Harm's Way

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The study explores the relationship between the rise of the novel and developments in liability law from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, particularly focusing on strict liability principles. Macpherson analyzes works by Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding, arguing that both the law and the novel disregard a person's state of mind in assessing responsibility. She challenges the traditional view that character takes precedence over plot in novels, ultimately asserting that the realist novel functions as a tragic form that emphasizes accountability for unforeseen consequences.