Persuasion by Jane Austen's - Essay Example

? Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' Austen’s unique literary technique depends on a mixture of mockery,exaggeration, sarcasm and to some extent realism. She has used travesty and burlesque for the comical effects and to assess thoughtfully the picture of women in the 18th century emotional novels such as Persuasion. Her plots are based on the female education as her heroine approach towards self realization and find her own world and place in the society while the others are restricted physically, financially and morally. Critics argue that Austen’s heroine supports the present social structure by defying her own desires and this is what exactly Ann does in Persuasion when she rejects Wentworth at first. Persuasion is a conflict between the demands of the society and claims of a person. Austen portrays her idea about the difference of a man and woman when Anne the heroine of Persuasion says “"We live at home, quiet, confined, and our feelings prey upon us. You are forced on exertion. You have always a profession, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately, and continual occupation and change soon weaken impressions.”(1) This identifies that the women in that century were confined to their homes and had no other solution for security other than marrying whereas men had other activities such as businesses, to keep them busy in the world. Persuasion has explored the helplessness of a woman that lie beneath financial strain to marry, the unfairness of heritage laws, the emotional susceptibility of a widow and the subjugated dependency of a single woman. In a society where every woman appear to be in competition to reach the altar as early as possible Persuasion has highlighted the significance of caution to wait and chose the right partner. There has been an ardent change in the feminist and distinctive beliefs of Austen’s work as her career proceeded. Ann acknowledges and realizes her feelings for Wentworth and considers her reasons valid for accepting him. Austen has clearly reconsidered the worth and purpose of marriage and gives a very rational and logical praise to the heroine of Persuasion. Ann’s distinctiveness and individuality offer women something far more significant in Jane’s affirmation and declaration of the authenticity and importance of emotions a woman feels. Ann is changed from being administered by decorum and logic to being allowed and motivated to react based upon her sentiments, a declaration nearly not heard before in the circle of society dominated by men. Anne explains William as “Rational, discreet, polished, not open, no burst of feeling,”(2) This foundation for dismissal shows the way in which Austen’s preference for her heroine has changed from being logically based on observed evidence to what is pleasing from a private and emotional viewpoint. Austen has beautifully revealed in Persuasion that a woman should take time to evaluate herself and should understand the challenge of what is anticipated of her in marriage , as this quote explains her realization “She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequence of an unnatural beginning”(3) Austen has clarified her point that single women had no importance in the society whereas married women with a name of a wealthy husband associated with her was a matter of pride. Women can not possess or become heir to any property and therefore without sponsorship and encouragement, they can easily go down into poverty and hardship. A husband with a fortune is the best support a woman at that age can gain. When Wentworth proposes Ann for the second time he had become a wealthy man and Austen even by the end of the novel is not ready to state that a couple who even loves each other would be happy without money and plentiful wealth. Especially women who were not married in the19th century England, the economic support, protection and cheerfulness they got was from their family. Austen has emphasized in persuasion that these values and structure are not reliable or worldwide. For people in that century marriage decided their entire viewpoint on life as it determined the social circle they had to move in and this is relatively true for all the characters which are married in the book an example is “Anne saw the misery of such feelings. The husband had not been what he ought, and the wife had been led among that part of mankind which made her think worse of the world than she hoped it deserved.”(4) Austen is considered to be both a friend and an enemy to the rights of the women. She has rebelliously voiced out the aggravation of woman at the inflexible and chauvinist social commands which insist on subservience and reliance. “Austen also calls our attention to herself as a writer, and as a woman writer in Persuasion” (Harold Bloom). In Persuasion it is evident when Ann objects that the real emotions of a woman are not expressed in literature because “if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story the pen has been in their hands.”