The Fiction of George Meredith (1828-1909) and Its Contemporary Readership: Modes of Address

Gibson, Jane Elizabeth (1986) The Fiction of George Meredith (1828-1909) and Its Contemporary Readership: Modes of Address. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This work identifies various modes of address in George Meredith's fiction in the light of a knowledge of the contemporary readership addressed. Chapter One discusses the nature of the Victorian reading public, and concludes that it was not homogeneous but fractured, with Meredith's readership being identified with an intellectual elite, rather than with a majority who shared what Meredith called "public taste", But, after a consideration of how Meredith's reputation was established, it becomes clear that this reputation masked the actual address which the novels made to their readers.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: British & Irish literature
• Date of Award: 1986
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1986-77253
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Jan 2020 09:14
• Last Modified: 14 Jan 2020 09:14
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/77253