- Lady Susan
infobox Book |
name = Lady Susan
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author =Jane Austen
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country =United Kingdom
language = English
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genre =Epistolary novel
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media_type = Print (Hardback &Paperback )
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isbn = NA
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followed_by ="Lady Susan" is a short
epistolary novel byJane Austen , possibly written in1794 but not published until 1871. Although the primary focus of this short novel is the selfish behaviour of Lady Susan as she engages in flirtations and searches for suitable husbands for herself and her young daughter, the actual action shares its importance with Austen’s manipulation of her characters' behaviour by means of their reactions to the letters that they receive. Theprotagonist adds additional interest by altering the tone of her own letters based on the recipient of the letter. Thus, the character of Lady Susan is developed through many branches as Austen suggests complications of identity and the way in which that identity is based on interaction rather than on solitary constructions of personality. Lady Susan’s character is also built by the descriptions of the other letter-writers; but even though their opinions of this protagonist coincide with the image that develops from her own letters, Austen demonstrates the subjectivity of the opinions by presenting them – primarily – in the letters of one woman to another, thereby suggesting the established literary motifs of femininegossip and jealousy. Readers recognize these subjective motifs and examine all of the idiosyncrasies of the characters in order to create their own opinion of Lady Susan – as they would of any real acquaintance.Further reading
*cite book | title="Sanditon and Other Stories | last=Austen | first=Jane | authorlink=Jane Austen | publisher=Alfred A. Knopf | location=New York | coauthors=Ed. Peter Washington | date=1996
External links
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* [http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html Jane Austen Information Page]
* [http://www.janeausten.co.uk/ Jane Austen Centre, Bath, England]
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