Persuasion 12/6

Throughout the novel, I had been wondering whether the story is allegorical to a degree. The tension created by this idea of persuasion manifests itself in a variety of ways, but primarily, it presents the faults of either being too easily persuaded, or impenetrable. In either case, one is left with a weak mind (or a broken one). In the case of Louisa, her head (mind) is literally injured because she would not listen to a reasonable request. Is it possible that Austen is trying to say something broader about her society?  The tension manifests itself primarily in the way that persuasion occurs with the young women in the novel. It is possible that Austen is attempting to convey that the society does not allow for women (and men, in many cases) to make their own decisions. Anne is the ideal, situated comfortably upon the fine line of not being too easily influenced, or of being unable to listen to difference. Perhaps, her character is constructed in order to convey the gendered implications of how the minds of women were effected in her cultural setting.