Family relationships and masculinity in Fanny Burney's Evelina and Sophie von La Roche's Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim

Although Frances Burney and Sophie von La Roche wrote and published successful novels in the late eighteenth century, little work has been done to compare these authors’ oeuvres. It is conceivable that La Roche’s work had an influence on Burney’s, and this possibility is especially strong for their first novels. La Roche’s first novel, Die Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim, was published in 1771 (an English translation followed in 1776); Burney’s first novel, Evelina, was published in 1778. Even though these publication dates are close together, Evelina is similar to Die Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim in a variety of aspects, so it is possible that La Roche’s work held some sway in Burney’s imagination. However, the likelihood also exists that there is some common ancestor of both novels, such as Clarissa, by Samuel Richardson, which bears some similarity to both works and was published in 1747 – 48. This thesis will explore the questions of whether La Roche’s novel influenced Burney’s novel in some way or if Richardson’s work functioned as a common ancestor. This thesis will also discuss the commentary on acceptable and unacceptable male and female behavior that is present in both works.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

German

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Pansch, Stefanie

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hilger, Stephanie M.

• Frances Burney
• Evelina
• Sophie von La Roche
• Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim
• epistolary novels

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Stefanie Pansch

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/44121

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/44121