Michael Tabora
Professor Joel Childers
R1B: Romanticism and the World at War
7 May 2023
Persuasion
Persuasion is a novel written by Jane Austin in 1817 that explores the themes of social hierarchy. The story’s protagonist, Anne Elliot, is a young woman who has been persuaded to reject the proposal of Captain Frederick Wentworth, a naval officer who she loved. Anne is persuaded to do so by Lady Russell, a family friend who believes Captain Wentworth’s lack of high social status and fortune makes him unsuitable for marriage. The actual story begins eight years later when Anne's family is facing financial hardship and are forced to rent out their estate to Admiral Croft, who just so happens to be the brother-in-law of Captain Wentworth. As a
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The novel portrays Anne and Captain Wentworth's relationship as one that develops over time, rather than being based solely on physical attraction or societal expectations. Anne reflects on her own feelings for Captain Wentworth, saying, "She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older - the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning" (30). This quote describes how Anne's feelings for Captain Wentworth have developed over time and are not based on societal expectations or external factors. Her love for him has grown gradually as she has gained more life experience and learned to appreciate his qualities as a person. In Captain Wentworth’s letter to Anne, "I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant" (191). Captain Wentworth's love for Anne is deep and enduring, and not based on just a physical attraction or societal expectation. He recognizes his own faults and is willing to work and overcome them in order to be with Anne. This further reinforces the idea that their relationship is based on personal growth and emotional connection, rather than superficial factors. Wiltshire seems to agree that there is a departure from normal writing in Austen’s novel by stating, “Jane Austen has found a way that gives her heroine the initiative, and gives her, finally, the heroine’s place” (82). He recognizes that this is not a common action that characters experience within other stories of the time. Austen's portrayal of Anne and Captain Wentworth's relationship as one that is based on personal growth and emotional connection, rather than superficial factors, is one of many clear examples of how Austen challenges societal expectations of love and