Jane Austen s Novel Persuasion - 1657 Words

Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion explores how society worked in the 1800’s. It shows the issues of living in a patriarchal society and how social class was very important. Through Sir Walter Elliot’s character, it is shown how the upper classes have certain standards of behaviour and character traits that they show. Austen begins the novel with â€Å"Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one; he could read his own history with an interest which never failed – this was the page at which the favorite volume always opened† (Austen 5). This helps us understand that social class†¦show more content†¦He then goes on to talk about his eldest daughter Elizabeth who is still unmarried and has the possibility of marrying well; because of this she is held in high value by her father. The last daughter is the middle child. Sir Walter believes that Anne is a lost cause and â€Å"she was only Anne† (Austen 7) to him. Anne is treated like this because when she was younger she wanted to marry Captain Wentworth, who at the time was only a naval officer and didn’t have any status or money to his name. The treatment and the amount of love each daughter gets depends on what and how much they could add to the social status of the family. Social status is brought through marriage. Families can gain a higher social status by marrying their children to other children who are of a higher status. Another instance of Sir Walter favouring class over money is when his financial situation happens. After his wife died he ended up spending huge amounts of money as his wife wasn’t there to do damage control. Lady Russell makes a plan to apply a more controlled strategy to solve Sir Walter’s debts. However, he refuses as it would end up revealing that he was in debt in the first place. Eventually he decides to move to Bath and rent out Kellynch Hall as he believes that it will maintain his image. Instead of selling the house, he prefers to rent it, that is, he prefers to mortgage the powers he has but he never would sell them. He considers class superior to money because he thinksShow MoreRelatedEssay on Jane Austens Attitudes to Marriage in Persuasion1231 Words   |  5 PagesJane Austens Attitudes to Marriage in Persuasion In Persuasion, marriage is one of the major themes of the novel, and Austens attitudes towards marriage are present in chapter four of the novel. The first episode in which we can examine Austens attitudes to marriage is in chapter four. In chapter four we must notice that there is no direct speech, which shows that all of the narration is Austen, with her views and opinions being presented to us. When talking of Mr. Wentworth, AustenRead MorePersuasion - Austen s Canonical Final Words1466 Words   |  6 PagesPersuasion – Austen’s Canonical Final Words â€Å"You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago†¦ I have loved none but you.† ― Jane Austen, Persuasion It’s a love story. A fairy-tale ending, a quintessential marriage, and a happily ever after substantiates this fact. So how is Jane Austen’s last writtenRead MoreJanes Austens Use of Realism in Persuasion Essay995 Words   |  4 PagesJane Austen only ever had six completed novels the last to be published being Persuasion (1818), all of which were based around the realist and novel of manners genre. Persuasion which falls into both these categories follows the tale of Anne Elliott, a character based upon the Cinderella archetype. 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I have done some research and have acquired information over the way social status is addressed in both the writings of Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde. In the novel Persuasion we can see how the characters go beyond their means to uphold their title and social value. In the play The Importance of Being Earnest we can see how the social rank and wealth of a personRead MoreJane Austen s Love With Love1104 Words   |  5 Pagesromantic; a person in love with love; a whimsical daydreamer - you will often find people of these types reading romance novels. Maybe they are fulfilling their need for a yet-to-be-discovered soul mate, or perhaps they are just quenching their thirst for adventurous passion. Either way, the romance genre is booming, but only a few authors can grasp the pure essence of true love. 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The majority of the characters in Emma to some extent expand this definition to provideRead More Characters of Sir Walter Elliot and Anne Elliot in Jane Austens Persuasion1915 Words   |  8 PagesThe Characters of Sir Walter Elliot and Anne Elliot in Persuasion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Persuasion, by Jane Austen, there are many exceptional characters. Perhaps two of the most memorable are Sir Walter Elliot, and his daughter, Anne Elliot. These characters are well shaped and have something about them that transcends time and social class, enabling readers of the all ages, to feel they have something in common with them. Jane Austen has created a very silly, vain man with immense family pride in