The Political And Moral Value Orientation In Jane Austen's Novels

The political connotations and moral significance in Jane Austen's works have always been the focuses of the critics. Therefore, this dissertation is divided into three parts to discuss the political views, the moral value orientation and the art which serves the moral themes in Jane Austen's novels.The first chapter discusses the open and objective political attitudes in Jane Austen's novels. Though living in the period of social transition when the status of the bourgeois was rising and the status of the nobility and the gentry was declining, Jane Austen didn't seem to be affected by the revolution. She is good at describing the tranquil rural life. It's closely related with the reformism in the social evolution process in England and the stable situation in the country. Even though, the social trends and the evolution of class position are clearly presented in her works. She reflects the social process without bias and there's no obvious political tendentiousness in her novels. If she has shown respect and attachment to the traditional values in her works, it's not because she is conservative, but reflects her concern for the disadvantages of the new society and the attempts to find a way out.The second chapter focuses on the frank and sincere moral views in Jane Austen's works. Being affected by the moralizing tradition of the 18th century English literature, Jane Austen endows her novels with significant moral themes. She neither agrees with the excessive pursuit of economic interests, nor approves the emotional overindulgence. She advocates caring for others, encourages people to control their desire and show sympathy to others. It's not only the reflection and correction of the expansion of personal desire, but also the balance between commercial spirit and sentimentalism.The last part analyzes Jane Austen's artistic features in three aspects: irony, plot delay and psychological description. These three skills all serve the moral themes. Irony not only works on shaping characters and structuring plots, but also conveys the author's moral judgments; Plot delay both enhances the readers'expectation of the endings and tests the characters on morality; Thanks to the plot delay, there's enough time to describe the characters'mental activities. All these above make Jane Austen's works separate themselves from the boring didactic writings and achieve the unity of ideas and art.Rich social connotations and serious moral themes expand the breadth and depth of Jane Austen's novels. Superb artistry makes her works even better. Therefore, Jane Austen is still beloved by the modern readers.