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Mitford, Nancy (Freeman)
Mitford, Nancy (Freeman) (1904–73), writer, daughter of the second Lord Redesdale, who appears in many of her novels as the eccentric ‘Uncle Matthew’. She achieved success with The Pursuit of Love (1945), in which the sensible Fanny, daughter of the irresponsible Bolter, describes the affairs of her six Radlett cousins. Subsequent works (Love in a Cold Climate, 1949; The Blessing, 1951; Don't Tell Alfred, 1960) accompany the family and its associates through various social and amatory trials and triumphs; the appeal of the novels lies in the reckless upper-class Bohemianism of many of the characters, and in Nancy Mitford's sharp ear for dialogue. Noblesse Oblige: An Enquiry into the Identifiable Characteristics of the English Aristocracy (1956, with A. S. C. Ross et al.), provoked a debate on ‘U’ and ‘Non-U’ vocabulary, terms she herself promoted in Encounter (1955). She also wrote several historical biographies. Her sister Jessica Mitford (1917– ) has written a vivid account of Mitford family life, Hons and Rebels (1960).
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Cite this article
MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Mitford, Nancy (Freeman)." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Mitford, Nancy (Freeman)." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-MitfordNancyFreeman.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Mitford, Nancy (Freeman)." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-MitfordNancyFreeman.html |
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