blog
media download page
Essay / Austen's Phoenix: Anne Elliot's Transformation in Persuasion false values. in her life and learn enough to reconcile what she lost. The plot is presented through Anne Elliot's point of view, while those she associates with embody false values: they are used by Austen to caricature an already debauched lifestyle. Anne seems cursed for her simplicity, but in the end she is given the chance to achieve her dreams through her perseverance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The first view presented is that of excessive aristocracy, seen in the first two chapters, with Sir Walter Elliot in debt due to his illness. -financial judgment. He must now sell his family mansion, Kellynch-Hall, to reduce expenses related to his enormous liabilities. Sir Walter's character is revealed through the way he handles the affair; he is a proud man and a world of shame would come if he were to sell his family mansion, so he decides to rent it to a prominent person, so as not to lose face among his peers. Mr. Shepherd, a friend of Sir Walter's, suggests renting it to sailors, which only gives Sir Walter chills, because sailors "are people of obscure birth", and are therefore not worthy of such a level of influence. However, Mr. Shepherd knows an admiral with a conservative wife and no children. Having Sir Walter rent to an admiral would be far more distinctive than renting to a simple Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so with no identifying information. With Sir Walter's gradual consent, everything is arranged according to Mr. Shepherd's suggestion. At this point, Austen has only given the reader a glimpse of the pompous judgments that lie in the minds of the aristocracy. Thus, from Sir Elliot's excessive lifestyle, Anne Elliot's first flaw in her past is revealed, one Frederick Wentworth, who is the brother of Admiral Croft's wife (who rented Kellynch Hall). Captain Wentworth was engaged to Anne, but due to her father's critical influence, he had to call it off due to his lack of wealth or a highly regarded future. It was seven years ago, and yet Anne still hasn't loved anyone the way she did Frederick. Anne's pain became evident when she learned that Captain Wentworth had acquired rank, mastery of his own ship, and, no doubt, a lot of money with it. Anne is tormented by her past decision not to marry Captain Wentworth and learns the error of judging by class level, which is a failing of the Elliots that Anne must learn to overcome. We do, however, see Anne's maturity when the Elliots move to Bath, and Mrs. Russell (a sort of stepmother) wishes that Anne could watch over Sir Walter and Mrs. Clay (the housekeeper) even though the eldest, Elizabeth, must be with them all the time. However, Anne is left with her younger sister Mary and Mary's husband Charles Musgrove, whose smaller mansion Anne must adapt to: she is still used to the extravagance of Kellynch-Hall. This is the beginning of Anne's awakening and experience with others who are less well off. Through such an experience, she will see how fulfilling their lives can be. We also see that spoiled Mary still clings to her ancestral authority and refuses to let go of her past, which only makes her and those around her even more bitter. During Anne and Mary's visit to the Musgroves of the Great House, Anne observes the kindness and light amusement that the most ordinary people have about them: their worries are less and their life is freer. Anne is envious, but she still thinks she will never trade her education for the free life of the Musgroves. Here, Anne's humility is revealed through her awareness of what is happening around her, and she is not afraid to be part of the new lifestyle, something her sisters or father have not. never had the courage to humiliate himself. Anne's maturity, through her acts of charity, brings her through the refiner's fire, as she takes it upon herself to care for Mary's son, who has dislocated his collarbone and sends Mary and Charles to visit the captain Wentworth. Anne is still upset about her past decision and longs for her first love, which is only a half mile away. Because she does not wish to confront Frederick, she immerses herself in simple acts that inevitably change her outlook on life and society. Jane Austen does a very accurate job of telling how stupid people behave when they are in love. The next day, Captain Wentworth has a hunting appointment with Charles. However, the Captain arrives late because he is reluctant to have breakfast with Anne. However, when Frederick shows up, there is only a brief introduction of a formal bow and greeting between the old lovers. This bothers Anne, because she wants to know Frédéric's true feelings: she would then know whether or not she should abandon her past feelings. This is what makes the relationship so interesting: the fact that lovers spend entire days wondering what the other is thinking, without ever acting on these true feelings. Instead, they act solely on the assumption that the other is only pleasing them, which makes them each more cautious of the other, in turn creating negative signs of interest. The only thing that unites them is the fantasy that their relationship will work, which happens over time, and they both see through