Defending Privilege: Rights, Status, and Legal Peril in the British Novel

Nicole Wright's Defending Privilege examines how British novels from the late 18th and 19th centuries shaped perceptions of legal agency, focusing on authors like Smollett and Smith. Wright analyzes how these novelists, often involved in legal battles themselves, portrayed the vulnerability of privileged individuals to miscarriages of justice while simultaneously exploring the restricted legal access of marginalized groups like women and the enslaved. The study contrasts the depictions of legal struggles in these novels with contemporary legal guides, highlighting the innovations of authors like Charlotte Smith who made legal knowledge more accessible. Wright also contrasts the portrayal of marginalized groups in these novels with those of antislavery literature, revealing complexities in how race and power shaped narrative and legal discourse. Finally, Wright connects these historical perspectives to contemporary political debates about rights and the protection of "law-abiding citizens," critiquing the selective use of historical narratives to support specific policy agendas.You can listen and download our episodes for free on more than 10 different platforms:https://linktr.ee/book_shelterGet the Book now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Defending-Privilege-Rights-Status-British/dp/1421433737?&linkCode=ll1&tag=cvthunderx-20&linkId=ec8b5f59969d6f906837afca5ed50b8b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlProduced by Podcai Studio:https://www.podcaistudio.com/