"A Plausible Tale": William Godwin's Things As They Are

This essay examines William Godwin's ambiguous attitude to the rhetoric and contingency of truth claims in his 1794 novel Things As They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, situating its preoccupation with narrative plausibility in relation to the classical rhetorical tradition, specific...

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Published in:European romantic review 2014-09, Vol.25 (5), p.591-610
Main Author: Solomonescu, Yasmin
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Language:English
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description This essay examines William Godwin's ambiguous attitude to the rhetoric and contingency of truth claims in his 1794 novel Things As They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams, situating its preoccupation with narrative plausibility in relation to the classical rhetorical tradition, specifically Cicero's De Inventione. From that vantage, the novel is presented as a key moment of transformation in Godwin's thinking about the relationship between truth and its linguistic construction. Focusing on Caleb's oral and written attempts to vindicate his reputation, the essay argues that despite Godwin's commitment to absolute sincerity in interpersonal and institutional relations, the novel shows rhetoric to be necessary and potentially compatible with the principles of truth and justice. The essay ultimately offers a new perspective on the novel's two endings as radically different culminations of Caleb's rhetorical education, while also suggesting that the more conciliatory attitude to rhetoric they evince had a significant legacy for Godwin's oeuvre, and may have informed Romantic-era fiction more broadly.
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title "A Plausible Tale": William Godwin's Things As They Are
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