is evidence of such a romance with an unnamed gentleman, but it’s fleeting. (Oh, to read the missing letters!) But the engagement to Harris Bigg-Wither (and the breaking of the engagement) is very real. I believe this event signaled Jane’s decision to let the mating game go on without her. Unable to find her own Mr. Darcy, she created him!

• Jane and her family often traveled to visit one another. The trips I mention occurred, with the essence of each visit factual. Actually, there were more trips than I had the time and pages to note! Without telephones or e-mail, people had to meet in person. Imagine that.

• There is an overlying lack of control in Jane’s life. Other people made decisions that affected her in dramatic ways—without her say. This is one reason why she clung to Cassandra and later to Martha. They didn’t attempt to control her. Her need to find some level of power led to her eventual discovery of contentment within her singleness. She could fight being single and become bitter or accept it as
her
choice and be happy. This issue of control often found a voice within her books.

• True friendship was very important to Jane: Cassandra, Martha, the Bigg sisters. But friendship for friendship’s sake (as with Mrs. Chamberlayne in Bath) was tedious. Jane didn’t need
many
. The
few
sufficed and fed her. And she fed them.

• Home and stability were essential ingredients to Jane’s well-being
and
to her creative process. For eight years (the Bath years) Jane didn’t write. There are few tangible details as to why she didn’t create or what she was going through. Facts suggest she
was
miserable. As a writer I know environment and mental state are vitally important. Jane’s elucidations during this time are mine but I believe tap in to the essence of what she must have been feeling. Her emotions had to have been strong and unnerving for her to stop doing what she loved to do—for so long. Again, if only we had her letters . . . .

• In Chapter 14 Jane’s mentor, Anne Lefroy, dies on her birthday . . . . I’d already written the scene where Jane wakes up in the middle of the night when I discovered Anne died on that very day! I looked up the state of the moon and added it to the scene, along with Jane’s revelation regarding the timing. A poignant happenstance. An author moment Jane might have appreciated.

• Jane is shown taking her manuscripts along wherever she traveled. This is a fact—as is the time when they were left on a coach! Considering all the visiting she did, her unwillingness to have them out of her possession is telling. They
were
her children, even before she realized as much.

• In Chapter 17 Jane stays behind when the family goes driving. This is noted in her letters and I believe it’s symbolic. By this time she was in her mid-thirties and was starting to go against the grain when she felt the need. She was learning who Jane was—and what Jane needed. She was learning how to be “just Jane.”

• Were Cassandra or Mrs. Knight instrumental in getting Edward to offer Chawton House to the ladies? No one knows.
I’d
like to know why he didn’t offer such assistance earlier. Why were the ladies left to fend for three years before he offered relief? I believe he was a nice man, busy with eleven children, no wife, and a large estate. A man in need of a push. Hence, enter the two women who cared most for Jane and her talent—and who knew of her need for
home
.

• I found the Austen pragmatism very interesting. They were not
allowed
to wallow in grief. Although their reactions sometimes seem cold, imagine what Jane’s life—including her writing—would have been like if she’d been brought up otherwise.

• Jane was a parson’s daughter yet rarely mentioned God in her novels. I believe this is because faith was an integral part of her life—of most people’s lives. Faith was a constant that held them together. As with emotions, faith was not discussed or analyzed. It just was. God
was
. The scenes in which I mention her faith meld her pragmatic nature with the common need of all people to seek Him in times of extreme crisis and delight.

• What did success mean to Jane? Certainly she was thrilled with the independence that came with earning an income, but she didn’t seek riches. She just wanted to be treated fairly and to be given
enough
. Most importantly, publication was vindication her work had merit. She loved praise and was bothered by criticism but did not need fame. In this she and I are the same. “Just let me write” is a philosophy we share.

• Jane’s voice: I didn’t attempt to match the unique “voice” of Jane’s writing, only to hint at it. No one can write like Jane Austen. Besides, one’s speaking voice is different from one’s written voice, and since
Just Jane
involves Jane telling us
her
story . . . I hope my attempt pleases you.

