Marriage in the Eighteenth Century English Novel by Sarup Singh - 1995

Manohar Publishers & Distributors, 1995. Hardcover. New. During the Restoration the Institution of Marriage in England was greatly devalued, and Women were the greatest sufferers. The eighteenth century novelists discussed in this book, make an attempt to redress the Balance so that marriage could again become viable. In the opening essay, The Author examines Reflections Upon Marriage by Mary Astell which reflects eighteenth century thinking on the subject at its best. The novelists discussed in this book, including Defoe whose women have to wage a hard struggle for sheer Physical survival, emphasize the importance of a stable relationship. The heroines of Richardson and Fanny Burney also uphold the same values. Almost all of Jane Austen’s heroines achieve companionate marriages and though in her Juvenile work we have examples of women who, in panic, accept any kind of marriage, broadly speaking, in her mature work, the marriages of her heroines are based on ‘mutual esteem and steadfast companionship.’ Printed Pages: 238. Marriage in the Eighteenth Century English NovelSarup Singh9788173041242