Narcissism in nineteenth century literature (Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, George Meredith, D. H. Lawrence, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Ireland)

This dissertation investigates a quality of narcissism which begins to manifest itself in early nineteenth century English literature and traces its pervasive spread through the century and into the next. It explores the work of some major romantic poets and looks chronologically into such novels as Emma, Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, The Egoist, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Lady Chatterley's Lover, and Sons and Lovers . The approach to narcissism follows loosely Freud's interpretation of the Narcissus myth, includes some leading current views, and explores the relationship of this dispositioning to nineteenth century materialism. An analogy is made between the narcissistic parent/child relationship and the century to its constituent masses.