Synopses & Reviews
It is now widely understood that Jane Austen's writing and thought were derived directly from her late eighteenth-century childhood, but astonishingly, this is the first study of the influence of the Enlightenment on Jane Austen. Drawing out the Enlightenment principles and ideas which lie behind much of Austen's writing, Peter Knox-Shaw presents a new perspective on the study of Austen's novels.
Synopsis
In this first ever study of Jane Austen and the Enlightenment, Peter Knox-Shaw draws out the Enlightenment principles and ideas which lie behind much of Austen's writing. His study offers a startling new perspective on Austen, and is essential reading for all those interested in Austen and her writing.
Synopsis
An important contribution to the study of Jane Austen and of intellectual history at the turn of the nineteenth century.
About the Author
Peter Knox-Shaw is a Research Associate at the University of Cape Town. He is author of The Explorer in English Fiction (1987) and has written about Jane Austen, British Romanticism, and representations of Africa.
Table of Contents
Part I. The Eighteenth-Century Legacy: 1. Auspices; 2. Pride and Prejudice, a politics of the picturesque; 3. Northanger Abbey and the liberal historians; 4. Sense and Sensibility and the philosophers; Part II. Engaging with the New