General Consent in Jane Austen

General Consent in Jane Austen examines the "early" and "late" novels as well as the juvenilia in the light of three paradigms: "The Other Heroine" focuses on voices that challenge and compete with the central heroines, "Cameo Appearances" examines buried past narratives, and "Investigating Crimes" explores acts of violence. These three avenues into dialogic space destabilize conventional readings of Austen. The Bakhtinian model that structures this book is not one of linearity and balance but one of conflict, simultaneity, and multiplicity. While some novels fit into only one paradigm, others incorporate more than one; Mansfield Park receives the most attention. A bold and provocative study, General Consent in Jane Austen will be of interest not only to Austen scholars but to scholars of literary theory and dialogism.

Barbara K. Seeber is assistant professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Brock University.