Theodore Hook: novelist of manners
Schweitzer, Cora May
Schweitzer, Cora May
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1967
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Abstract
Relatively unknown to students of literature as well as to the general reading public, Theodore Hook qualifies as an English man of letters whose fame was assimilated almost entirely within his own lifetime. His experience writing farces for the early nineteenth-century theater gave him knowledge of the conventions of dramatic comedy; this knowledge he adapted to the requirements of narrative fiction. The purpose of this dissertation is to isolate similarities between Hook's novels and the comedies of manners and to justify use of the title Theodore Hook: Novelist of Manners. The Introduction and Chapter I endeavor to provide not only helpful background information about Hook but also supplementary support of the argument of the dissertation. Chapter II defines the comedy of manners and establishes a set of characteristics which are relevant to Restoration comedy; these attributes--realism of setting, conventionalized realism of characterization, use of stereotyped plots, and use of wit, humor, satire, and irony-provide the basis of discussion for the following chapters. Both Restoration comedies and Hook's novels utilize contemporary scenes and topical events. Chapter III discusses realism in terms of specific novels, notably Maxwell and Gilbert Gurney. The most significant feature of classical comedy, of which the comedy of manners is one form, is the continuing use of humours. Dryden's discussion is relevant to this study and to Hook's method of characterization. Chapter IV discusses characterization with particular reference to Births, Deaths, and Marriages. Hook admitted his own lack of creativity in constructing plots; examination sustains his confession. He utilized plot structures that were traditional to comedy: linear plots in which the hero is a picaro contrast with spatial plots in which family life is the basis of organization. Chapter V examines both the substance and the structure of Hook's three-volume novels. In addition, Hook's use of humor, satire, and irony links him to the comedy of manners. He excels particularly in humor of characterization and of situation. Although not a truly witty writer, he does have a satiric objectivity that is directed against vanity and egotism. Chapter VI identifies in Hook's novels various forms of comic humor, pointed satire, and irony. Justifying Theodore Hook as a novelist of manners involves both explication of the term manners and analysis of Hook's novels. The study reveals that he was responsive to the traditions and to the techniques of dramatic comedy.
Contents
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Hook, Theodore Edward, 1788-1841
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Dissertation
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v, 248 leaves, bound
Department
English