This dissertation demonstrates Anthony Powell's skillful adaptation of the traditional Bildunqsroman of youth and his innovative employment of an emerging genre--the Bildunqsroman of middle age--in order to unfold the story of Nicholas Jenkins, his narrator/protagonist, and especially to develop Jenkins as a character who moves through distinct cycles of change that are analyzed in detail. In addition, looking at Powell's work within the traditional and midlife Bildunqsroman and contrasting the characteristics of the second developmental stage with the first allows not only for analysis of the newer genre as practiced by Powell but also for provisional definition of the Bildunqsroman of middle life as written by some other contemporary novelists.Jenkins's youthful cycle of development occurs within the first trilogy or spring "season" of Powell's series; the midlife narrative, in the third trilogy or autumn "season." Although Powell's basic metaphor of the dance through time insists on constant change, these transitional seasons of quickened movement make possible the relatively peaceful productivity of summer, the ripeness of winter. In the first trilogy, Jenkins educates himself from the negative examples of failed mentors. Out of his interest in others, his greatest strength, Jenkins develops compassionate and imaginative powers of observation and discovers his identity and vocation as a writer. In the third trilogy, which begins in loss of vocation, Jenkins is forced onto a more challengingroad of trials than he travelled in youth and into recognition that even one's own identity cannot remain the same. In the process of constructing a new self, Jenkins must discover newways of thinking about what constitutes useful human activity.Among the topics considered also in discussion of the newer genre are contrasting definitions of successful action in youth and in middle age, the more open endings of the midlife narratives, as well as the possibility of differing male and female models for midlife Bildunqsromane. Study ofthe complexity of Jenkins's development, therefore, reveals new complexity in the development of the English novel itself. / Department of English

'Women and independence in the nineteenth century novel : a study of Austen, Trollope and James', begins with the concept of independence and works through the three most common usages of the word. The first, financial independence (not needing to earn one's livelihood) appears to be a necessary prerequisite for the second and third forms of independence, although it is by no means an unequivocal good in any of the novels. The second, intellectual independence (not depending on others for one's opinion or conduct; unwilling to be under obligation to others), is a matter of asserting independence while employing terms which society recognizes. The third, of being independent, is exemplified by an inward struggle for a knowledge of self. In order to trace the development of the idea of self during the nineteenth century, I have chosen a group of novels which seem to be representative of the beginning, the middle, and the end of the period. Particular attention is given to the characterizations of Emma Woodhouse, Glencora Palliser, Isabel Archer, Milly Theale and Maggie Verver. Whereas in Jane Austen's novels the self has a definite shape which the heroine must discover, and in Anthony Trollope's novels the self (reflecting the idea of socially-determined man) must learn to accommodate social and political changes, in Henry James's novels the self determined by external manifestations (hollow man) is posed against the exercise of the free spirit or soul. Jane Austen's novels look backward, as she reacts against late eighteenth century romanticism, and forward, with the development of the heroine who exemplifies intellectual independence. Anthony Trollope's women characters are creatures of social and political adaptation; although they do not derive their reason for being from men, they must accommodate themselves to men's wishes. And Henry James looks backward, wistfully, at Austen's solid, comforting, innocent self and forward, despairingly, to the dark, unknowable self of the twentieth century.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Auckland, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-159).

Zugl.: Osnabrück, Univ., Diss., 2006

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 267-300.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-122). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 250-263).

Thesis--Stockholm. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 127-139).

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-147).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Dallas Theological Seminary, 2000. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 250-263).