Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Nobuya Inagaki

Abstract

Humans communicate lessons and messages through multiple mediums; including the written word. Classic novels transcend time and continue to reach out to generations of people to offer insight into human nature. The best stories can maintain relevance years after they have been created. This has been true for Jane Austen’s novels. Her works have received much criticism and research over the last 200 years with screen and book adaptations, as well as fan clubs and societies. Where much of the research emphasis is on the main characters or themes, there is a lack of information about the effect of secondary characters on the reader. This thesis was a three part study in which literary criticism and Walter Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm were used to analyze reader reactions to Charlotte Lucas in Pride and Prejudice and John Thorpe in Northanger Abbey. Twenty-five articles and books with opinions on the novels were reviewed to learn how the movements and actions of secondary characters influence audience response. The results show that the message and moral of the secondary characters created a passionate and measureable response in a qualitative format. The feedback is explored in depth and offers new insights into Jane Austen’s novels.

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