Abstract
This chapter examines a commonplace in Austen criticism: the association between the correct use of language and moral worth. While those characters who use language imprecisely in her fiction are often shown to be disagreeable or dishonest, it is also the case that those who are over-precise and prescriptive are not endorsed unequivocally. With particular attention to Sense and Sensibility and Emma, Bray argues that the vulgar use of language can be a sign of moral goodness in Austen’s fiction, and that those who judge others on their linguistic habits are often the target of satire.
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