Thanks to Adam over at
The Roof Beam Reader for hosting this
years Austen in August Reading event. Be sure to check out this
post for lots of great posts on all things Jane Austen.
My commentary contains
major spoilers.
Persuasion by Jane Austen is a revered
classic that lives up to its reputation. The plot centers around Anne Elliot. The activities and interactions of
Anne, her family and her friends make up the plot. The prospects for marriage
of Anne, and other characters as well, drive much of the narrative.
Anne is in her late twenties and has not yet
married. Years earlier, under pressure from her family and friends, Anne had
broken off an engagement with Captain Frederick Wentworth. When Wentworth
returns to the scene, the stage is set for much of the drama that comprises the
book.
Like many great works, there is much to ponder
here. One of the major sources of interest is the state of Anne’s personality
and psyche. She is surrounded by people who undervalue her and who do not
appreciate her virtues. She is often
used and put upon. Her father, Sir Walter Elliot, and sisters are narcissistic
and often behaved childishly. Her one friend who seems to appreciate her, Lady
Russell, had unfortunately given Anne some very bad romantic advice when she
urged Anne to break off her engagement with Wentworth.
I think that there is something dark and
melancholy going on in Anne’s psyche. In today’s world she might be said to be
suffering from depression. Perhaps, because her personality is in some ways understated,
she is someone who does not outwardly display strong emotions. This inner
sadness is easily missed by both the other characters in the novel as well as
by its readers. Perhaps this despondency
would be overlooked even in today’s world due to the fact that Anne seems to be
such an inward thinker. Quiet people sometimes hide their melancholia deep within
their soul. In my opinion, Austen has portrayed this brilliantly here.
The state of Anne’s mind seems to be a function
of several factors. She is surrounded by people who are of lesser substance than
her. They undervalue substantive ideas, reading, real emotions and ethical
behavior. At times in the narrative, one gets the sense that they are draining
her.
In a striking passage, Anne’s father and sister
enter a room where a cheerful gathering is taking place.
“the door was
thrown open for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a
general chill. Anne felt an instant oppression, and wherever she looked saw
symptoms of the same. The comfort, the freedom, the gaiety of the room was
over, hushed into cold composure, determined silence, or insipid talk, to meet
the heartless elegance of her father and sister. How mortifying to feel that it
was so! “
It is clear that Wentworth was the love of Anne’s
life. Before his return, however, he had faded into the past. The one missed
opportunity for a special human connection seems to hang around Anne’s neck
like an albatross.
At one point, a walk with friends is described.
As befitting her mood and perhaps her general position in the social connections
of the book, it is observed,
“Anne's object
was, not to be in the way of anybody”
As the walk proceeds, the symbolism and imagery
of autumn seem to come into play in an important way.
“from the view
of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves, and withered hedges, and
from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant
of autumn, that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of
taste and tenderness, that season which had drawn from every poet, worthy of
being read, some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling”
It seems that autumn, “that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind,”
has been ingrained into Anne.
At another point, Anne realizes that though she
is a talented musician, her family and friends disregard her abilities, but
there is poignant allusion of a past when one person, Wentworth, did not
diminish her,
“Excepting one short period of her life, she had never, since the
age of fourteen, never since the loss of her dear mother, known the happiness
of being listened to, or encouraged by any just appreciation or real taste” [Emphasis mine]
Notably, as the book ends, Anne and Wentworth are happily married,
but there still seems to be that hint of dread in Anne’s soul. There is the prospect that Wentworth might be
called back to active duty and thus away from the household.
This subtle sadness inherent in Anna’s character has helped make
this my favorite Jane Austen book thus far. I hade previously read Emma, my commentary being here, and Pride and Prejudice my
commentary being here and here.
There is a lot more to this book. It is full of Austen’s dry humor,
keen insights into human relations, dynamic characters and an entertaining and
fun plot. The writing is outstanding. I highly recommend this work for anyone
who is even remotely interested in this type of novel. It is simply one of the
best of its kind.
