Talk in Jane Austen

Talk is at the heart of Jane Austen_s novels. Virtually everything that happens occurs by means of conversation. Talk implicates character, marks status, demonstrates power, and acts to seduce those who are its target. Talk also signifies growth, provides the basis for moral judgment and, most notably, is the principal occupation of Jane Austen_s protagonists.In view of its fundamental importance, dialogue in Jane Austen has been strangely neglected in critical writing. The Talk in Jane Austen breaks new ground in explaining how Austen_s characters understand conversation and use it to further their personal agendas.This collection of fifteen essays, written by Jane Austen scholars and enthusiasts, explores the many functions of speech in her novels. Gathered under four broad headings: Categories and Analysis, Aggression and Power, Subtexts and Ironies, and Speculations and Possibilities, The Talk in Jane Austen demonstrates Jane Austen_s unsurpassed ability to paint character through dialogue.Contributors: Linda Bree, Jan Fergus, Sarah S.G. Frantz, Isobel Grundy, Ronald Hall, Jocelyn Harris, Jeffrey Herrle, Gary Kelly, Juliet McMaster, Elizabeth Newark, Steven D. Scott, Lesley Willis Smith, Bruce Stovel, Nora Foster Stovel, and Kay Young.Stovel, Bruce is the author of 'Talk in Jane Austen', published 2003 under ISBN 9780888643742 and ISBN 0888643748.