Fancy Burney Biography

Who is the mother of English fiction?

Fancy Burney is called The Mother of English Fiction.

Literature has always remained the pen to the pages of History with eminent poets documenting their views, thoughts, and perspectives of the social situation at their time.

Fancy Burney, the eminent writer from England of the 18th century has fabricated her thoughts and passion for writing, in her books, journals, letters, plays, and diaries.

Early Life of Fancy Burney

Amid social disturbances and family restrictions, she chose the right wings which in turn helped her to fly high thus becoming an inspiration to many women and writers who dream to establish their identity.

Born on 13th June 1752, she was the third child of the famous musicologist and composer Charles Burney. From childhood, she loved to scribble which under the influence of her stepmother was stopped but the writer in her overpowered every circumstance to shine as a well known satirical novelist of all time.

Famous works!

Her classics are the quintessential documents making her the Pioneer writer of all times. Jane Austen got sheer inspiration from Fancy Burney’s novel Cecilia which motivated her to write her classic Pride and Prejudice.

‘Evelina or the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into The World ’– The critically claimed and celebrated book of Fancy Burney is her first published novel. She wrote this book at the age of 10 but threw it into the bonfire when her family was going against in making her work public.

How was 18th Century England?

During 18th-century, the English culture was orthodox where female authors were very less, and turning to this kind of career option was not sober and accepted by families.

Our young author was a part of the discrimination too and anonymously published her book in the year 1778, in that same year she published her first set of journals too.

Evelina

Thomas Lowndes is the person who published her first-ever novel –Evelina or the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World. Though the novel had to face so much before reaching the doors of the publication but became critically successful once it was released. Fancy later known as Madame d’Arbla was famous for her witty comic liners also her strong narrative which c

Journals And Diaries

Her journals recorded her passion for reading in her father’s huge library. She was regarded as a great observer, for her detailed record of behaviour and personalities of artistic people who came to visit at their place, in her journals.

In her works, there’s a fine line of sophistication that brings the beauty flowering the relation of the narrator and the character, impressively binding readers to the book. Her other works include The Witlings, Cecilia. 

Frances Burney’s novel The Witlings

– Fancy Burney after receiving great acceptance from the readers,  started writing another dramatic comedy. Being famous as a satirical writer the author brought to light a story of two lovers who were parted because each of their families owned different economical status in society.

A large part of the society faced this irony which the author in the flow of comedy expressed her views, mocking the entire situation. In most of her stories the women protagonist is very strong, she is not among those who love portraying women all beautiful, fragile, and dependent.

Cecilia or the Memoirs of the Heiress

Another great work of the renowned English author where the story narrative relates, thinks, mocks to societal situations burdening the lives of different characters. It was not as celebrated as her first book but the famous writer Jane Austen got her famous book’s witty title Pride and Prejudice by reading Fancy Burney’s book.

As a Writer

In total she wrote four novels, eight plays, one biography, and twenty-five volumes of journals and letters, many of her plays were left unperformed. She got her first proposal when she was 23 but she refused it.

At the Royal Court

In 1785, her connections with metropolitan literates along with the court circles led new things to happen in her life. Mary Granville Delany, a woman of the court assisted her to work for the Royal court where she worked as the keeper of robes, for the Queen.

She at first didn’t feel great about putting all her time working as an official with no time to write. During this phase, her journals remained the only ways through which she expressed her thoughts.

Marriage

During the time of the French Revolution, she met General Alexandre D’Arblay who was an adjutant general to the hero of French Revolution Lafayette. They got married in the year 1793, despite her father’s disapproval. She gave birth to her son Alexander Charles Louis in 1794.

Surgery & death

Frances Burney was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through painful surgery. The English satirical novelist died on 6th January 1840. Her works are the remembrance of the great person she was and is highly acknowledged by authors and scholars for her wittiness and satirical components in her work.

Who did Fancy Burney inspire?

The great satirical writer is the torchbearer and inspiration for great authors like Jane Austen, Maria Edgeworth, and Anne Radcliffe.

Who wrote Evelina?

‘Evelina or the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into The World ’– The critically claimed and celebrated book of Fancy Burney is her first published novel.

What is meant by sister Authoresses?

The group of sophisticated and aristocrat ladies who love reading  Fancy Burney’s writeups is called ‘sister Authoresses’.

Fancy Burney Quotations –

Travelling is the ruin of all happiness! There’s no looking at a building after seeing Italy. – Fancy Burney

I am ashamed of confessing that I have nothing to confess. – Fancy Burney

To despise riches, may, indeed, be philosophic, but to dispense them worthily, must surely be more beneficial to mankind. – Fancy Burney

Who was the father of the English language?

Geoffrey Chaucer is the father of the English Language. He was an English Author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat from London.