Anne

I feel sorry for Anne at first in the story. I feel like she is being taken advantage of for sure. She is the sister that seems to be more responsible and reasonable than the other two, and she also is the daughter that is often forgotten about. Her character grows however throughout the story. I think she starts to find her true self, without being persuaded by others, she starts to find her true happiness. I think she sees how her sisters are, and how they are just settling in their ways. Austen shows us through Anne that women can create their own paths and have their own true happiness without following all the rules, and being persuaded by others in what is better for themselves. Austen believed that you should marry for love and affection, not for wealth. Although Anne is persuaded away from her happiness in the beginning, by the end of the story she has found her true self, and is reunited with the man she truly loves. I also love how Austen shows part of herself through Anne, in the discussion with Capitan Harville, and how she makes the comment that all the poetry, and stories, and most of what people have read during this time were written by men. Thus, they are all explaining how fickle women are, and yet none of what the Capitan is reading is by women. I found this very compelling because Anne is very cleaver to point this out to him, explaining that maybe women are not as fickle as he may think. Allowing her character to speak for her I think, like Anne, was very clever.

Persuasion

In the pivotal moment where Captain Wentworth listens in to Anne’s telling of her true feelings regarding the lasting power of a love that has lost any chance of fulfilling its desires to Captain Harville, it seems that Jane Austen runs an underlying commentary about the differences of the emotional constitution of men and women in society. Of course this scene is used by Austen to clear the confusion and apprehension of the love that these two characters have for each other, but it also smartly comments upon the prevailing beliefs of a man and a woman regarding the merits of each their sexes. For Anne she emphasizes the belief that women are more capable of tender feeling and lasting sensibility than men, she states that “We certainly do not forget you, so soon as you forget us.” “We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us. You are forced on exertion. You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately, and continual occupation and change soon weaken impressions” (224). The way Austen presents this concept is interesting because she doesn’t seem to be against this type of “confined” existence of women, but instead is just commenting upon its nature and how it affects the feelings that women feel, and how the opposite of men affects their feelings as well. This is interesting the compare this to the writings of women like Wollstonecraft who comment upon these concepts in order to incite social change. Also Captain Harville’s comments of “histories are against you, all stories, prose and verse” and “but perhaps you will say, these are all written by men”(225) are interesting to consider because they tell of Austen’s frustration of how there was little opportunity for women writers of the time and histories were for men to tell. Subsequently allowing men control over the telling of stories that may be biased. By successfully publishing books such as Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice Austen was able to write her own stories and provide the public with an accurate portrayal of a woman’s view point. 

Anne in Persuasion

In the beginning of the novel, Anne is introduced as the black sheep of the family. She doesn't really fit into the family like the others, but her true character starts to unravel throughout the work. She is quiet and clever. We discussed in class as to how she observes situations and acts accordingly. "Listen" and "Silent" are both spelled with the same letters and I feel like this helps us understand Anne. The first time that I noticed that she refused being persuaded was when Lady Russell tries to convince her to marry Charles Musgrove, a man of good appearance and title. However, Anne is still completed shattered from having been convinced not to marry Wentworth, the only man she ever really cared for. I like that later in the novel Austen decides to bring Wentworth back into Anne's life and lets her steer her own future. Anne doesn't regret being persuaded not to marry Wentworth for she understands her role as a woman of upper class and reasons that, "a strong sense of duty is no bad part of a woman's portion." Social mobility is what gives Anne and Wentworth the ability to call for an engagement. The family's struggle with debt caused a lot of stress, but in a way it also made them humble. Wentworth's career with the Navy granted him plenty of wealth suitable to marry Anne.

Persuasion 12/6

The conversation between Anne and Captain Harville in the last volume is very interesting. A large part of this semester has been spent talking about gender and the role of women in society. While this is not an educational tract, which we’ve spent the most time on, the discussion is still relevant and I think the most explicit Austen ever is on this subject. The societal limitations on women are acknowledged by Anne when she says “We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey on us. You are forced on exertion. You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately” (Austen 241). Anne’s and even Elizabeth’s static existence at the beginning of the novel reflect this statement. Anne’s desire to have the ability to go into the world instead of living at home “quiet” and “confined” was shown through her dream of what she would have done if she were Wentworth. Anne’s insistent that books not being used as examples of women’s inconstancy is also interesting. The examples given in books is presented as unfair since “men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much a higher degree; the pen has been in their hands” (Austen 243). I find this interesting because while this statement is true, there does seem to be a shift in who holds the pen during this time. This course has shown that many women are writing a large variety of things during the romantic era and even before this era. It seems that women are now the ones that have the ability to tell their own story and shape the conversations about their society and lives. This novel is doing exactly that, Austen is starting a conversation about the role of women in society and women’s nature in her own terms. It’s no longer only men dictating the conversations taking place.

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.

Anne's Proposal

A scene I found particularly interesting in today’s reading is the debate between Anne and Captain Harville about how men and women experience love. As always Anne is very aware of her surroundings and knows that Captain Wentworth is listening. Anne notes that while men “…have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately…” (241) women do not have such a luxury. Men are allowed to move on into other things to occupy their lives while women are not. Anne falters in her conversation with Benwick and allows her own emotions to come through in this topic capturing Wentworth’s attention.

