As I stated in class I see Anne Elliot as a strategist.
Because of the strict rules/structures of the society she is living in Anne is
limited in how she can impact her world. A proper lady cannot act in an overt
manner. What she chooses to do is be very careful and subtle about what she
does. Anne quietly observes the people around her, she is always gathering
intelligence. When she speaks, she chooses her words deliberately and considers
all of the possible ramifications of them. She subtly influences others to “persuade”
them to act correctly. There are instances of her manipulations throughout the
first volume.
Early on in the novel there is
mention of Mrs. Clay’s ambitions concerning Sir Walter. Before Elizabeth and
her father leave for Bath, Anne has a talk with her. Although Elizabeth was
offended by the notion Anne noted that “…Elizabeth, though resenting the
suspicion, might yet be made observant by it.” (73) By planting the seed she
basically assigned Elizabeth to keep watch over the situation in Bath while
Anne wasn’t present.
When Anne is placed with Captain
Benwick she sees it as the chance to be “…of real use to him in some
suggestions as to the duty and benefit of struggling against affliction…” (129).
Anne listens to him and takes an interest in his reading habits. In doing this
she made herself someone he could trust when she made some recommendations of
her own. Captain Benwick later attributes these books to lifting him from his
melancholy and giving him the chance to move on with Louisa.
Society does not give Anne real
power, but Anne takes some power for herself in her approach to life. The power
she has is not given to her by blood or station, it is something she earns
through the application of her mind. She observes constantly, ponders her
observations, and gives careful consideration to her actions and the
ramifications of them before acting. Through her depiction of this character
Austen shows the reader that a women can be the intellectual equal of a man. I
don’t believe it is a coincidence that we have self-made men who pulled
themselves up in life through military victories portrayed in this novel. It
gives us a point of comparison. Austen shows us that women are also capable of
careful observation, planning, and action to achieve their goals.
I like the concept of thinking of Anne as a strategist. In this kind of society, there's very little she can do to take control of her own life, so she has to gain power in her own way. Her subtle power struggle is mostly knowledge based, she's very careful to figure out what everyone around her is thinking and feeling. She's then able to use those to her advantage in determining what she can do to give recommendations to Captain Benwick, for example. She has power, just in her own (distinctly feminine) way.
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