The novel of manners is a work of fiction that re-creates a social world, conveying through detailed observation the customs, values and mores of a stratified society, with behavioral conventions dominating plot development and characters judged by how well they conform to established social standards. Its scope can be narrow, focused on a specific social circle such as Jane Austen's landed gentry, or broad enough to encompass an entire national society, as in the novels of Honore de Balzac.
Facts
Notable ExampleEvelina, or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World (1779) by Frances Burney 1 Defining TraitThe manners and behavioral conventions of a stratified society dominate the plot, and characters are judged by how well they meet the society's own standard of ideal social behavior. 1 Connections
Sources
1. Novel of Manners (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, first paragraph
The behavioural conventions (manners) of the society dominate the plot of the story, and characters are differentiated by the degree to which they meet or fail to meet the uniform standard of ideal social behaviour, as established by society.
Background section, second paragraph
Many novels of manners, including Evelina: Or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World (1779) by Frances Burney, take a sociological interest in the complex systems of etiquette and social hierarchy employed by the upper classes
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