This dissertation focuses on the triangulated relationship among female sexuality, patriarchy, and empire and examines literary and historical texts to understand how Britons increasingly identified as imperialists over the course of the nineteenth century. This project, the first book-length study of its kind, features analyses of canonical works like Mansfield Park, David Copperfield, and Adam Bede as well as analyses of paintings, etchings, conference proceedings, newspaper advertisements, colonial reports, political tracts, and medical records from Britain and its colonies. I challenge critical conceptions of the fallen woman as a trope of domestic fiction whose position as outcast illustrates the stigmatization of female sex during the nineteenth century, and I argue that the depiction and punishment of fallen women in multiple genres reveal an interest in protecting and maintaining an imperial system that claims moral superiority over the people it colonizes. My critical stance is both feminist and postcolonial, and my work complicates readings of fallen women in Victorian literature while also adding significantly to scholarship on gender and empire begun by Anne McClintock and Philippa Levine. I claim that during the nineteenth century, the fallen woman comes to represent that which will threaten patriarchal and imperial power, and her regulation reveals an intent to purify the British conscience and strengthen the nation’s sense of itself as a moral and exceptional leader in the world. My investigation into fallenness and empire through a wide range of texts underscores the centrality of imperialism to British society and to the lives of Britons living far removed from colonial sites like India or East Africa.

L’augmentation grandissante de l’attention portée dans les études sur la masculinité tant à la littérature féminine qu’à ses auteurs incite les chercheurs à se pencher de nouveau sur l’icône qu’est le gentilhomme, sur la réponse qu’offre la littérature du XVIIIe siècle face à cette idéalisation de la masculinité, et comment ces standards ont contribué à façonner nos propres perceptions des différenciations des rôles sexuels. Ce mémoire présente une analyse des personnages masculins des romans de Jane Austen, Emma, Persuasion et Mansfield Park, à travers le concept de « masculinité hégémonique » de R.W. Connell, concept qui a eu un impact certain dans les recherches retraçant comment l’histoire et l’hégémonie ont fabriqué les attentes sociales et nationales envers l’homme anglais. Les livres expliquant la conduite à avoir pour être un gentilhomme viril ont sans aucun doute perpétué ces idéaux. À travers l’étude de la politesse, de la sincérité et de l’héroïsme, perpétuellement renouvelés afin de correspondre aux nouveaux idéaux de la masculinité, cette thèse étudie les livres éducatifs influents, notamment de Locke, Knox et Secker, afin de comprendre de quelle façon la masculinité hégémonique est devenue une partie intégrante du discours et de l’éducation à l’époque de la Régence anglaise. Les œuvres d’Austen ne cesse de rappeler la vulnérabilité de l’hégémonie en rappelant constamment au lecteur l’importance des expériences et de la croissance personnelle, et ce, peu importe le sexe. Néanmoins, ses romans correspondent tout de même à ce que devrait être une éducation appropriée reposant sur les règle de conduite, l’autonomie, le travail et la sincérité; lesquels, tel que l’histoire analysée dans ce mémoire le démontrera, appartiennent également aux idéaux du nationalisme anglais et de la masculinité. / The increasing amount of attention to literature and female novelists in masculinity studies invites academics to revisit iconic figures like the gentleman in order to explore how literature responds to idealizations of manliness in eighteenth-century society and how these standards contribute to our own view of gender differentiation. This thesis analyses male characters in Jane Austen’s Emma, Persuasion and Mansfield Park under the scope of R.W. Connell’s concept of “Hegemonic Masculinity,” a concept that has been influential in the study of how history and hegemony influence social and national expectations of English masculine character. Conduct books that instructed genteel men how to be a manly gentleman perpetuated these ideals. Through the study of how politeness, sincerity, and heroism were continuously transformed to incorporate new ideals of manhood, this thesis examines influential conduct books by Locke, Knox, and Secker in order to understand how hegemonic masculinity became an essential part of Regency masculine education and discourse. Austen’s works highlight the vulnerability of hegemony by reminding the reader about the importance of human experience and growth regardless of gender. Nevertheless, her novels respond to appropriate education that instructs on principle, self-governance, industry, and sincerity, all of which, as the history addressed in this thesis demonstrates, also belonged to ideals of English nationalism and masculinity.

In this essay I compare the notion of the accomplished woman in Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and Helen Fielding’s novels about Bridget Jones. My claim is that the notion of the accomplished woman that Austen described 200 years ago is still very relevant and not much different today as reflected in Helen Fielding’s narrative in Bridget Jones, but also that both authors satirically describe the pressure that is put on women to reach the ideal of the accomplished woman. I initially discuss feminist literary theory, and then I analyze the following characteristics and ideas which make up the accomplished woman: Physical appearance, Education & Knowledge, Marriage & Having Children, Career and Skills, Status & Class and Manners & Behaviour. This essay shows that the notion of the accomplished woman is still very much present and in some cases, like physical appearance, the pressure on women to reach this ideal has actually gotten worse. Both Jane Austen and Helen Fielding use irony and satirically describe the pressure on young women as a way of actually criticizing their contemporary societies.

