Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius

Episode
Episode One
Broadcast Info
2025 (59 mins)
Description
Jane Austen begins her journey from imaginative teenager to brilliant author who redefined literature. This is the tale of a young woman’s rise from obscurity, as she discovers her artistic voice and approaches the brink of greatness. At 17, Jane Austen is living in the village of Steventon, Hampshire, surrounded by a large family. Her father, George, a clergyman on a modest income, has a library of over 500 books-a treasure trove for a budding writer. Immersed in the classics, history, and the emerging genre of the novel, Austen begins to tell her own stories - purely for her family at first. Her early writings are filled with sharp humour and rebellious characters. One of her first stories, The Beautiful Cassandra, features her sister as a mischievous heroine. Austen’s teenage years are shaped by the expectation that she should marry. Women in Georgian England face limited opportunities. But Jane yearns for more, drawing inspiration from her unconventional cousin Eliza, a vivacious widow who survived the horrors of the French Revolution. Eliza’s boldness and radical ideas ignite Austen’s imagination, leading to her first substantial work, Lady Susan. Despite her literary ambitions, Austen faces the harsh reality of rejection and personal heartbreak. A brief romance with a young man, Tom Lefroy, is cut short due to his family’s disapproval, leaving Austen to channel her disappointment into her work. By 21, she completes a draft of First Impressions, the precursor to Pride and Prejudice, only to have it rejected by a London publisher-a blow that only redoubles her resolve. As she faces down rejection her father makes her a present of a portable writing desk, an investment in her talent and symbol of his belief in her. However, her world is rocked when her father retires, forcing the family to leave Steventon and sell the library-a devastating loss for Jane. Relocating to Bath, she endures the pressures of the marriage market. The seaside town of Sidmouth offers a brief reprieve and the promise of love, but tragedy strikes again when her suitor dies suddenly, deepening her sense of loss. Austen embarks on her masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice. The novel’s famous opening line encapsulates the precarious reality of women’s dependence on a husband for security. Elizabeth Bennet, Austen’s spirited and intelligent protagonist, becomes a vehicle for exploring themes of love, class, and power. The turning point in Austen’s life comes with a marriage proposal from Harris Bigg-Wither, a wealthy suitor. Initially accepting, Austen then abruptly withdraws her consent, choosing independence over security. This bold decision mirrors her literary heroines’ insistence on marrying for love. Through her wit, defiance, and keen understanding of human nature, Jane Austen emerges as a trailblazer.
Genre
Literature

How to cite this record

The Open University, "Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ou/search/index.php/prog/253357 (Accessed 30 Mar 2026)