János Barcsák, Márta Pellérdi

English literature 1660-1900


The novel of manners

Despite the limited social environment surrounding her cast of characters, Austen succeeds in displaying human nature in a variety of forms; through characters endowed with good nature, sense, foresight, sensibility, wit, or diffidence. They usually have to contend with the conflicting circumstances they or others have caused, and to protect themselves against those who are full of pride, indolence, ruthless ambition, prejudice and ignorance, and will never learn. The novels of Fanny Burney, Maria Edgeworth, and all of Jane Austen’s novels are the best examples of fiction in which the minute study of manners provides an insight into the true nature of a character. In such novels, just as in sentimental fiction, the heroine finds herself in a distressful situation. Her manners usually get her into trouble and lead to a series of misunderstandings. She is capable of learning from her faults, however, and the novel describes the process of moral development. Thus, the novel of manners constitutes a sub-category of the novel of development. In Sense and Sensibility, for instance, Marianne Dashwood realizes that her passionate nature and too much trust in her own intuition and emotions had resulted in a selfish neglect of others. After being abandoned by Willoughby, the young man she loves, her love melancholy develops into an almost fatal illness. Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice learns that subjective first impressions may be wrong and comes to regret that earlier she had refused to marry Mr Darcy. Emma Woodhouse in Emma is humbled in her pride and vanity and learns not to interfere in the lives of others. Catherine Morland of Northanger Abbey discovers that fiction and reality cannot be confused with one another.

English literature 1660-1900

Tartalomjegyzék


Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2018

ISBN: 978 963 454 261 2

A history of the English literature is presented here, with a scope on the years 1660 to 1900. The book is written in three main parts; beginning with the Restoration Period of the 17th century, followed by the first, and second halves of the 18th century. Thus, a sequential development of literary genres is presented, with explorations of the key figures and texts which drove these. The book also synthesises the historical, cultural and sociological background which gave rise to this literature, and allows the reader to effectively contextualise these.

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/barcsak-pellerdi-english-literature-1660-1900//

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