Research On The Inscription Of "Daniel Delonda" From The Perspective Of Paratext

In George Eliot's last novel,Daniel Deronda,each chapter has its epigraph(s).But there are few studies about the epigraph in Daniel Deonda.This thesis explores the epigraph in this novel in association with Gerard Genette's theory of the paratext,and then examines the artistic significance of the epigraph in Daniel Deronda.The epigraph is classified as a kind of paratext by Genette.This thesis first introduces the epigraph in theory and literature,including its classification,functions and existence in the literary history.Then the allographic epigraph and the autographic epigraph in Daniel Deronda are separately studied in relation to the main text.Their functions might be thematic,structural,ironic,etc.At last,this thesis studies George Eliot's selection and creation of epigraphs in Daniel Deronda,and explores their artistic significance in the author's construction of a literary community.By examining the ignored epigraph as a kind of paratext,this thesis might broaden and enrich the scholarship of Daniel Deronda.