Must We Mortify?: Jane Austen, Gender, and the Uses of Shame Open Access
Safchik, Paige (Spring 2021)
Abstract
Gendered shame pervades Jane Austen’s canon. This thesis investigates Austen’s representations of gendered shame in three novels and their three respective heroines: the pedagogical relationship between Catherine and Henry in Northanger Abbey, the humiliating upbringing of Mansfield Park’s Fanny, and Emma’s perceived shamelessness in Emma. As Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick notes in “Jane Austen and the Masturbating Girl,” misogyny taints Austen criticism in that critics seem to take satisfaction in the shaming, punishment, and moral instruction of Austen’s heroines. At times, critics even argue that Austen herself is deserving of shame. Extending Sedgwick’s inquiry, this thesis combines textual analysis with critics’ and readers’ responses, as well as the insights into shame’s function provided by Silvan Tomkins’ affect theory. I examine these three novels to argue that, while shame is central to Austen’s work, the novels themselves actively criticize patriarchal ideals, namely the right of men to morally instruct and humiliate women.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….1
Chapter One: The Pupil Shamed………………………………………………………………….9
Chapter Two: A Crying Shame………………………………………………………………….28
Chapter Three: Shameless, Clever, and Rich……………………………………………………54
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….83
Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………...85
About this Honors Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Must We Mortify?: Jane Austen, Gender, and the Uses of Shame () | 2021-04-10 12:23:18 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|