Georg Lukács The Historical Novel continues to have a wide influence in Walter Scott criticism. However, Lukács theoretical insights into the role of genre in Scotts work remains underappreciated. This thesis takes for its departure Lukács summary that "the profound grasp of the historical factor in human life demands a dramatic concentration of the epic framework" (41). Lukács description of these two forms, dramatic and epic, is then applied in a reading of Scotts The Heart of Midlothian. Lukács terms offer a way of describing how Scotts fiction works, as the interplay of dramatic and epic motifs provide the aesthetic mediation for Midlothians social and political concerns. The chief problem raised through this reading is the role of genre in establishing a sense of historical necessity. In The Heart of Midlothian, the role of genre is made concrete in the novels gradual transition. Opening with dramatic social unrest, the novel shifts attention to the epic journey of Jeanie Deans and how her intervention re-establishes domestic and political harmony within the world of the novel. The interplay of dramatic and epic forms establishes a sense of internal necessity, as each major character organically finds his or her role in the overall course of progress. The thesis turns in its final chapter and conclusion to a resistance in Midlothian to the "dramatic concentration of the epic framework." Thus instead of solely applying Lukács categories to a Scott, the conclusion of the thesis turns Scott against Lukács. Midlothians conclusion evinces the resistance of Scott the storyteller to Scott the novelist of historical necessity, as the storyteller re-opens a sense of unforeseen possibility at the novels conclusion. The thesis concludes with a meditation on the ethical implications of Scotts competing narrative practices, that is, the dissonance between the historical novelist and the storyteller.

Georg Lukács The Historical Novel continues to have a wide influence in Walter Scott criticism. However, Lukács theoretical insights into the role of genre in Scotts work remains underappreciated. This thesis takes for its departure Lukács summary that "the profound grasp of the historical factor in human life demands a dramatic concentration of the epic framework" (41). Lukács description of these two forms, dramatic and epic, is then applied in a reading of Scotts The Heart of Midlothian. Lukács terms offer a way of describing how Scotts fiction works, as the interplay of dramatic and epic motifs provide the aesthetic mediation for Midlothians social and political concerns. The chief problem raised through this reading is the role of genre in establishing a sense of historical necessity. In The Heart of Midlothian, the role of genre is made concrete in the novels gradual transition. Opening with dramatic social unrest, the novel shifts attention to the epic journey of Jeanie Deans and how her intervention re-establishes domestic and political harmony within the world of the novel. The interplay of dramatic and epic forms establishes a sense of internal necessity, as each major character organically finds his or her role in the overall course of progress. The thesis turns in its final chapter and conclusion to a resistance in Midlothian to the "dramatic concentration of the epic framework." Thus instead of solely applying Lukács categories to a Scott, the conclusion of the thesis turns Scott against Lukács. Midlothians conclusion evinces the resistance of Scott the storyteller to Scott the novelist of historical necessity, as the storyteller re-opens a sense of unforeseen possibility at the novels conclusion. The thesis concludes with a meditation on the ethical implications of Scotts competing narrative practices, that is, the dissonance between the historical novelist and the storyteller.

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.