This essay is intended to compare both novels regarding their attempt to criticize patriarchy and conducts of the time by sometimes more and sometimes less obvious means of comedy. It shall be discussed, how both writers gain the attention of the audience towards social critique through their narrative techniques as well as through means of characterization. It is to find that although the narrative styles, as well as the stories, seem different, there are certain features which appear similar or create a similar effect and are used in order to call attention to the civilian inequality between men and women.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Narrative Techniques
3. Stereotypes as means of social critique
4. Tricksters as means of social critique
5. Mouthpieces for the heroine
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This study explores how Frances Burney’s "Evelina" and Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice" employ comedy as a subversive tool to critique the patriarchal structures and rigid social conventions of the 18th and 19th centuries. By analyzing narrative techniques, character stereotypes, and the role of "trickster" figures, the paper investigates how these authors navigated the social limitations placed upon women while effectively voicing their dissent.
- Comparison of epistolary and free indirect narrative styles.
- Use of stock figures and stereotypes to satirize male behavior.
- The role of "trickster" characters in challenging social norms.
- Mouthpieces as vehicles for the heroines' repressed desires and observations.
- Subliminal social critique within the context of "conduct literature."
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
During the 18th and 19th century, women, especially middle class women, had a hard life to lead. Always a man’s property with no right for themselves, they were supposed to be the “Angel in the House”, the Victorian image of the ideal woman, who is devoted and submissive to her husband and family. However, a strong development concerning the role of the female within literature can be seen. From, speaking literary, the English Restoration onwards, many literates, especially female writers such as Aphra Behn, Eliza Haywood, and George Eliot expounded the problems of the women’s status in their work through the centuries. Although the term “feminism” did not yet exist, certain polemics, plays, and also novels show features of what we today would call ‘feminist traits’. A few authoresses even attempted to combine the contradictory topics of ‘woman’s status’ and ‘comedy’ in novels in order to highlight their concern, which was a highly difficult issue, as female writers had a very bad status during that time. It caused many female authors to publish their works either anonymously, or, as for example in George Eliot’s case, under a male pseudonym. Furthermore, most of the critique was done subliminal. The two novels focused on in this study were written during that time. One of them, Frances Burney’s Evelina; or the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World, was first published anonymously in 1778. At that time, so-called conduct books were very popular. They were young girls’ guide to “good behaviour, concerned with morality, deportment, manners and religion” Evelina was thus published as such a guide. The plot matches the genre perfectly: A young girl of 16, Evelina, leaves her sheltered home to get introduced into society. She learns the rules and etiquette of society by her mistakes, but stays her virtuous self and is thus able to marry a wealthy man of high rank.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical context of women in the 18th and 19th century and introduces the two novels as vehicles for subtle social critique.
2. Narrative Techniques: Examines how Burney's epistolary style and Austen's free indirect style guide reader sympathy and facilitate ironic commentary.
3. Stereotypes as means of social critique: Analyzes the use of flat characters like Mr. Lovel and Mr. Collins to satirize sexist behaviors and patriarchal marriage markets.
4. Tricksters as means of social critique: Discusses how characters like Mrs. Selwyn and Lydia Bennet challenge authority and disregard standard codes of female behavior.
5. Mouthpieces for the heroine: Explores how male characters such as Captain Mirvan and Mr. Bennet serve as external voices for the heroines' private frustrations.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how both authors utilized comedy to critique society without risking censorship, effectively contributing to the era's social debates.
Keywords
Frances Burney, Jane Austen, Evelina, Pride and Prejudice, Social Critique, Patriarchy, Comedy, Satire, Epistolary Method, Free Indirect Style, Stereotypes, Trickster, Mouthpiece, Conduct Books, Gender Roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic work?
This work examines the use of comedy and satire in the novels of Frances Burney and Jane Austen as a means of criticizing the patriarchal societal norms of the 18th and 19th centuries.
What are the central themes discussed in the analysis?
The central themes include the critique of marriage markets, the subversion of patriarchal authority, the role of women in society, and the effectiveness of different narrative techniques in masking social commentary.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The research aims to demonstrate how both authors successfully used subtle, comedic narrative strategies to critique civilian inequality while operating within a restrictive social environment.
Which scientific methodologies are employed?
The paper utilizes literary analysis of narrative styles, characterization, and applies theoretical frameworks such as the "trickster" concept and Freudian psychic apparatus to interpret character behavior.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body evaluates narrative techniques, the use of stereotypes (fops), the function of "trickster" figures, and the role of specific characters as mouthpieces for the heroines.
Which keywords characterize this research?
The work is characterized by terms such as satire, feminism, patriarchy, narrative technique, and social critique.
How does Burney’s epistolary method serve the purpose of social critique?
By using an epistolary format, Burney creates a subjective, intimate perspective that allows the heroine to navigate societal follies while simultaneously providing a platform for satirical observation.
Why are characters like Mr. Bennet and Captain Mirvan considered "mouthpieces"?
They are termed mouthpieces because they express the blunt, defiant, and satirical thoughts that the heroines—bound by strict social etiquette—are unable to articulate themselves in public.
How does the "trickster" figure function in these novels?
Tricksters, such as Mrs. Selwyn or Lydia Bennet, act as agents of subversion who disregard gendered behavioral codes, thereby challenging male authority and highlighting the absurdities of society.
What role does the "free indirect style" play in Austen’s critique?
It creates a dual voice that merges the narrator's perspective with the character’s, allowing for irony and distance that facilitates satirical excoriation of the characters' behaviors.
- Citation du texte
- Anonym (Auteur), 2009, Social Critique through Comedy - Frances Burney’s "Evelina" and Jane Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/201798
