In choosing to narrate the novel through letters written by the protagonist, Burney made use of her own writing experience. This course has won praise from critics past and present, for the direct access it provides to events and characters, and the narrative sophistication it demonstrates in linking the roles of narrator and heroine. The authors of "Women in World History" argue that she identifies difficulties faced by women in the 18th century, especially those on questions of romance and marriage. She is seen as a "shrewd observer of her times and a clever recorder of its charms and its follies". What critics have consistently found interesting in her writing is the introduction and careful treatment of a female protagonist, complete with character flaws, "who must make her way in a hostile world." These are recognisable also as features of Jane Austen's writing, and show Burney's influence on her work. Furthermore, she sought to put to use the epistolary form espoused periodically by Burney, as seen in "Lady Susan" and to a lesser extent "Pride and Prejudice".