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The Hero and the Anti-Hero in the Novels of Jane Austen

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The Hero and the Anti-Hero in the Novels of Jane Austen Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1957 The Hero and the Anti-Hero in the Novels of Jane Austen Raymond J. Jordan Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Jordan, Raymond J., "The Hero and the Anti-Hero in the Novels of Jane Austen " (1957). Master's Theses. 1403. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/1403 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact ecommons@luc.edu. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1957 Raymond J. Jordan THE HERO AND THE ANT:r,...rnmo n~ THE NOVELS OF JANE AmJrEN A. 'l'b.es1s Su.bm:i..tted to the Facultyof' the Ora.duate School of Lc:tyola University :1n Partial Ful.fjlJmentr of the Requ1rements for the ~ of llaater of Arts February 1957 lQvmond J. Jordan was born in Chicago, D.l1no1s, April 18, 1930. He was graduated :from Qu1gl.ey Preparator.r Sem:i.nary.. Chioago.. 1n Jtme, 1949, and tram IDYOla Un1versity. Chicago, June, 1952, witJl the degt"06 of Bach­ elor of .A:rta. From 19S2 to 1954 the author taught English ani Latin at JAerrlel Catb- 0110 High School, Ob1cago, DJ:1nois. He began his graduate studies at IDyola University, Ch1eago, in September. 1952. In OctobEtr, 1954, the author was commissioned a Secord Lieutenant 1n the United states Marine Corps. w. I. DlrRODUCTION • • • " • • • • • • • • • • • •• 1 J'ust-i!'1cation for additional critio1~ irNe8tigation -statement or problem-ProcedUJ:'e to be 1'o~atte Austen's 1ro~ent criticism. II. Vr.tLLOUGHBY I EDlfARD F'ERRARS AND COLONEL llllAlJ'OOll SENSE !lID SElmIBILITI • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 13 T.b.eme of the DOV'elt-W11J.oughbyt a rolo-WUJ..au.gb.by's qua.l.1£iea­ tiona for his rolo-Co1onel Br&l¥ion1s tunction-Cb.a.racteriHt1on of Colonel Jkoandon-Fdward Ferrars' place in the noveJ.-lMwardts contribution to 'tJle, novel. m. Dfu.'WY AlIID VlICIUI.A1J-PRIDE MID PREJUDICE • • • • • • •• 23 Plot ot the wveJ-1'hame of Pride axd ~'Wi10e-Cha.racter1sa­ tion of the hero-.llarcyts roI...... ~e 'ant e'rt)'s tunotion in the l'lOV'el. IV. Hi~mY TIU:rh"Y AND JOHN TIIORPF-NORT1:ItJ~GER ABBI~. • • ••• 32 Jane Austen t s method--Cba;r;oacters of the 110Vel as anti-types "of Gothic charao~ 1'1lneyls function-Charactal"istics of Henr;y T1lney_John Thorpe 's ~. Differences bet.ween Afanstield Park ani previous llO'V'Ols-Pur­ pose of the :novel~s 01 ~ield Park group and their relation to the plan of the novel-Abaence of Jane Austen IS oh.a.'ra.cter1st1e 1ro~ l3ertram IS rol.a.....HEm.r,y Oraw.f:ord IS function-Inconsistency of Hent-.r Crawford. VI. MR. KNIGHTIEI AND FRMIK CHURCHILl-EMMA • • • • • • •• 55 mnma Woodhouse's problem-l.t-. Knightley' s .function-Contrast -iT v between :b):Oank Churchill and Mr. Kn1~t1eyr-Frenk Church:Ul.'s role-Likeness be'l.;ween Frank and Exmna. m. CAPTAJll 17ElJT',iORTH AND WII..LI.All ELLIOT-PERSUASION. • • •• 63 SUbject of Perwusion-B:i.-level construction of the novel­ Confl1otin(; e!eme~Theme of the novel-Captain We~'1ts qualifications-WUliam. E.U1ot f S role-~ a.uthor's htmdJ.1 ng of' the ant$-hero. VIII. THE AUSTENI1UJ HEllO AND A,NTl,...HERO '* • • • • • • • '•• 14 BIBLIOGRAPHY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • nnn.oDUCTIon In f~wo :rears Jane Austen 'Wrote six major novels, her ju.ven:Uia, and the unf'1n18bed Sam1~., Tbtt'one hundred th1rt;ywn1..ne years siDee her death have witnessed the writing at numerous criticisms of the author end her mrks.l In setting out to l1I1'ite stlll atlOther criticism of a. fleet of the Austenian novel, the vlriter is faced w.lth the problem of whether an increase in the quan­ tityof the existing criticism is justified. There 'WOUld seem to be but two probable justifications for ~tGmpt1ng further critioism) either \mat is to be done has never been done be.fore, or what has been cbne is insuffioient or in­ accurate. The or1tioJ.sm _at be, to be justified, either somet.b:ing new, or an improvement upon what has been prev1ousl¥ written. It is this writerts belief that the problem to be considered here au! the manner of approach share some- what in both of these qual1ties. 1'0 tR13' tlud; the heroes ruxl the a,ntj"..heroes in the novels of Jane Austen have not been oonsidered either separately or as a group would obviously ]. 