Laughing feminism: subversive comedy in Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth, and Jane Austen

Abstract

At a time when overt feminist statements could ruin a woman's reputation, comedy enabled certain authors to smuggle feminism into their writing. This work sheds light on the ways in which Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen enlisted the power of comedy in the service of feminism, and in so doing participated in one of the most important ideological movements of the last 300 years. It seeks to offer modern scholars a new look at feminist tactics as it brings to light a lost chapter in the history of comedy.