Persuasion

Question 1

Themes in Persuasion

Answer 1

1. Marriage
2. Status and social class
3. Persuasion
4. Gender inequality

Question 2

Examples of the theme marriage

Answer 2

1. Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth; a marriage based on love and second chances. They were once engaged, but Anne was persuaded to break it off due to Wentworth’s lack of fortune.
   Years later, he returns successful and wealthy, and they reconnect and ultimately marry—this time, with Anne acting on her own judgment.
   Their story supports the idea that marriage should be based on mutual love, respect, and personal conviction, not social pressure.
2. Sir Walter and Lady Elliot, a warning about superficial marriage;
   Anne’s father, Sir Walter, married for beauty and status, not love.
   Lady Elliot is described as sensible and good, but her death leaves Sir Walter to decay into vanity and irresponsibility, showing that their marriage lacked deep emotional connection.
   Their marriage shows the hollowness of relationships built on appearances and social ambition.
3. Mr. Elliot’s courtship of Anne, a calculated approach:
   Mr. Elliot (the heir to Sir Walter) pretends to court Anne, but it’s revealed that he is motivated by self-interest—he wants to secure the estate and block a rival marriage. His duplicity contrasts with Wentworth’s sincerity, showing the dangers of marrying for status and manipulation instead of love.

Question 3

Examples of the theme gender inequality

Answer 3

1. Limited choices for women:
   Women in the novel, especially those of Anne’s class, are expected to marry well for financial and social security, since they cannot inherit property or earn a living easily. Anne, as a single woman, is marginalised and overlooked, even in her own family. Her opinions carry little weight compared to the men around her. Austen shows how a woman’s value is often tied to her youth, beauty, and marital status; not her intelligence or character.
2. Captain Harville’s conversation with Anne (Ch. 23):
   This is one of the clearest discussions of gender inequality in Austen’s works.
   Captain Harville argues that men feel love more deeply because they act on it; Anne counters that women endure more silently, with no outlet or opportunity to forget.
   “We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us.”
   Anne’s argument is a bold defense of female emotional strength and a clear critique of gendered assumptions about love, loyalty, and emotional depth.
3. Inheritance laws and property:
   The Elliot estate is entailed to a male heir (Mr. Elliot), which means Anne and her sisters cannot inherit it. This reflects real-life legal inequality, where property passes through the male line, leaving women financially dependent on marriage or male relatives. The novel critiques this unfairness by showing how vulnerable women are to male decisions.

Question 4

Examples of the theme persuasion?

Answer 4

1. Anne’s initial persuasion to break off her engagement.
   At the heart of the novel is Anne Elliot’s regret over being persuaded to end her engagement to Captain Wentworth eight years before the story begins.
   She was influenced by Lady Russell, a family friend, who believed marrying a poor, unproven naval officer was beneath Anne’s social status. This act of persuasion causes long-lasting emotional pain and is the central conflict Anne must resolve.
2. Anne’s growth and self-persuasion.
   Over time, Anne matures and gains confidence in her own judgment. She begins to see that her earlier choice, though made with good intentions, was a mistake—not because she listened, but because she didn’t listen to herself.
   Her journey involves learning to trust her own feelings, instead of being overly influenced by others.
3. Persuasion as a social force.
   In the world of the novel, persuasion is tied to social pressure, especially around class, marriage, and reputation. Characters like Lady Russell, Sir Walter, and Elizabeth Elliot try to control others through persuasion based on status and appearances. Austen shows how this kind of persuasion is often short-sighted or self-serving, and not in the best interest of the person being influenced.

4.Wentworth’s development.
Captain Wentworth is also influenced by his own pride and resentment—he initially tries to persuade himself he is over Anne. But he too goes through a process of self-persuasion, gradually realising that he still loves her. His famous letter to Anne shows that he finally overcomes his resistance:
“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”

Question 5

Examples of status and social class

Answer 5

1. Anne’s family and their obsession with status.
   Sir Walter Elliot is obsessed with titles, appearance, and rank. He scorns those he sees as beneath him and values superficial qualities like wealth and beauty. His daughter Elizabeth shares his snobbery, and both treat Anne as less important because she doesn’t conform to their shallow values. Austen uses Sir Walter to satirise the decay of the aristocracy; he’s proud but irresponsible and superficial.
2. The rise of the naval class,
   Captain Wentworth, once considered an unsuitable match because of his lack of wealth and title, returns as a successful, self-made naval officer. The Royal Navy represents a new, merit-based class, where individuals rise through hard work, skill, and bravery, not birth. Austen shows growing respect for this kind of earned status, contrasting it with the declining influence of the traditional gentry.
3. Marriage and social climbing.
   Characters like Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay seek marriage for social advancement, not love. Mr. Elliot courts Anne partly to prevent a socially damaging marriage between Mrs. Clay and Sir Walter. Austen uses these characters to show how status can corrupt personal motives, turning marriage into a transaction.
4. Mrs. Smith’s fall from respectability.
   Mrs. Smith is a widow who has lost her wealth and social standing. She shows how quickly women can fall through the social ranks, especially when they lack money or male protection. Despite her low status, she is wise, generous, and loyal—again emphasising that moral worth and class are not the same.

Question 6

Allusion in Persuasion

Answer 6

In Chapter 23, the narrator uses an allusion to describe Anne’s decision to keep Mr. Elliot’s selfish intentions to herself after spending an unpleasant evening with him:

Her faith was plighted, and Mr Elliot’s character, like the Sultaness Scheherazade’s head, must live another day.

In Persuasion, the Sultaness Scheherazade’s head is a reference to the main story of One Thousand and One Nights. This story tells of a sultan who marries a new bride each night only to have her beheaded the next morning. Scheherazade, the storyteller, is able to save herself and all future women from this fate by captivating the sultan with a series of stories.

Question 7

Mood in Persuasion

Answer 7

In general, the novel’s mood is consistently somber and serious. In Chapter 13, the mood shifts after the drama of Louisa Musgrove’s sudden accident, becoming foreboding and bleak.

Also references to:
1. A dark November day,
2. A small thick rain.
3. The Cottage, with its black, dripping and comfortless veranda.