By: Aysha Schurman
Jane Austen writing tends to be witty and romantic. Though her name never appeared on her published books during her life, Austin's works rose to fame after her death in 1817. In fact, her popular books, such as Pride and Prejudice, have never gone out of print. She is now considered one of England's most famous novelists.
Writing Style
Austen's writing style is a mix of neoclassicism and romanticism. Neoclassicism encourages reason and restraint in writing. It is logical and follows a structured form. Romanticism encourages passion and imagination in writing. It is emotional and follows a flowing form. Mixing these two styles may seem impossible, but layering neoclassicism and romanticism together was one of Austen's strong talents.
Austen used her sharp and sarcastic wit in all of her writing. She could come up with a powerful and dramatic scene on one page and lead it into a biting and satirical scene on the next page. Her high intelligence and impressive education allowed her to slip deep and meaningful insights into her words, regardless if the topic was romance or politics.
Scenery
Austen never focused on scenery or stage setting in her novels. She laid out the basics and allowed the resulting dialogue to explain the details in a natural manner. This technique was rather rare for Austen's time. Most of her contemporary authors could include chapters of text just to describe a stone bridge. The lack of indulgent details displays the basic neoclassic style Austen preferred to follow when it came to descriptive passages.
Characters
Austen may have used neoclassicism as her primary writing style, but she added a romantic touch when it came to her characters. Austen's dialogue can range from sharp and witty to poetic and emotional. Her characters' words and actions build up slowly to create a vivid picture of each person. She focuses heavily on the art of conversation and allows it to display the growth and development of the main characters.
