Abstract

Jane Austen, generally considered as a great realistic novelist, portrays English middle-class life, especially on the subject of marriage, from her own perspective. Among her works, Emma, featuring its rich domestic realism of the late eighteenth century and unique narrative strategies, stands out as Austen’s foremost epitome, owing much to the use of Free Indirect Speech (FIS) as a major narrative device. This article intends to analyze the use of Free Indirect Speech in Emma and further investigate its role in narratives and characterization.

Keywords: Free indirect speech; Emma; narrative discourse; characterization

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 Literature Review on Jane Austen-1

1.2 Literature Review on Emma-1

2. Introduction to Free Indirect Speech-3

2.1 The History of Free Indirect Speech-3

2.2 The Features and Functions of Free Indirect Speech-4

2.3 Recent studies about Free Indirect Speech in Emma-4

3. Free Indirect Speech and Emma-6

3.1 Free indirect speech in characterization: an imperfect but endearing heroine-6

3.2 Free indirect speech in narration: Austen’s Deliberate Choice-10

3.3 The significance of Austen’s use of Free Indirect Speech in Emma-12

5. Conclusion-12

References-13