Persuading Persuasion

I’m going to use this blog to introduce my first book, Persuasion by Jane Austen. I’ve read this awhile ago and it is one of my favorite Jane Austen books (but then again, I love all her works…except for Emma). I choose this book because, unlike many of Jane Austen’s characters, Anne Elliot, the female protagonist, is soft-spoken and is described as an "heroine [who] is almost too good for me."(Jane Austen) However, she does share the main key traits that make her an Austen heroine, like; witty, clever, and considerate. Anne Elliot is the oldest female (27 years-old) protagonist Jane Austen ever created and can be considered the most feminine as well.

Anne Elliot is the overlooked middle daughter out of three. Her mother died when she was 14 and she became the pillar of the family. Her father is a vain, spendthrift baronet who is only concerned with his looks and rank. Elizabeth is the eldest daughter is has the same temperament as her father. The youngest Mary, is a nervous, clinging woman who has made an unspectacular marriage to Charles Musgrove of Uppercross Hall, the heir to a bucolic but respected local squire. Because of the family’s spending tendencies, they have to lease out their home and move to Bath.
The story is about Anne Elliot and her struggles when she comes face to face with her ex-fiancé, Captain Frederick Wentworth, from 8 years ago. Anne and Frederick met and fell in love when she was 19 and he was just a poor captain. However, not long into the engagement, Anne was persuaded (hence the title) by her close friend, Lady Russell, to it break off. They met again 8 years later when he became a wealthy captain and she a woman “passed her bloom”.

Personally, I think Anne is a strong character just to being able face her ex-love (actually she still loves him) and stand in silence while he courts other women and comments on her faded looks. My admiration for her only deepens when she is able to keep a level head during a crisis. In fact, the only reason the Elliot family has not been bankrupted yet was because of her interventions with their expenses.

Many readers feel that Anne was weak for being persuaded to reject Captain Wentworth when she was younger, but I feel that her careful consideration of their future was certainly a smart decision to make. And as I go deeper into the novel (again), I will be able to see how Anne is a strong woman through all her trials and obstacles.