A Jane Austen Love

I'm an avid Jane Austen fan and I'm deviating a bit from what I normally write about and in fact, I have been a bit missing in action for awhile now.  I struggle with finishing my novel, expanding our non-profit and so much more.  I truly believe I have some form of attention deficit or I just merely want to do it all.  I had a conversation with my father not too long ago about how he has never truly been excellent at one thing because he dabbled in so many others things and I found myself nodding in agreement with myself.  I'm a causality of my father but that is okay because at least I can experience a lot.  So I deviated from my topic at hand.


I've watched too many time then I care to admit Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Becoming Jane.  I somehow think I'm missing one but for the life of me I cannot recall it and I don't feel like opening a new window on my slow laptop.  I know Gweneth Paltrow made a version of it.  So Becoming Jane, although much was assumed, presumed or otherwise just made up, it a look into Jane's life with what was presumed to be the love of her life that got away.  Tom Lefroy made an equal match for her and the story of Becoming Jane is a story that leaves you sad for Jane.  If you know much about Jane Austen, you know she died fairly young.  Her stories that I noted above all evolve around love and they are passionate, nearly impossible love that endures and has a happy ending.  Hence, one scene from Becoming Jane where she is talking to Cassandra after the death of Robert and tells her that her story is of two sisters who go through tragic situations but end up in love.


Back to the point of this post.  Jane wrote of such depth and of such love that it would seem impossible for her to not have experienced it herself.  There is speculation on what she actually did versus did not do but unfortunately, Cassandra destroyed many of Jane's correspondences out of respect so not a lot is known.  To watch the movies, you see the love and the anguish they produce.  Pride and Prejudice is a perfect example of love that was not suppose to be due to one's station in life but you cannot help but fall for Mr. Darcy and relish in their love and the passionate fire they had for one another.  Or in Persuasion, as you see the continued regret Ann carries for giving up her one true love and all she has to do to find it again.  Mansfield Park is no different.  All stories of forbidden love or love blocked yet all persevered. It leaves you longing for the intensity or just wondering how she could have made that up.  Nonetheless, her stories continue to endure the changes of time but are timely in forbidden love and the mix of family complications.  Each time I watch Becoming Jane, I want to change the story so her and Lefroy can go off and live happily ever after.