Persuasion

Jane Austen's last novel, Persuasion, deals with a society that is very much a paradox. On the one hand, you have eighteenth-century England marked by elegance and graciousness. But, on the other hand, this society is also a brutal world disguised by subtlety. There are good and bad attributes of any society, so it stands to reason that there are qualities that our own society should borrow. There are also things time has improved with our world view.

Anne Elliot is symbolic of the model citizen in eighteenth-century England. Austen describes her as having "an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding." If Anne is archetypical of all that is good and right in that society then Sir Walter, Anne's father, is the archetype of all that is wrong. He is described as being vain, silly and overly-concerned with rank and social standing -- namely his own.

Next, there is Captain Wentworth, who would be the prototype of the of American rugged individualist. He is not your typical eighteenth-century English gentleman. He is a self-made man. He starts out in a "lower" class of life and makes his fortune in the Navy. He moves out of the social class to which he was born and becomes wealthy. He abides by the rules of society, but not at the expense of his own desires and needs. He is flexible.

In comparison with modern society, Anne's world appears to be too formal and rigid. As Americans, the notion of aristocracy is offensive. However, there is much to admire in regard to Anne's societal values.

Anne has an elegance of mind which means she is refined and graceful. Her mind is free from coarseness and impurities, and so she thinks cleary because she is free from self-delusion. She is gracious, sweet and possesses an excellent sense of judgment. These qualities are evidenced by her attitides towards others. She doesn't care that Wentworth is not of equal social standing. She deeply loves him. And the later, in Bath, she is kind and friendly toward Mrs. Smith, who is of inferior status, at least in the eyes of Anne's family.

Anne has real understanding. She accepts people as they are and sees their intrinsic value as opposed to their rank. She sets high standards for herself and strives to reach them. Her excellent judgment is also exhibited in Lyme as everyone depends on her after Louisa falls, seriously injuring herself.

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