{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/81276"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/81276","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"They Blush Because They Understand: The Performative Power of Women's Humor and Embarrassment in Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma","abstract":"In this project, I analyze women's humor in three of Jane Austen's novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Using speech-act theory, I specifically examine Elizabeth's, Emma's, and Mary's utterances to demonstrate that in order for humorous utterances to be subversive, they must challenge societal or patriarchal constructs (religion, misogynist men, marriage, the feminine ideal) and do so artfully. An indirect speech act--a play on words, an insult, even a laugh--is often far more effective than a more direct one, especially when wielded by characters for whom a direct antagonistic speech act would have severe social consequences. When those socially-sanctioned and highly-regulated speech acts--marriages, wills, introductions, invitations, letters, titles--are less accessible or less beneficial to women, only indirect speech acts remain a viable option.","abstract_html":"In this project, I analyze women's humor in three of Jane Austen's novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Using speech-act theory, I specifically examine Elizabeth's, Emma's, and Mary's utterances to demonstrate that in order for humorous utterances to be subversive, they must challenge societal or patriarchal constructs (religion, misogynist men, marriage, the feminine ideal) and do so artfully. An indirect speech act--a play on words, an insult, even a laugh--is often far more effective than a more direct one, especially when wielded by characters for whom a direct antagonistic speech act would have severe social consequences. When those socially-sanctioned and highly-regulated speech acts--marriages, wills, introductions, invitations, letters, titles--are less accessible or less beneficial to women, only indirect speech acts remain a viable option.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lingo, Sarah Katherine"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Arts","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":"English","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Graham, Peter W."],"committee_members":["Powell, Katrina M.","Metz, Nancy Aycock"],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-06-27","date_published":"2016-06-27","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:33Z","subjects":["Jane Austen","speech-act theory","women's humor"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:8110"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:8110","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/81276","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Graham, Peter W."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Powell, Katrina M.","Metz, Nancy Aycock"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lingo, Sarah Katherine"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-12-20T07:00:32Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-12-20T07:00:32Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016-06-27"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Jane Austen","speech-act theory","women's humor"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:8110"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/81276"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this project, I analyze women's humor in three of Jane Austen's novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Using speech-act theory, I specifically examine Elizabeth's, Emma's, and Mary's utterances to demonstrate that in order for humorous utterances to be subversive, they must challenge societal or patriarchal constructs (religion, misogynist men, marriage, the feminine ideal) and do so artfully. An indirect speech act--a play on words, an insult, even a laugh--is often far more effective than a more direct one, especially when wielded by characters for whom a direct antagonistic speech act would have severe social consequences. When those socially-sanctioned and highly-regulated speech acts--marriages, wills, introductions, invitations, letters, titles--are less accessible or less beneficial to women, only indirect speech acts remain a viable option."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Arts"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["They Blush Because They Understand: The Performative Power of Women's Humor and Embarrassment in Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Graham, Peter W."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Powell, Katrina M.","Metz, Nancy Aycock"],"dc:contributor.department":["English"],"dc:creator":["Lingo, Sarah Katherine"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-12-20T07:00:32Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-12-20T07:00:32Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2016-06-27"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this project, I analyze women's humor in three of Jane Austen's novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. 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When those socially-sanctioned and highly-regulated speech acts--marriages, wills, introductions, invitations, letters, titles--are less accessible or less beneficial to women, only indirect speech acts remain a viable option."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Arts"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:8110"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/81276"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Jane Austen","speech-act theory","women's humor"],"dc:title":["They Blush Because They Understand: The Performative Power of Women's Humor and Embarrassment in Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:33Z"}