Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist known for her keen social observations and mastery of irony in depicting the lives and manners of the British landed gentry. Her six major novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion —explore themes of love, marriage, and economic security, often with a satirical edge that critiques the limited opportunities available to women in her time.