My Life in the Regency Era

During the Regency Era, which somwhat overlapped the Romantic Period, men were generally the educated money-makers of the family. However, in my family, education was highly valued, and my father was insistent that both his sons and daughters be equally educated. In my day, marriage was the social norm, and it was often the only way for a lady to aquire economic security.

My father was one of the most influential people in my life. Though he died when I was young, he instilled many values in me. From his clergy man background, he taught me that the philosophes of the Enlightenment were wrong and ungodly. He taught me that the most important thing in life was Church, and I still hold to that today.

I grew up learning to value the beauties of nature and the individual. I was taught to appreciate creativity, imagination, and human emotions. I grew up intrigued by the separation of people because of society's set social classes. My friends and I, along with the rest of the people of my day, were intrigued by the possibility of geniuses and heroes both in reality and in fiction. I longed to understand how human thoughts and emotions played out when different conflicts arose.

It is because of these experiences and beliefs that I became a writer. I enjoy using satire to mock some of society's ridiculous customs, but I try to keep my writing styles eloquent and elegant. Some people have said that my writings mark a transition from neoclassicism to romanticism, and I think I must agree.