Victorian Morality and Conduct: Jane Austen's Representation

In 1753, the earl of Chesterfield writes to his son that in his whole life, he was never able to meet a woman possessing reason or consideration, or behaving consequently for twenty-four hours. In his view, sensible men do only dally with women as they in truth do only possess two passions: love and vanity. This study examines Jane Austen´s representation of morality and conduct in her two novels 'Mansfield Park' (1814) and 'Persuasion' (1818) by the use of the conduct books read and used by the people of the Victorian time.