Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius

Episode
Episode Three
Broadcast Info
2025 (58 mins)
Description
In 1814 Austen, aged 38, has had three novels published, including Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park. These works have earned her a modest income that hints at the promise of financial independence. But a lawsuit against her brother Edward, who owns the house the Austen women live in, threatens this new-found stability, leaving Jane and her family facing potential ruin. Determined to secure her financial future, Austen dives back into her writing, embarking on her most ambitious work yet-Emma. Against the backdrop of a Britain shaken by economic crisis and social unrest following the Napoleonic Wars, Austen turns her critical eye on the disparity between the rich and poor. Emma centres on the wealthy yet self-absorbed Emma Woodhouse. The story is a satirical exploration of privilege and self-awareness, with Emma’s arrogance laid bare in a pivotal and cruel moment when she humiliates the impoverished Miss Bates. The rebukes Emma receives from Mr Knightley become a moral reckoning, urging her to confront her selfishness, and Austen’s audience to confront their own social prejudices. As Austen crafts this masterpiece, she decides it’s time to aim for the top, and approaches London’s elite publisher John Murray, whose stable of authors include literary superstar Lord Byron. With bold self-assurance, Austen negotiates her own terms, refusing to relinquish the copyright of Emma while also funding a second edition of Mansfield Park. Despite setbacks, her efforts lead to a groundbreaking success-Emma sells out its entire first print run, with Murray backing her as the first female novelist on his list. And in a canny marketing move Austen agrees to dedicate the novel to the Prince Regent, despite her own misgivings, cementing her work’s appeal to a wider audience. However, the joy of success is fleeting. Family misfortunes, including Edward’s ongoing lawsuit and her brother Henry’s bankruptcy, plunge Austen into uncertainty once more., Jane channels her life’s losses into a new novel, Persuasion. This deeply personal story, featuring Anne Elliot as a mature heroine grappling with lost love and second chances, mirrors Austen’s own experiences. The narrative’s emotional climax-a love letter from Captain Wentworth-stands as one of literature’s most poignant declarations of romantic fidelity. Amid worsening health, Austen begins writing Sanditon, mocking her own infirmity. She introduces an ensemble of comedic characters and hypochondriacs in one of her funniest works. But as her illness worsens the work is left unfinished. In her final days, Austen dictates her final verses to her devoted sister Cassandra. Writing until the very end - Austen’s humour and wit are undiminished as her body fails her. Jane Austen dies in 1817 at the age of 41, leaving a legacy that reshaped literature forever. Her pioneering voice paves the way for future literary giants, her mastery of narrative continues to resonate, while her humour and understanding of human nature win over generations of new readers.
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/253373 (Accessed 21 Oct 2025)