JANE AUSTEN AND THE ENGLISH ENLIGHTENMENT NOVEL: TRADITIONS AND INNOVATIONS
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Abstract
This article explores Jane Austen’s position within the English Enlightenment novel tradition, analyzing how her major works both uphold and innovate upon the period’s literary and philosophical conventions. Through close textual and comparative analysis with prominent Enlightenment novelists such as Richardson, Fielding, and Sterne, the study reveals Austen’s sustained commitment to rational morality and social critique alongside significant narrative and thematic innovations. Key among these is her development of free indirect discourse, nuanced psychological characterization, and a gendered reimagining of Enlightenment ideals. The discussion situates Austen as a transitional figure whose novels bridge the didactic clarity of the eighteenth century and the emergent psychological realism of the nineteenth century, highlighting her role in the evolution of the English novel.
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References
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