Frances Burney's The Witlings: Satire, Gender, and the Eighteenth-Century Stage

ENTRY DRAFT: This article examines Frances Burney’s The Witlings (1778–79) in its literary, social, and theatrical contexts, offering a modern reassessment of its feminist implications, dramaturgy, and reception history. It situates the comedy at the intersection of sentimental and satirical traditions, explores its negotiation of female authorship and public performance, and traces its modern revivals and scholarly rediscovery.