Jane Austen in the Context of Abolition: A Fling at the Slave Trade

This wide-ranging study looks at the issues of and attitudes towards slavery in Jane Austens later novels and culture, and argues against Edward Saids critique of Jane Austen as a supporter of colonialism and slavery. White suggests that Austen is both concerned and engaged with the issue, and that novels such as Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion not only presuppose the British outlawing of the transatlantic slave trade but also undermine the status quo of chattel slavery. This wide-ranging study looks at the issues of and attitudes towards slavery in Jane Austens later novels and culture, and argues against Edward Saids critique of Jane Austen as a supporter of colonialism and slavery. White suggests that Austen is both concerned and engaged with the issue, and that novels such as Mansfield Park, Emma and Persuasion not only presuppose the British outlawing of the transatlantic slave trade but also undermine the status quo of chattel slavery.

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