"Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me": politeness in Pride and Prejudice, Henry Fielding's "An Essay on Conversation" and Tom Jones.(Conference Papers)
From: Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal
|
Date: 1/1/2002
|
Author: Brown, Sarah E.; Curry, Mary Jane
HENRY FIELDING'S "An Essay on Conversation," first published in 1743, made an enduring contribution to the eighteenth-century conduct book tradition. Fielding sees the art of conversation as integral to "good breeding," which he defines as "the art of pleasing" (123). Although Jane Austen's Elizabeth Bennet "dearly love[s] a laugh" (PP 57), she usually follows Fielding's advice ("An Essay on Conversation" 124): she turns the same wit on herself as on others.
We present evidence ...
COPYRIGHT 2002 Jane Austen Society of North America
This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.
For permission to reuse this article, contact Copyright Clearance Center.