Two Centuries after Austen
One of the original bestselling authors, Jane Austen (1775-1817) has successfully managed to
bridge the gap between what is often perceived as the non-negotiable chasm between canonical
and popular literature. Her works, two centuries after her demise, are, in fact without
exaggeration, more popular now than in her own period. Once written off as an author who
provides the readers with a limited perspective of the world — as her characters are seemingly
unperturbed by political events, Austen shows unparalleled finesse in depicting the characters
and setting using a “fine brush” to artistically explore and exploit her “two inches of ivory”.
What is evident, debates regarding her subject matter notwithstanding, is that Austen’s popularity
has not faded. Right from the first stage production of her work, The Bennets in 1901 to the
currently-on-air Kumkum Bhagya — a Hindi TV soap opera inspired by Sense and Sensibility,
Austen has successfully straddled generations of readers as well as continents and cultures.
Earlier known simply as a novelist who wrote in the tradition of the “novels of sensibility” and
one who was part of the transition to nineteenth century realism, Austen is now appropriated by
various sections of the intelligentsia. As the conservative Gene Koppel grudgingly pointed out,
the ambiguity of Austen’s works lends them to multi-dimensional interpretations.
On Jane Austen’s two hundredth death anniversary, Spring Magazine for English Literature
invites articles that explore these interpretations that Austen’s works encourage. The
ramifications of Austen’s works when interpreted using literary theories will be dealt with in this
issue. Broad areas include (but are not limited to):
•Jane Austen and Psychoanalysis
•Deconstruction and Jane Austen
•Marxism and Jane Austen
