Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

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The Inheritance Novel: The Power of Strict Settlement Language in Clarissa, Evelina and Pride and Prejudice By Linda Kane Scott Thesis Advisor: Dr. Deborah Rogers An Abstract of the Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Individualized in English) August, 2003 This study will be the first to look at the effect of the strict settlement on the language, plots and characters of three eighteenth-century novels. So pervasive to specific novels is the language of inheritance in the eighteenth century that some novels should be considered what I call "inheritance novels." Clarissa, Evelina and Pride and Prejudice all display a uniqueness in the way they deal with inheritance laws. The eighteenth century married an empowered gentry characterized by an insatiable appetite for land to a newly adapted legal force armed with a tightly-structured inheritance policy based on primogeniture and strict new standards for marriageable women. This unique combination of legal and social policies bumped up against another eighteenth-century innovation-the novel.
Three points are fundamental in identifying inheritance novels: First, the authors have personal experience with and/or are familiar with the language and practice of strict settlement and marriage practices. Second, the plots are heavily influenced by strict settlement practice. Third, the characters are manipulated through the language of inheritance or are able to use inheritance language in such a way as to silence or endanger other characters. Inheritance novels ultimately prove a character's worthiness to inherit. The three novels used in the body of this study all show the three characteristics of inheritance novels, though inheritance in each differs in its characteristics and its outcomes.
Page 1: THE INHERITANCE NOVEL: THE POWER OF
Page 5 and 6: intelligence. I must also thank Lin
Page 7 and 8: Chapter Three ....................
Page 9 and 10: "inheritance novels." Three factors
Page 11 and 12: specifically to drive the plot. Fir
Page 13 and 14: father wished, he could allows equa
Page 15 and 16: usually on fiscal matters, but thes
Page 17 and 18: (2) . Eileen Spring discusses primo
Page 19 and 20: would "resettle" the estate. In oth
Page 21 and 22: placed on the estate. Those restric
Page 23 and 24: Even the simple definitions of inhe
Page 25 and 26: from the surface and often not very
Page 27 and 28: mastery and confusion of inheritanc
Page 29 and 30: of their futures, while the develop
Page 31 and 32: culture, this is the first study to
Page 33 and 34: This power which the mind has thus
Page 35 and 36: successful marriage was expressed i
Page 37 and 38: procedure and could not foresee the
Page 39 and 40: the end, is partly responsible for
Page 41 and 42: For all the recent criticism dealin
Page 43 and 44: welfare. Although several of her br
Page 45 and 46: language and a feminine independenc
Page 47 and 48: Chapter Two Unhappy Transactions: R
Page 49 and 50: Clarissa. Richardson's masterpiece
Page 51 and 52: Since Zomchickfs study, Eileen Spri
Page 53 and 54:
settlement, a predicament Clarissa
Page 55 and 56:
life and conjectured within the pag
Page 57 and 58:
included in the compilation of the
Page 59 and 60:
The eighteenth-century reading publ
Page 61 and 62:
Clarissa's own will, framing the pl
Page 63 and 64:
to [the Solmes marriage settlement]
Page 65 and 66:
Grandfather Harlowe was one of many
Page 67 and 68:
a daughter or daughters, or in the
Page 69 and 70:
name, as a mark of her becoming his
Page 71 and 72:
other and uncles, and keeping her f
Page 73 and 74:
of this, a father often left most o
Page 75 and 76:
deference by every other person, wh
Page 77 and 78:
fits with legal developments outlin
Page 79 and 80:
Harlowe. Mr. Harlowe, Sr., should b
Page 81 and 82:
empowered as such to make all decis
Page 83 and 84:
politics of propertied power well i
Page 85 and 86:
Lovelace is proud, and Richardson r
Page 87 and 88:
een for some time extinct on failur
Page 89 and 90:
have found her less than an angel,
Page 91 and 92:
not yet use physical force, knowing
Page 93 and 94:
elating the story of the Marchiones
Page 95 and 96:
necessity to alter her whole Charac
Page 97 and 98:
you believe it?-And they are all de
Page 99 and 100:
The comic relief Richardson brings
Page 101 and 102:
Clarissa Harlowe found that the Bib
Page 103 and 104:
Conclusion A confluence of settleme
Page 105 and 106:
made her the public care, should en
Page 107 and 108:
had she been "taken off" suddenly,
Page 109 and 110:
Clarissars physical imprisonment in
Page 111 and 112:
to function; and the heroine, Eveli
Page 113 and 114:
the eighteenth century. Virtuous da
Page 115 and 116:
Continent," though Maria's own life
Page 117 and 118:
egarding women's places in society.
