Abstract

This article identifies a series of “self-citations” in Maria Edgeworth’s often-neglected final novel. Of the numerous literary allusions in Helen, many echo more within Edgeworth’s works than they do with any original source; such citations thus recall not only general literary traditions, but also Edgeworth’s own. This literary practice forms a self-reflexive critique of the linguistic appropriations practiced by Helen’s characters, even as it becomes a way for Edgeworth to reflect on her authorial career. These allusions reveal continuities between Helen and Edgeworth’s prior work and suggest why this novel has been so difficult for literary historians to place in time.

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