Jane Austen and narrative authority

Tara Ghoshal Wallace

In Jane Austen and Narrative Authority Tara Ghoshal Wallace argues that Austen self-consciously examines the sources and limitations of narrative authority. Far from embodying ideological and technical complacency, Austen's novels articulate a range of anxieties about authorship and authority. Authorship liberates as well as constrains Austen's desire for feminine power, allowing her to create an assertive narrative voice which is then subjected to irony and criticism. Austen's work thematizes the complex relationship between narrative authority and readers' resistance.