The treatment of emotion in Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë

Thesis



(Note: this summary does not exactly follow the physical organisation of the thesis. I expect the reader to read the two appendices between Chapters 1 and 2: this is therefore where I include their arguments below.)

Charlotte Brontë wrote some memorable criticism of Jane Austen. What particularly affronted her was Jane Austen's treatment of emotion. This suggests grounds for comparison. If conducted historically the comparison makes more sense. It also helps to consider the novel as 'conjectural history', i.e. to assign (some) novels not to the category of make- believe (creating imaginary worlds which only make sense if certain conventions are accepted), nor that of lying (evoking possible but partial worlds for consolation), but that of guesswork (considering what might have happened in this world).

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Authors: Scannell, M; Scannell, M. J. A.

• Publication date: 1975
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Subjects: Criticism and interpretation; Emotions in literature