A ROMANCE WORLD OF THEIR OWN GENERIC AND PATRIARCHAL BOUNDARIES UNSETTLED IN “EVELINA” AND “THE FEMALE QUIXOTE”

The continuity between the romance and novel genres has been undermined since latter's emergence in eighteenth century despite conceptual confusion regarding these at time. Many critics de-contextualize as if it came into being merely a reaction to through complete break with former literary genres, hence fail see its many connections terms of structure content. Though we have today made more or less clear-cut distinctions novel, exible interchangeable use for better part demonstrates that they overlap than differ their qualities. Therefore, by bringing spotlight elements qualities prevalent eighteenth-century this paper aims unearthing exploring how certain generic instability genre open up space serve liberating function Arabella Evelina strictly patriarchal society Charlotte Lennox's Female Quixote (1752) Frances Burney's (1778).