ABSTRACT
The reciprocal nature of literature and music has long fascinated authors, philosophers, and theorists. Viewed as sister arts, they have been historically linked through their common emotive powers of persuasion and expression of human passion. Musical and literary sensibilities of the nineteenth century were influenced by the changing aesthetic responses by the public to music and literature. One of the impacts on the development was the perception of music which shifted during the course of the century, ultimately affecting the writing style of the period. Music permeates the novel through the use of the Italian musical term “moderato cantabile.” Permeating the novels as an integral part of the narrative, music serves as a symbol that reflects at once the intimate expression of our deepest and most profound emotions, as well as the larger societal system and Zeitgeist. Male characters undergo transformation through music and/or contact with women, both enlightening them to the communicative capacity of music.
