Paratextual epigraph——Expansion of Time and Space in The French Lieutenant's Woman

This paper sets out to analyze the artistic functions and effects of paratextual epigraph in The French Lieutenant's Woman. Instead of only enumerating from the structural perspective, the author illustrated the function of the paratextual epigraph with due attention to the connection between epigraph and the artistic techniques as well as the theme of the novel. It was found that paratextual epigraph bears four artistic functions: foreshadowing, creating satire, and creating metaphor. It is suggested that further study could foreground the importance of paratextual epigraph, in order to have a better understanding of the novel.