The Improvement of the Estate: A Study of Jane Austen's Novels

by Alistair M. Duckworth

Overview

Originally published in 1994. In The Improvement of the Estate, Alistair Duckworth contends that understanding Mansfield Park is fundamental to appreciating Jane Austen's body of work. Professor Duckworth understands Mansfield Park as underscoring the central uniting theme in Austen's work—her concept of the "estate" and its "improvement." The author illustrates Austen's connection to the values of Christian humanism, which she conveys through the uniting theme of estate improvement. According to Duckworth, the estate represents moral and social heritage, so the manner in which individuals seek to improve their estates in Jane Austen's novels represents the direction in which she saw the state and society moving. Finally, Duckworth underscores Austen's awareness of the importance of a society of individuals whose behavior is socially informed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421432175
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	03/24/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Alistair Duckworth is a professor emeritus of English at the University of Florida. He also taught at Mount Holyoke College, Florida State University in London and Florida, the University of Virginia, and SUNY Buffalo.

Table of Contents

Mode of Citation
Preface to the Paperback Edition
Preface to the Hardcover Edition
Introduction: Some Critical and Literary Contexts
Chapter 1: Mansfield Park: Jane Austen's Grounds of Being
Chapter 2: Aspects of Northanger Abby and Sense and Sensibility
Chapter 3: Pride and Prejudice: The Reconstruction of Society
Chapter 4: Emma and the Dangers of Individualism
Chapter 5: Persuasion: The Estate Abandoned
Postscript: Sanditon
Index

Editorial Reviews

One is not only impressed with Mr. Duckworth's knowledge and insights in this special analysis of Jane Austen's fiction, but also with his knowledge of English fiction in general . . . An informed commentary on Jane Austen's thought, attitudes, and intentions.
—Virginia Quarterly Review

From the Publisher

One is not only impressed with Mr. Duckworth's knowledge and insights in this special analysis of Jane Austen's fiction, but also with his knowledge of English fiction in general . . . An informed commentary on Jane Austen's thought, attitudes, and intentions.

Virginia Quarterly Review