each other's doubts. This is the same principle that occurs between Anne and Captain Wentworth. Not knowing each other's true feelings, they both enthusiastically pursue other love interests, not wanting to lose the opportunity to love each other if the other withdraws. First, Captain Wentworth is pursued by Anne's two sisters-in-law, Henrietta and Louisa, who, thanks to Henrietta's engagement to Charles Hayter, the older cousin of the two sisters, causes Frederick to focus all his attention on Louisa. So, with Frederick's attentions placed on Louisa, everyone suspects him of marrying her, which only throws Anne into fits of regret and sorrow. Nevertheless, there are still small acts of kindness that Captain Wentworth extends only to Anne. For example, when it rains and Admiral Croft offers one of the ladies a ride home, everyone refuses except Mary, who only complains about never being asked directly, but Captain Wentworth intervenes for Anne and tells her sister about Anne's weariness. . He then lovingly helps her into the car, which again makes Anne question Frederick's true intentions. The assured attraction between Anne and Frederick is sparked when they take a group trip to Lyme, so that Frederick can visit his friend, Captain Harville, and give the ladies an opportunity to see the coast. Anne is very happy with Frederick's friends and can't help but think that they could have been his friends. For the first time, Anne feels true happiness in such a common environment and feels truly at ease with Captain Wentworth. Moreover, when Anne's cousin notices her on the street, Frederick sees Anne's age-old beauty again and knows for sure that he still loves her. However, he couldbe too late to win her back. The turning point and moment of truth in Anne's life comes with Louisa's injury after her foolish jump from the steep bank. She is taken to the Harvilles for treatment; everyone suggests that Anne stays and takes care of her while the others return with the sad news, so as not to cause embarrassment. Mary is upset by such a suggestion, and she rants and raves about how she has to stay in Anne's place because she is Louisa's sister-in-law. (This is interesting because Mary didn't pay much attention to Louisa before, but now, to appear important, she wants to take care of Louisa.) So, Frederick and Louisa separated and spent time apart, which made them gives time to think about their relationship. Anne returns to Mrs Russell at Kellynch Hall; although a very sincere woman, Mrs. Russell is too strongly influenced by the wealth around her, and she does not approve of this character of Captain Wentworth who seems too humble for an Elliot. A few days later, Anne visited her father and sister in Bath. While Sir Walter lives a high life, Anne becomes depressed with his lifestyle because of the lie behind such a frivolous society. Anne, however, feels at ease when she visits her former housekeeper, Mrs. Smith, who is crippled, poor, and sick. Anne is totally surprised that such bad luck has not dampened Mrs. Smith's spirits; she may be depressed, but she still has dignity. This is in stark contrast to the Elliots' soulless lifestyle, as they would be nothing without their wealth. Mrs. Smith achieves her dignity by donating her time to the poor and needy through her crafts. Anne's outlook on life is altered even further, and the gap between her and Elliot is so great that Anne has now become a completely new person. Back home, Sir Walter lashes out at Anne for associating with such commoners; his daughter's actions could ruin his well-established reputation in Bath. To add to Anne's misfortune, she discovers that Mr. Smith wishes to marry her. Although she finds him adorable, she does not wish to marry him; her heart goes out to one man and that man is Captain Wentworth. However, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel because, while Frederick was away, Louisa accepted Captain Benwick's marriage proposal. All acquaintances are invited to the wedding, but Sir Walter bluntly expresses his doubts about the value of the Benwicks' accommodation for his family to visit. (He certainly knows how to ruin a happy occasion with his pomp and arrogance.) This theme of condescension appears frequently throughout the book, and Austen seems embarrassed, to some extent, by class distinctions. The Elliots feel far superior because of their wealth, which is actually a disease that blinds them to the true meaning of true friendship. Elliot's openness with Anne inspires Frederick to finally leave his comfort zone and confess his love to Anne through a private letter. This is what Anne really needed, but how to deal with Mr. Elliot is another obstacle to overcome. However, the corruption of the rich still shines through. Mrs. Smith's report of Mr. Elliot's lack of respect for the family name is all Anne needs to avoid the very presence of her fake cousin. Greed and power force the dishonorably rich to do whatever they have to do to get to the top. The same was true for Mr. Elliot, who was Sir Walter's heir: his marriage to Anne would give him access to much of what the Elliots owned. Finally, at the end of the book, all the crude attitudes of the rich and pompous are brought to light...
Navigation
« Prev
1
2
3
4
5
Next »
Get In Touch