In the following excerpt, first published in 1899 and reprinted in 1923, Cross summarizes the course of the English novel from its roots in the seventeenth century—in the French romance, religi...
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In the following excerpt, first published in 1900 and reprinted in 1902, Stoddard proposes a law of development that he believes is applicable to any literary form: "the depiction of the extern...
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In the following essay, Warner charts the novel's progress from "scandalous" newcomer on the literary landscape to a serious, legitimate form sanctioned by the efforts of such key...
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In the essay that follows, Backscheider examines some methods of influencing other people, particularly men, and bringing about change that female authors of early novels gave to their female characte...
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In the essay below, Backscheider examines ways in which women novelists responded to popular conceptions about their sex, some choosing to rebel against the demand for well-mannered, sentimental works...
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In the following excerpt, Todd surveys the primary female novelists of the genre's early development, as well as the major styles adopted by those pioneers.
Ever since Caxton founded his printi...
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In the following essay, Davis argues that early novelists put forth concepts of fiction that implicitly sought to disarm a public that paradoxically both demanded fiction and looked down upon "...
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