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Full Description
Jane Austen's conclusions have often perplexed her readers, who at times perceive her novels' endings as hasty or overly simplistic. However, a closer examination reveals that her final chapters are meticulously crafted, serving as critical touchstones that redefine the entire narrative. Last Impressions offers an in-depth analysis of the literary strategies Austen employs to conclude her novels.
This work explores recurring techniques, such as securing parental consent, the absence of dramatized scenes, and the use of rhetorical devices like Socratic irony and metalepsis, uncovering meaningful patterns that highlight Austen's artistry. By illuminating the intentionality behind the endings of all six of Austen's major novels, as well as her epistolary novella Lady Susan, this book provides valuable insights into her narrative architecture. In a literary landscape that has frequently dismissed Austen's conclusions, Last Impressions asserts that her final chapters demand critical engagement, challenging readers to reconsider their interpretations and appreciate her enduring complexity.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Austen's Telos: Speeding Truth into the World
2. "Abjuring All Future Attachments": Teaching the Reader to Desire the Right Object in Lady Susan
3. Parental Tyranny and Filial Disobedience: Socratic Irony and Metalepsis in Northanger Abbey
4. Forced Retrospection in Sense and Sensibility: Willoughby's Desire for "Something Like Forgiveness" on "More Reasonable Grounds"
5. "The Happiest, Wisest, Most Reasonable End": Silence, Spatial Dislocation, Secrets, and the Sublime in Pride and Prejudice
6. "As Nearly For Ever as Possible": Apophasis in Mansfield Park
7. "The Perfect Happiness of the Union": Undeceiving Mr. Knightley and the Reader in Emma
8. The Oracles of Kellynch and Uppercross: Predicting the Future in Persuasion
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
