Jane Austen

Austen was socially quite well connected among the 'middling rich'. She would likely have had a similar status to the Bennett family within Pride and Prejudice. Austen herself nor her sister ever married, and this could influence how Mrs Bennett in Pride and Prejudice was tremendously pushy to get her daughters married, as her own mother may have been like that.

Austen also had irregular teaching at school, so was often taught at home, at times by herself from books. Such heavy reading may have possibly influenced her aspirations of becoming an author.

Austen frequently attended social gatherings, which often meant dancing either at someone's home after dinner or organised dances at assembly rooms in the town hall. Such events have clearly affected her work. In Pride and Prejudice, much of the socialising and meeting new people was done at arranged dances.