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Lady Susan is a short epistolary novel
Epistolary novel

An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is Letter s, although diary, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used....
 by Jane Austen
Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose Literary realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of free indirect speech, Burlesque , and irony have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in English literature....
, possibly written in 1794 but not published until 1871.

Synopsis
Although the primary focus of this work is the selfish behaviour of Lady Susan as she engages in flirtations and searches for suitable husbands for herself and her young daughter, the real action shares its importance with Austen’s manipulation of her characters' behaviour by means of their reactions to the letters that they receive.






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Lady Susan is a short epistolary novel
Epistolary novel

An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is Letter s, although diary, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used....
 by Jane Austen
Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose Literary realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of free indirect speech, Burlesque , and irony have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in English literature....
, possibly written in 1794 but not published until 1871.

Synopsis


Although the primary focus of this work is the selfish behaviour of Lady Susan as she engages in flirtations and searches for suitable husbands for herself and her young daughter, the real action shares its importance with Austen’s manipulation of her characters' behaviour by means of their reactions to the letters that they receive. The protagonist
Protagonist

A protagonist is the main Character of a drama or Narrative. The word "protagonist" derives from the Greek language p??ta????st?? , "one who plays the first part, chief actor." In the theatre of Ancient Greece, three actors played all of the main dramatic roles in a tragedy; the leading role was played by the protagonist, while the othe...
 adds additional interest by altering the tone of her own letters based on the recipient of the letter. Thus, the character of Lady Susan is developed through many branches as Austen suggests complications of identity and the way in which that identity is based on interaction, rather than in isolation. Lady Susan’s character is also built by the descriptions of the other letter-writers; but even though their opinions of this protagonist coincide with the image that develops from her own letters, Austen demonstrates the subjectivity of the opinions by presenting them – primarily – in the letters of one woman to another, thereby suggesting the established literary motifs of feminine gossip
Gossip

Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others. It forms one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and other variations into the information thus transmitted....
 and jealousy. Readers recognize these subjective motifs and examine the idiosyncrasies of the characters in order to create their own opinion of Lady Susan, as they would with a real acquaintance.

As of 2009, Lady Susan was being adapted by British writer Lucy Prebble
Lucy Prebble

Lucy Prebble is a British screenwriter....
 for Celador Films and BBC4.

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