The Role Of Landscape In Jane Austen's Novels

Jane Austen, one of the most important novelists of the 19th century, plays an important role in the development of English fiction. She presents the life of English country society in a realistic way and brings the English novels to their place as an expression of human life. She has refined and simplified the English novel, making it a true reflection of English life.Austen altogether completed six novels—Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Austen studies at home and abroad are mainly concerned with such aspects as Austen's language, satirical art, characterization techniques, and philosophical, moral and social values. The studies about her use of landscape is relatively inadequate, even though there are a lot of descriptions of English landscape, its rolling green hills, hedgerows and winding streams, and impressive country houses in her novels. To the present author, the role of landscape in Austen's novels has not received due attention. The present author asserts that apart from providing a beautiful setting for the story, landscape plays a number of other important roles and enriches the meanings of the novels.This thesis, through a close reading of Austen's six novels, aims at revelation and analysis of the roles of landscape in Austen's novels.The first chapter is the introductory part. It gives a brief introduction to Austen's life and her six novels, and makes a general survey of Jane Austen study both at home and abroad. It also defines the keyword "landscape" and explains the theme and structure of this thesis.The body part of this thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter Two reveals the connection between the character of landscape and that of Austen's characters. The present author notices that the estates presented Austen's novels often reflect their owners'character. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen's description of Mr. Darcy's estate Pemberley shows the character of its owner, which helps Elizabeth to look at Darcy from a different point of view. The natural Pemberley reflects its owner Darcy's honesty. In Emma, the descriptions of Donwell Abbey and its surroundings also tell much about Mr. Knightley, the owner of the estate. The respectable Donwell Abbey is just like its owner, respectable Mr Knightley. In her novel Northanger Abbey, Austen uses the descriptions of the estate Northanger Abbey to tell more about its owner's character. The description of the landscape and architecture can be considered a warning against the true character of General Tilney. The luxurious Northanger Abbey is a true revelation of General Tilney's shallowness.Chapter Three discusses the role of landscape in Austen's novels in the development of the plot. In Emma and Mansfield Park, the changes of the landscape accompany the heroines Emma's and Fanny's spiritual changes. In other cases, landscape can also foreshadow future events. In Mansfield Park, for example, the descriptions of Sotherton in the scene when Fanny and her friends visit the place indicate the future lives of these people.Chapter Four analyzes the role of landscape descriptions in revealing the author's view of nature. These descriptions of landscape imply Austen's love for and adoration of nature. Her descriptions of landscape also indicate the mutually beneficial relationship between nature and human civilization. On the one hand, nature has comforting and eductional functions on man—man can get comfort and power from nature, and nature educates the human. On the other, nature is enriched by human civilization. Thus human civilization and nature benefit each other and exist in harmony.The fifth chapter is the conclusion. Based on the discussions in the body part, the present author draws the conclusion that landscape in Austen's novels does not only serves as the background for the story, but functions to a certain extent in characterization, plot development and thematic expression. The present author hopes that the foregrounding of these previously neglected roles may provide a new perspective to Austen's novels.