Fomich, Nikolai. Empathy building, erroneous judgments, and free indirect discourse in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T39P33BN
DescriptionThis thesis will examine the precise ways in which British novelist Jane Austen uses free indirect discourse in her fiction writing, by closely analyzing a passage from her most famous novel, Pride and Prejudice. This analysis will be based in linguistics, looking at the technical aspects of the language she uses in this passage, such as her deictic expressions and verb usage, to determine exactly how Austen crafts this moment of free indirect discourse. This paper will also explore the reasons why Austen chose to use this particular literary technique in her fiction. Finally, this thesis will touch upon the nature of the relationship between character and third-person narrator in free indirect discourse, which has been the subject of critical debate.