public,and by the 1940sshe had become widely accepted in academia as a great English writer.The second halfofthe 20th century saw a proliferation ofAustenscholarship and the emergence ofa Janeite fan culture Biographical informationconcerning Jane Austen is"famously scarce",according to one biographer.[7]Only some personal and family letters remain(by one estimate only 160 out of Austen's 3,000 letters are extant),[8]and her sister Cassandra (to whom most ofthe letters were originally addressed)burned "the greater part"ofthe ones she kept and censored those she did not destroy.[9]Other letters were destroyed by the heirs of Admiral Francis Austen,Jane's brother.[10]Most ofthe biographical material produced for fifty years after Austen's death was written by her relatives and reflects the family's biases in favour of"good quiet Aunt Jane".Scholars have unearthed little information since.[7] II.Early life and education Austen was born on 16 December 1775 at Steventon rectory 0. and publicly christened on 5 April 1776.[21]After a few months at home,her mother placed Austen with Elizabethpublic, and by the 1940s she had become widely accepted in academia as a great English writer. The second half of the 20th century saw a proliferation of Austen scholarship and the emergence of a Janeite fan culture. Biographical information concerning Jane Austen is "famously scarce", according to one biographer.[7]Only some personal and family letters remain (by one estimate only 160 out of Austen's 3,000 letters are extant),[8] and her sister Cassandra (to whom most of the letters were originally addressed) burned "the greater part" of the ones she kept and censored those she did not destroy.[9]Other letters were destroyed by the heirs of Admiral Francis Austen, Jane's brother.[10]Most of the biographical material produced for fifty years after Austen's death was written by her relatives and reflects the family's biases in favour of "good quiet Aunt Jane". Scholars have unearthed little information since.[7] II. Early life and education Austen was born on 16 December 1775 at Steventon rectory and publicly christened on 5 April 1776.[21] After a few months at home, her mother placed Austen with Elizabeth 10’