When Harville tries to fall back on the debate tactic we have seen many characters use in this course of quoting books Anne blocks this move. She reminds us, “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands.” (243) Anne has been established as a well-read character but she acknowledges that there is a problem in trying to determine the nature of women through a male lens. Both Harville and Anne are sincerely describing what they have felt in the past but neither can really claim a superior feeling of love. Their lives and perspectives are so different that they can’t come to a true understanding of the other’s experience. As Anne states they each have a natural bias to their own sex and their very different experiences have built upon it. That being said they can still try to listen to one another.

By having this discussion with Harville, Anne has revealed her side of things to Wentworth.  After Wentworth’s jealous reaction to Mr. Elliot she is sure he has feelings for her. In this time it would not have been proper for Anne to propose to Wentworth but in an indirect way she has. Anne cleverly made a full confession of her continuing feelings and made it clear that she has never stopped caring for Captain Wentworth without saying a word directly to him. She instead compels him to act. 

Tactics of Persuasion

After discussing Anne's character in class, with the decided conclusion about how she is a passive listener, collecting information and listening patiently to a multitude of others no matter how unlike herself without casting too much judgment, it was interesting to me to see another character of similar methods emerge in Mr. William Elliot. However, the two are remarkably different in their intentions and the way they use persuasion.

Anne clearly is the more morally intentional character between the two. Though she may sit and observe, allowing herself to only express her opinions more openly but still amicably later in the book, she uses whatever persuasion she may have for the better. And in the instances I noticed, she doesn't even use any information that she gains through calmly observing. One of the prominent instances of her version of persuasion was with Captain Benwick. "it fell to Anne’s lot to be placed rather apart with Captain Benwick; and a very good impulse of her nature obliged her to begin an acquaintance with him" and that acquaintance was a simple discussion. And as we've learned, Anne is much more of a listener, so I would assume their discussion still had a lot of her usual mannerisms of listening and waiting to speak and "the engaging mildness of her countenance, and gentleness of her manners, soon had their effect; and Anne was well repaid the first trouble of exertion". It's even plainly stated that this was an act of persuasion, "and besides the persuasion of having given him at least an evening’s indulgence in the discussion of subjects ... she had the hope of being of real use to him in some suggestions as to the duty and benefit of struggling against affliction". And even though she clearly had good intentions, Anne still has the worry that "she had been eloquent on a point in which her own conduct would ill bear examination", reflecting a humility and understanding that she needs to be better at practicing what she preaches so that she may influence others truly for the better.

We also see some of Anne's personal, passive persuasion take an effect on Mrs. Smith, who is cut of the same persuasive cloth as Anne. It is through these interactions, that we learn the true nature of her persuasive counterpart, William Elliot. I think you ought to be made acquainted with Mr. Elliot’s real character. Mrs. Smith places herself in the Anne's usual position through her own interactions with Mr. Elliott to whom she, "was the friend to whom he confided his hopes and plans". Mrs. Smith fills Anne in on his true nature,"Mr. Elliot is a man without heart or conscience; a designing, wary, cold-blooded being, who thinks only of himself; who, for his own interest or ease, would be guilty of any cruelty, or any treachery, that could be perpetrated without risk of his general character." Even though this was in the past, Mrs. Smith provides proof and further account that he really has not changed, but has become more cunning and persuasive. His latest efforts are dedicated to the baronetcy and ensuring his title by ruining Sir Walter and Miss Clay, "he omitted no opportunity of being with them, threw himself in their way, called at all hours – but I need not be particular on this subject. You can imagine what an artful man would do". How artful he is in how he employs his persuasion, "Mr. Elliot was too generally agreeable. Various as were the tempers in her father’s house, he pleased them all. He endured too well, – stood too well with everybody. He had spoken to her with some degree of openness of Mrs. Clay; had appeared completely to see what Mrs. Clay was about, and to hold her in contempt; and yet Mrs. Clay found him as agreeable as anybody." His methods are close to Anne's. He may not be as passive as she is when she is listening to others, which seems evident through everyone finding him so agreeable and Anne less so, but he has an ear lent to everyone he comes in contact with and an agreeable word to say to them, whether or not he agrees. And we see Anne's understanding that her similar methods of persuasion cannot alter his plans. She has to change what she will do, "It will be more painful to me in some respects to be in company with him, but I shall know better what to do. My line of conduct will be more direct. Mr. Elliot is evidently a disingenuous, artificial, worldly man, who has never had any better principle to guide him than selfishness." 

I would like to say that I do not think Austen's point of the novel is entirely based in the intention of the persuasion, but that I just happened to see such a drastic difference of intent in two characters through similar methods. However, we have seen that even with good intentions persuasion is an uncontrollable, intangible thing, such was the case of Lady Russell's persuasion of Anne to reject Captain Wentworth. While it was done out of the love of herself and probably Anne's mother and only wanting the best for Anne, it led her to a very complicated path. Though I do think this path may be what made Anne such a character opposite from her family.