A piece of trivia: The sections of this book were titled from Jane’s epitaph: Intimate Connections, Deepest Affliction, Humble Hope, and Extraordinary Endowments. I could mention more items, but this is the gist of it. I wish to thank the following biographers for their insightful books that were invaluable:
Jane Austen
by Claire Tomalin;
Becoming Jane Austen
by Jon Spence;
Jane Austen: My Life
by Park Honan; and
Jane Austen’s World
by Maggie Lane. I also want to thank my editor, Helen Molter, who has an amazing eye for fact and fiction and the melding of the two. May the main
fact
of this book be your enjoyment, along with a deeper appreciation of its subject and her talent.

1. In Chapter 6, Jane is faced with a huge disappointment in regard to Tom Lefroy. Yet in her grief, she realizes she has a choice to wallow in her “unhappiness or make a determined choice to leave it behind and move forward. Life is not fair—nor often understandable. But it is ours to live to the best of our ability.” When have you wallowed in unhappiness? When have you chosen to set some unhappiness aside and move forward? What were the results?

2. Jane is devastated by her family’s move to Bath. Much of her frustration involves not being consulted about the decision. When has a life-changing decision been made in your life without your knowledge or consent? How did it make you feel? How did it turn out?

3. In Chapter 7, after the move to Bath, Jane notices: “The parts people play in Bath are varied and are actually quite inconsequential. Their desire to be on stage is the driving force here—to be seen and to see. And to catch and be caught by the opposite gender.” As far as the mating game goes . . . what has really changed between then and now?

4. In Chapter 7, Jane is frustrated with the practice of marrying for reasons other than love. She says, “And what of God? Does He not get involved? Is His will not instrumental toward bringing two people together in a way that is both pleasing to Him
and
suits His plans?” Yet later in the book Jane realizes her singleness was part of God’s plan for her life. In society today, remaining single is still a challenging condition. When can it be a calling?

5. Throughout the book, Cassandra and Martha Lloyd encourage Jane with her writing. Who encourages you to use your talents? Whom do you encourage?

6. Jane finds she cannot create without having certain elements in place. What are those elements? What are the elements you need in order to create? What do you do to ensure these elements are present? (What
could
you do?)

7. Jane offers biting commentary about other people. Yet most of the time it’s only Cassandra who hears such opinions. We all think bad thoughts about others, so . . . what should we do about them? What is the importance of having a trusted confidante who
could
hear all? Who is your confidante? Who confides in you?

8. In Chapter 13, Jane accepts Harris’s proposal—for a short time. What do you think about her choice? Have you ever changed your mind regarding such a life-altering decision? In the end, did you make the right choice? (Did she?)

9. In Chapter 14, Jane says, “I hold on to the meager strength of being . . . just Jane. I will admit that ‘just Jane’ seems to gain insight from hard times. I wish to ask the Almighty about this, for why do we learn more from struggles than victories? I’m certain He has His reasons.” Have you found peace in being just
you
? How have hard times helped you in this discovery?

10. Jane recognizes that Cassandra is much better at nurturing others than she is. It’s one of her sister’s gifts. Looking around the room at your friends . . . what are their gifts? What are yours? How do all of you together make a better whole?

11. In Chapter 20, Eliza is dying and—to Jane’s surprise—asks for Jane. Have you ever had someone feel a connection to you that overshadows your connection to them?

12. Jane and her family often had to deal with death. They did so very stoically, in a pragmatic manner. How do you and your family handle death? Is there a
best
way?

13. In Chapter 20, Jane celebrates her big moment—the publication of
Pride and Prejudice
—alone with her mother and a clueless neighbor. Very anticlimactic. Name a time you’ve been forced to celebrate a big event in a noneventful way.

14. What is your favorite Jane Austen novel? Why? Why do you think it has endured two hundred years?

15. In Chapter 20, Jane is frustrated when her niece Anna gives up her writing. When have you become frustrated with someone giving up their talent too soon? Have you given up
your
talent too soon?

16. Jane’s purpose was achieved—though not according to her plans. What do you think is God’s plan for
your
life? How has He worked beyond
your
plans? What are you doing toward achieving your unique purpose? How has Jane inspired you?