To Persuade The Words Or Not

Blog 4

Passages used....

Chapter IV

“Anne Elliot, with all her claims of birth, beauty, and mind, to throw herself away at nineteen; involve herself at nineteen in an engagement with a young man, who had nothing but himself to recommend him, and no hopes of attaining affluence, but in the chances of a most uncertain profession, and no connexions to secure even his farther rise in that profession; would be, indeed, a throwing away, which she grieved to think of! Anne Elliot, so young; known to so few, to be snatched off by a stranger without alliance or fortune; or rather sunk by him into a state of most wearing, anxious, youth-killing dependence! It must not be, if by any fair interference of friendship, any representations from one who had almost a mother’s love, and mother’s rights, it would be prevented.”

Chapter VIII

“They had no conversation together, no intercourse but what the commonest civility required. Once so much to each other! Now nothing! There had been a time, when of all the large party now filling the drawing-room at Uppercross, they would have found it most difficult to cease to speak to one another. With the exception, perhaps, of Admiral and Mrs. Croft, who seemed particularly attached and happy, (Anne could allow no other exception even among the married couples) there could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.”

            A writer who is renowned for the masterful use of free indirect discourse is Jane Austen. While some may argue that blurring the third person narration with the voices of the characters is quite confusing, I believe that it is necessary for the nature of this novel, Persuasion. To tell this 18^th century story with its complex issues of social power, wealth and love, a variety of perspectives must tell this story for one to fully understand.

            In Chapter IV, the voice of the omniscient third-person narrator transitions to that of Lady Russell. Emotionally strong words like “throw herself away,” “snatched off” and the use of interjections indicate the shift of voices. Because the reader is already aware of the close-knit relationship between her and Anne from Chapter I, this style more intimately reveals her opinion about Captain Wentworth and why she persuaded Anne away from the engagement. Despite the strength of his character told in the previous and following paragraphs, the reader can sense Lady Russell’s disapproval of the fact that he was not born into status. Emphasis is not placed on temperaments but rather money and rank in the society. This marks the distinctions between aristocracy versus meritocracy. She repeats Anne’s age of "nineteen" to stress that she is too young to possibly be ready for marriage. This may also be her rationalizing Anne's lack of understanding the importance of marriage to a man with “connexion” and “fortune,” rather than one without. Also, she reveals her views about the almost-maternal bond she shares with Anne, where it justifies what she has done. This is due to a “mother’s love” and a “mother’s rights" to ensure the best for her daughter. The question of whether genuine love and connection exists with Wentworth, which saturates Anne's thoughts, is totally non-existent here with Lady Russell.It is her belief, that such a marriage, will reduce Anne’s social standing. As a result, we later see the consequences of this influence through Anne's eyes. Hence, indirect free discourse serves most effectively in forming connections between the thought processes of these characters. It attaches this interconnected web of distinct, inner thoughts with their actions and outward emotions.     

 

            Where we analyzed the reasoning mind of Lady Russell, now we can see the conflicting effect on the heart of Anne eight years later here in Chapter VIII. After breaking off the engagement due to Sir Walter and more importantly, Lady Russell’s disapproval, Anne still suffers from the repercussions of her actions. Now that Captain Wentworth has returned and seeing him is inevitable, this style of narration focalizes on cause and effect, where the emotions of her past haunt her today.  The exaggerations and stresses signify her very voice. The fact that they are “strangers” who display only the “commonest civility” bothers her deeply. This helps us understand that despite the circumstances, she must conform to the norms of society and repress the passionate feelings she holds inside. This is a powerful representation of Appearance Versus Reality. To the others, she is the sensible one and at these dinners, in the background away from all the excitement. One would never guess that under this veneer is a myriad of emotional thoughts of love. They both were “once so much to each other!” Because she emphasizes this loss with such words as “no” five times and “nothing”, she reveals that she longs for and misses those moments with Wentworth, even after so many years. This is the ultimate manifestation of her guilt and seeming regret, of what could have been had it not been for the persuasion of others. Not once is social power a preoccupation of her mind. A change in perspective allows clear contrast between the moral values and societal viewpoints of the characters to be seen, especially her relationship with Lady Russell. With the exception of Admiral Croft and his wife, she pours out how intertwined Wentworth and her hearts were with each other where they were “so open,” “so similar” and “so in unison.” Indirect free discourse allows us to hear the very voice of a broken-hearted soul. Because she concludes with the fact they should “never become acquainted” again signifies that she does understand the fate of her actions. It is a state of “perpetual estrangement”. As difficult as it is, there is this dramatic loss of hope of what could have been.