2 be false. It is evident that an indispensable part of a criticism of' a.rrg nove1 \rould be a consideration of the ro1e of the hero and, mere there is an anti­ hero, a consideration of his role. Thus the criticisms of the heroes and the ant1-heroes are almost as numerous as the criticisms of the novels. The qu.a:1- ity and the nature of these criticisne of the hero and the anti-hero are as varied as the qualit,y and the nature of the criticisms of' the novels. Despite the wealth at studies of the separate male characters, the Ol"itics t appreci­ ations of Jane Austen's men remain at variance. ~y Lascelles notes a lack of' depth or density in our Vien' of' 1ir. Darcy. She says, tI,lhen llarcy leaves j:J.izabeth fa (and our) presence, he has nowhere to go.1f2 tndrick also notes a lack of depth in the portrayal of Darcyls character. He says: From Elizabeth1s po1nt of View in fact, the process of the interpretation of Darcyfs personall.ty from disdain through doubt to ad11iration is repro­ sentezl \1f.i.th an extraord1na.rily vivid and convinCing thoroughness. Never­ theless, Darcy himself rama.ina unachieved. wa recognize his effects ¥pon Elizabeth, \v1thout recognizing that he exists independ.entlyof them.3 In other criticisms we find an almos'c opposite view in "moo this lack of depth m:l.ght be said to be considered a virtue. Elizabeth BoYlen 1'lI'ites a Re'turn:tng again and aga:in to 1:1:1:'. Darcy, one pa;y'a Jane Austen the compli­ ment of deoiding that there was more to hir.l than she kpm'f. He has that cloudy outline :1mportant oharacter's should have • • •• 4 Somewhat in the SaJile vein Reuben Brovrar writesl ~,~l.at most satisfies a preseni;,-day reader in following the central dra."1la is 2 Mary Lasaelles, ~ Austen !!!!. .!!!E Art, Oxford" 1939, 197 3 !.iarvin Hadric!!" Jane Austen, Iro& as Defense and Discovery, Princeton, 1952" n6 - -- 4 Elizabeth Dowen, "Jane Austenl Artist on Ivory, II S<:{.turday I/.eviGW' .2£ Literature, ~~ 15, 1936, 4 Jane Austen's awareness that it is dif.t1Cult to 'lalowf any oomplex person, iiliat k:n.o'w1edge or a. man like ~ is an interpret.atdon and a oonstruction and not a simple absolute • • •• !'hila there is apparent disagreement in these Views, tbat-e are also elements which oan be recoMilOOj ths-c is an ~ of validity in each view. It will be our purpose later to point out mat is the common ground between these criticisms. When we turn to the general critioisms of' RLss Austen's heroes aOO an:t.:L-he'roes, we find the greatest need tor a consideration or reconsideration. (.'}roups of' Jane Austen's males are treated by ~ critiCS. It\d:rick, among others, notes Jane Austen's inability to haD:lle scoundrels.6 Mary La.scelles notes It pattern 1n which the hero is m.entar 8D1 reward of the heroine. a pat.­ tern 'Which is found in some of the 1'JOV'els.7 These criticisms, ..mile they are certa.inl,y 1I01"tlnvhile, do not outline for us the place of the h$ro and the anti­ hero in the 1'.IO'I'els at Jane Austen. A recent attempt at an encompassing criticism of tass Austenls lead.- " lug am is found in A.H.m-ightls work.8 In a part of his interpreta.tion o.f the novels, ltr. wright considers 'the heroine, the hero, and the v1llain. In genera.1.izing on the ro1e of the hero and the v.l.lla1n he sa.vs. Yen • ., • plq a de:f'1nitelysecondar,y rolel it 1s through. her heroines 5 Reuben. A. ~_tJfhe Controlling Banda Jane Austen and 'Pride and Projudice, ,n Scrut!!1:, XIU, 191.6, 99-111 6 ]ifo.drick, Iroz.i:!! Defense !!!! Disc2!!fl, 221 7 waelles,!!2 Austen .e! l!1£ Art, 66-67 8 A.II.16:'1gbt, ~ ~IS Ibvels, ! st.!Sr iB stru,cture. LoIldon" 19>3 that she gives exposition to the theme. The men (except Fitsw1lliam lla."£'cy and perhaps llem-y TUney)" b.Y compl.e.ment. ani oontrast, eat"Ve theme!nati­ caJ.l.y', to deepen and broaden the part,ra:1t or the heroines. F'urtbarm.ore~ in each novol there are tlro important men, the hero and the vi)] a1n, their respective characters being a comment; on OM anothet-.9 lilat Wright sa;rs is true) bmrever I his appreciation of the her'o and the ant1t­ bero's (or villain's) role is O'9'Sl"simplified and fails to point out a very important aspect of their position. To mq me:rely that they serve as a CJOIIple­ ment or 1n contrast to the heroines 18 to assign them a rather passive role.
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