Page 119 and 120:
Kristina Straub, Julia Epstein and
Page 121 and 122:
she married Charles Burney. The rep
Page 123 and 124:
The language of inheritance is dupl
Page 125 and 126:
accounting of the Evelyn family eve
Page 127 and 128:
Other than his education and a few
Page 129 and 130:
and from the upper classes if he is
Page 131 and 132:
Susan Greenfield points out that Vi
Page 133 and 134:
decision, and then leaves his charg
Page 135 and 136:
a position as the head of his famil
Page 137 and 138:
(Spring 8-38). Caroline Evelyn is a
Page 139 and 140:
always, willing to "obey custom rat
Page 141 and 142:
ecitation and finally believing the
Page 143 and 144:
ignorant of this one young woman, o
Page 145 and 146:
One cannot fathom the Evelyn family
Page 147 and 148:
more powerful than any apprehension
Page 149 and 150:
let alone Evelina. Willoughby and L
Page 151 and 152:
Burney chose a woman and one of amb
Page 153 and 154:
matter her inheritance; only patril
Page 155 and 156:
culture without the help of a fathe
Page 157 and 158:
first encounter with her father. At
Page 159 and 160:
a clandestine marriage with Sir Joh
Page 161 and 162:
time (Straub 2-3). Questions about
Page 163 and 164:
Chapter Four Property Rites: Inheri
Page 165 and 166:
storyline follows the courtship of
Page 167 and 168:
motion. Eileen Spring tells us that
Page 169 and 170:
Critics place great emphasis on the
Page 171 and 172:
not favoritism, ultimately decide w
Page 173 and 174:
driving Austen' s characters and wo
Page 175 and 176:
Overtones of the pecuniary plight o
Page 177 and 178:
tendency to believe he could have d
Page 179 and 180:
dignity, irony, silence. The Bennet
Page 181 and 182:
family through provision for his ma
Page 183 and 184:
thousand pounds was enough to make
Page 185 and 186:
her husband's considerable intellig
Page 187 and 188:
inability to comprehend inheritance
Page 189 and 190:
espect" will always betray his lack
Page 191 and 192:
to heighten his bad qualities and h
Page 193 and 194:
the symbol of the Bennet dynasty, i
Page 195 and 196:
"name has become a byword for a sil
Page 197 and 198:
complimentsf] as unstudied an air a
Page 199 and 200:
with him from the moment she sees h
Page 201 and 202:
her, "Upon my word, I say no more h
Page 203 and 204:
marrying a woman for love. Yet, the
Page 205 and 206:
practice well enough to know that a
Page 207 and 208:
Lydia, like her mother, cannot see
Page 209 and 210:
Had Mr. Bennet removed the entail b
Page 211 and 212:
to believe. He talks of the late Mr
Page 213 and 214:
and Mr. Collins could well find the
Page 215 and 216:
wealth were difficult to determine,
Page 217 and 218:
the language of effects of strict s
Page 219 and 220:
ecourse is to escape them. Because
Page 221 and 222:
of the entail, John Habbakuk is ver
Page 223 and 224:
power and wealth in a nation," maki
Page 225 and 226:
Conclusions about Clarissa, Evelina
Page 227 and 228:
final bequest of Caroline Evelyn as
Page 229 and 230:
In the same way, Evelina Anville th
Page 231 and 232:
through her thoughtlessness and sha
Page 233 and 234:
Bourgh advises everyone on everythi
Page 235 and 236:
eaching majority, could not continu
Page 237 and 238:
Brodrick, George W., The Honorable.
Page 239 and 240:
Greenfield, Susan. " 'Oh Dear Resem
Page 241 and 242:
----------- . The Richardson-Stinst
Page 243 and 244:
Trumbach, Randolph. The Rise of the
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Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

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