Friday, 19 December 2025

JANE AUSTEN MEANS TO ME — A Creative Reflection

  


I first met Jane Austen in the quiet corridors of my M.A. classroom, when Pride and Prejudice was placed in my hands like a secret key. I didn’t know then that I was opening a door I would never close again. Elizabeth Bennet’s voice lingered long after the lecture ended, and somewhere between Darcy’s silences and Austen’s wit, I realised I had stepped into a world shaped by a woman who understood hearts better than history ever could.

My second encounter was with Emma—mischievous, meddling, magnificent Emma—who showed me that flaws can be charming, and growth can be gentle. Through Austen’s heroines, I felt a quiet power rising, a confidence stitched through every sentence, a reminder that women could think, choose, dream, and steer their own stories.

To me, Jane Austen is not just a writer; she is a force. An epitome of the power of the written word. A woman destined not only to craft novels, but to inspire generations. She educates without sermons, empowers without noise, and leads by simply being herself on the page.

Even today, as I turn her chapters, I feel guided—by her clarity, her courage, her subtle rebellion. Jane Austen means illumination. She means companionship. She means the assurance that a woman’s voice, however soft, can echo across centuries

 

(This blogpost is a part of : As part of the celebration in 2025 of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, the Society is inviting Janeites from around the world to make a recording on “what Jane Austen means to me”. We are calling it “The 2 Minute Tribute”.

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JANE AUSTEN MEANS TO ME — A Creative Reflection

   I first met Jane Austen in the quiet corridors of my M.A. classroom, when Pride and Prejudice was placed in my hands like a secret key. ...