Jane Austen’s novels remain an essential component of the literary canon, but her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, is frequently neglected. However, in Sense and Sensibility is the genesis of Austen’s technique through which her major characters cultivate and reveal a strong inner life, demonstrated through the character of Elinor Dashwood. This technique is a characteristic she incorporates in each of her succeeding novels. Her approach to literature centers on the interiority of her characters and their ability to change, but it her first novel Austen takes a unique approach. Following the structure of an eighteenth-century sermon, Austen creates a sermon for lay people that centers on the cultivation of a strong interior life.

Ce mémoire étudie l’objectif des multiples demandes en mariage dans Pride and Prejudice par Jane Austen et Jane Eyre par Charlotte Brontë. Je montrerai que l’inclusion par Austen et Brontë de ces multiples demandes – par Darcy et par Rochester, respectivement – joue un rôle central dans la structure narrative de leurs romans. J’analyserai comment ces auteures présentent à leurs héroïnes des multiples demandes en mariage afin de démontrer le moment approprié pour accepter une telle demande. Ce mémoire contextualisera les choix d’Elizabeth Bennet et de Jane Eyre en engageant en conversation avec plusieurs savants littéraires travaillant sur Austen et Brontë. Le premier chapitre sera consacré à Pride et Prejudice et analysera l’évolution des rapports entre Darcy et Elizabeth. Le deuxième chapitre examinera Jane Eyre et le parcours individuel de Jane en ce qui concerne sa relation avec Rochester. J’examinera également comment chaque auteure démontre que les rôles et stéréotypes des sexes peuvent constituer une menace pour une relation saine ainsi que pour le développement de soi. Au travers de multiples demandes en mariage, Austen et Brontë démontrent l’importance de l’indépendance et l’égalité dans un mariage. Elles démantèlent également les notions traditionnelles de masculinité. / This thesis studies the purpose of multiple marriage proposals in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. I will show that Austen’s and Brontë’s inclusion of two proposals – by Darcy and by Rochester, respectively – are central to the narrative structures of their work. I will examine how Austen and Brontë present their heroines with multiple proposals in order to demonstrate the proper moment at which a proposal should be accepted. This thesis will contextualize the choices of Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre by engaging in conversation with several literary scholars who work on Austen and Brontë. The first chapter will be dedicated to Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and the analysis of Darcy and Elizabeth’s changing relationship. The second chapter will examine Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Jane’s individual journey as it relates to her relationship with Rochester. I will also examine how each author demonstrates how gender roles and stereotypes can serve as a threat to a healthy relationship as well as to one’s own self-development. Through multiple proposals, Austen and Brontë demonstrate the importance of independence and equality in entering a marriage. They also dismantle traditional notions of masculinity.

The perception that the epistolary form was rejected by novelists during the Romantic Era has largely been accepted by scholars. However, in looking at the period's two most prominent authors, Walter Scott and Jane Austen, we see that the epistolary form remained vibrant long after its supposed demise. Throughout their careers, both Austen and Scott employed embedded letters as a tool to create authenticity. Both Austen and Scott use what I call "literary letters" to create a sense of realism in their novels that contributed to the rise of the novel. Scholars often claim that Austen eschewed the epistolary form with Lady Susan and solidified her rejection by revising both Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice from epistolary novels to third person narration. But a careful examination shows that Austen followed Richardson's tradition with Lady Susan, that Sense and Sensibility was not originally written in epistolary form, and that Austen retained sixteen critical letters in Pride and Prejudice. In fact, Darcy's five-page letter to Elizabeth signals Austen's continued reliance on the form as it completely changes the dynamics of the novel and transforms Elizabeth from a static protagonist to a dynamic heroine. Further indication that Austen found value in the form is seen in her later and often considered more mature novels, Emma and Persuasion, where she found innovate ways to turn the epistolary form into an embedded narratological device. The value of letters in Scott's novels is often overlooked. For instance in Heart of Midlothian, Jeanie Down's claim that letters cannot feel is often cited as an argument that oral testimony is more valuable than written, yet it is a letter that ultimately gets her an audience with the queen. In fact, in both Heart of Midlothian and Redgauntlet, Scott explains the legal implications of the written testimony, its preference over oral testimony, and its power in persuading both in and out of court. And in Guy Mannering, Scott relies on embedded letters to develop important plot points including the identity of the lost heir, create believable characters, and explore the conflict between Scottish traditions and law. And although Redgauntlet is often considered the moment Scott eschewed the epistolary form, the way he employs letters to create the illusion that his characters are authentic historical figures helps him explore notions of national identity.

