2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
On Literary Meanings of Conduct Books : Influences on English Novels
| Project/Area Number |
16520222
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Literatures/Literary theories in other countries and areas
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| Research Institution | Tsuruga Junior College |
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Principal Investigator |
GOHEI Hisae Tsuruga Junior College, the Department of Japanese History, Professor (90235002)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2004 – 2006
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| Keywords | conduct books / Eighteenth-Century England novels / Eliza Haywood / romances / female novelists |
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| Research Abstract |
Goal: Since 1980s, the rise of feminist movements has concentrated attention on many aspects of women's history to especially focus on "conduct books" instructing moral and manners. It is pointed that they had contributed to make up the ideology defining ideal feminine images at that time. That is, it means "conduct books" in 18th century played an important role to indicate the standard feminine image and also were the driving force of female education. That is why "conduct books" have attracted a great deal of attention.
In Japan, however, researches of "conduct books" themselves have not made, and there is no discussion how they had acted on the emergence and development of the English novel. The purpose of this study is to research the influence of "conduct books" on the English novel and to find its meanings literally.
Planning: In the first year the analysis of voluminous "conduct books" led to discover various ideal female images, alike common opinions. In the second year, compared to "conduct books" spread into the populace, it was clear that "romances" such as anti-conduct books, hold the key to the emergence of novels. Also it was verified that creation of heroines by Eliza Haywood, who had described females deviating from long-standing standard was quite significant, and furthermore a romance writer Haywood had a great influence on Samuel Richardson rated among the authentic novelists at that time. In the end, I verified how meaningfully Haywood created the heroine departed from ideal females shown in traditional conduct books through her "conduct books", the Female Spectator.
Conclusion: Evidently, I drew a conclusion that "conduct books" having been denied the literal meanings has the great influence on emergence of novels. There is no doubt that this signifies much for development of novels.
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Research Products
(12 results)
