Lucy Worsley on The Death of Jane Austen
People Who Made History
•
27m
Famous the world over for her wit, social observation and insight into the lives of early 19th century women, Jane Austen remains one of the Britain’s most respected and beloved novelists. She famously lived a ‘life without incident’, but in fact new research reveals a passionate woman who fought for her freedom. A woman who, far from being a lonely spinster, in fact had at least five marriage prospects, but who in the end refused to settle for anything less than Mr Darcy. Now we lift back the curtain her life, examining some of the spaces and places that mattered to her. It wasn’t all country houses and ballrooms, but a life that was often a painful struggle. As a member of the pseudo gentry, her situation was often precarious and always pushed her towards marrying for financial security. But as a strong, forward thinking woman, Jane was determined to live by her pen and preserve her independence. In this fascinating episode, Lucy Worsley and Dan Snow visit Jane Austen’s house to uncover the truth about how she really lived from day to day, explore little-known alternate paths that her life could have taken, and confront the mystery and tragedy of her early death.
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