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"There's Nothing Like Dancing, After All" Gender As Performance In Jane Austen's Dance Scenes, D. Nicole Swann

Theses & Honors Papers

This thesis examines the elaborate and intricate dance scenes in many of Jane Austen’s novels as representations of marriage and the performance of gender. Along with looking at the successful marriages in Austen’s novels which result from the social convention of English country dancing, this thesis also analyzes the failed relationships and broken hearts that result from Austenian dancing and discusses the role of gender in finding both a good dance partner and a good spouse.