This essay will discuss gender in Pride and Prejudice, the timeless work by Jane Austen. It also discusses how a teacher might approach the subject of gender roles in a classroom environment based on a reading project featuring Pride and Prejudice. The different theories will include theories regarding gender as a social concept, gender roles and pedagogical implications. This essay argues that the gender roles in Pride and Prejudice can be used in an EFL classroom to increase students' awareness of gender and gender roles.

To step into a character and a world of the past, the actor must not discard the present, but seek to find connections and links between the worlds. I was cast in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater production of Sense and Sensibility, a Jon Jory adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, in the role of Lucy Steele. This was an equity production, and it ran February 6th – March 17th, 2013, in the Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s Margeson Theater. Lucy is a female character from England in a period often referred to as the Regency era. As a woman from today’s United States of America, first I explored how Lucy’s words and actions fit into the society of her time, and second I explored how I, a contemporary actor, could organically step into her shoes. One of the greatest tools I had to help me address these questions was the playwright himself, Jon Jory. He was at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater for the 2012 Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays, during which he gave a keynote address and taught a master class in acting, in which I participated. Furthermore, I had the unique opportunity to personally interview him regarding Sense and Sensibility and his connection to the world of Austen and her characters. Along with applying this insight, I applied tools from his acting master class to my work on his Sense and Sensibility text. This special access to the playwright greatly influenced the work and served as a key into Lucy’s world. In addition to working with the playwright, I further researched Austen and her work, because Lucy and her world originate there. I explored various resources about England’s Regency era society and the role of women in this society. By comparing the world and people of the play to the current cultural and political landscape with which I am most familiar, I found iii fundamental links between people living in different times and places, breaking down walls between Lucy’s world and my own. Finally, this performance thesis project utilized the practical acting, voice, and movement skills, which I cultivated in my studio work as an MFA acting candidate at the University of Central Florida. It was a wonderful opportunity as an aspiring young actor to participate in an equity production and work with professional actors. I exercised my stage dialects training by using a standard British dialect, and I applied what I learned in my theatre styles acting class and in various movement classes to develop the behavior and physicality of my character. In order to preserve the new information gained from this study, I chronicled my explorations and discoveries throughout the rehearsal and production process. Through my work with the playwright Jon Jory, my research on Jane Austen and the Regency era, and my application of what I learned in the studio, I strove to create a model process for an actor to utilize when stepping into a role and a world of the past.

Jane Austen wrote stories about women, their matches, and the communities they were part of. Despite being labeled as a romance author, there are additional layers to Austen’s work that distinguish her as a commentator on the British Empire and colonialism. All her work contains some commentary; however, Sanditon and Mansfield Park stand out as the most prominent. Despite the differences in both length and story, both compare and discuss domestic England and the British Empire in its entirety. Furthermore, Austen’s letters to her sister, Cassandra, show evidence of Jane Austen’s investment in the colonial aspects of both texts. This evidence ultimately connects to Mansfield Park and Sanditon and their colonial discourses regarding the West Indies and slave-owning parts of society. The fact that Jane Austen belonged to a society and time that colonized and enslaved individuals does not make it self-evident that she favored brutality. The texts argue a sense of domestic pride and identity, demonstrated in her frequent theme of Englishness. Mansfield Park and Sanditon are texts that demonstrate and suggest a sense of resistance and include nuanced elements of Empire that ultimately prove that Austen consciously interacts with Empire. This text aims to demonstrate and discuss the ways that Austen as an author interacts with elements of resistance in Sanditon and Mansfield Park.

This thesis argues that a ‘tradition of moral analysis’ between Jane Austen and George Eliot — a common ground which has been identified by critics from F.R. Leavis to Gillian Beer, but never fully explored — can be illuminated by turning to what this thesis calls ‘the reflective tradition’. In the eighteenth century, ideas about reflection provided a new and influential way of thinking about the human mind; about how we come to know ourselves and the world around us through the mind. The belief in the individual to act as his/her own guide through the cultivation of a reflective mind and attentiveness to a reflective voice emerges across a wide range of discourses. This thesis begins with an examination of reflection in the philosophy, children’s literature, novels, poetry, educational tracts and sermons that would have been known to Austen. It then defines Austen’s development of reflective dynamics by looking at her six major novels; finally, it analyzes Middlemarch to define Eliot’s proximity to this aspect of Austen’s art. The thesis documents Eliot’s reading of Austen through the criticism of G. H. Lewes to support a reading of Eliot’s assimilation of an Austenian attention to mental processes in her novels. Reflection is at the heart of moral life and growth for both novelists. This thesis corrects a tendency in Austen’s reception to focus on the mimetic aspect of her art, thereby overlooking the introspective sense of reflection. It offers new insights into Austen’s and Eliot’s work, and it contributes to an understanding of the development of the realist novel and the ethical dimension in the role of the novel reader.