(5) Austen’s marriage plots are the ambassador of her loyalty to the social happenings and rules of her time. Marriage in a way is considered to be submission to the male authority. To secure oneself financially a woman had to marry since she could not go out and opt for a job. Wealth for the woman basically came from her husband or any male relative. So marriage was a form of security to both men and women, apart from love and kindness for each other. This concept is defied in Persuasion. Ann rejects Wentworth at first because he was poor and did not have much money but later realizes her love for him and reconsiders her decision. Austen has made it obvious in the quote “Wentworth “If I was wrong in yielding to persuasion once, remembers that it was to persuasion exerted on the side of safety, not of risk. When I yielded, I thought it was to duty; but no duty could be called in aid here. In marrying a man indifferent to me, all risk would have been incurred and all duty violated.”(6) Anne explains that eight years ago she was persuaded by Lady Russell as her duty was to protect her and ensure her safety. As Wentworth was not wealthy at that time the proposal did not seemed idle and love wasn’t considered to be the appropriate reason for marriage. Women who were married to respected and wealthy men were given importance and this is shown in the quote “Mary had acquired a little artificial importance by becoming Mrs. Charles Musgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character…was nobody”(7). The status of a woman widowed was evident by the quote “She left it to him to recollect, that Mrs. Smith was not the only widow in Bath between thirty and forty, with little to live on, and no surname of dignity."(8) It reveals that without the name of a man to support the woman, she was not welcomed by the society. “All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one: you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone”(9) is what Ann says and demands for her gender. . ‘In persuasion too Jane Austen comes closer to completely reversing the role of the heroine as pupil-improver and of the hero as guardian guide” (Margaret Kirkham). For woman growing old at that century without marriage caused great dismay. A marriage although was no security for happiness, it further deprived the woman of her rights as the man had the right to divorce. “Jane Austen’s Persuasion, follows with in-depth analyses of Austen’s treatment of social themes and personal growth as they effect the development of female characters. Austen was aware of the limitations of her gender and concluded that in spite of all the obstacles; women will be able to make something of themselves” (LauraC.Lambdin) ‘ If a woman wished to voice to voice frustration with the limitation placed on women, she had to do so gently, unostentatiously, exactly as Austen’s Anne Elliot does in Persuasion.” (Sayre N.Greenfield). Austen has voiced out the injustice done to women as no matter how skillful, intellectual, or intelligent had the sole duties to look after her home and children. . “Mary, I cannot wonder at your husband. Nursing does not belong to a man, it is not his province. A sick child is always the mother's property; her own feelings generally make it so”.(10) This quote explains that married woman at that time was left only to do the duties of the house which was expected of them and the husbands on the other hand were free to socialize. This is what Ann says to her sister Mary when they talk about Charles’s choice of going out for dinner and leaving his ill child to be taken care of at home. Persuasion is not just simply a romantic novel but in fact it is a story of challenging forms of principles which includes the whole practical value and worth of emotions and reason, of power and yearning. ‘ we are made intensely aware not only of shades of dominance in class, but of discrimination between the value of old and young, married and unmarried, sons and daughters, older sister and younger, the respectable and the vulgar, and of the frequent arbitrariness of these unearned distinction of worth and power” ( Susan Ostrov Weisser) another theme that can be interpreted is to advice the women not to hurry into marriage. Elizabeth the eldest daughter did not marry and Austen has defined her status and feelings in the quote “. “Always to be presented with the date of her [Elizabeth's] own birth and see no marriage follow but that of a youngest sister, made the book an evil; and more than once, when her father had left it open on the table near her, had she closed it, with averted eyes, and pushed it away.”(11) Elizabeth the eldest daughter proves by this quote that the ambition of a woman survival was to marry, although she was pleased with her life still was always expected to marry. . “Who can be in doubt of what followed? When any two young people take it into their heads to marry, they are pretty sure by perseverance to carry their point, be they ever so poor, or ever so imprudent, or ever so little likely to be necessary to each other's ultimate comfort”(12) Austen has clearly described that love is essential to marry otherwise it might be a prison. For most of the characters in the novel marriage was all about whom they got associated to but for Anne it was about creating a home for a new relations “ for a few moment her imagination is bewitched. The idea of becoming what her mother had been; of having the precious name of “Lady Elliot” first revived in herself….for her home…resists”(13) for her marriage and family was about domesticity. . “In Jane Austen marriage represents a reorganization of social life.” (Judy Simons). Marriage of Anne and Wentworth is a subject of absolute need, the final chance for both the characters and the dissipating society in which they were surrounded. The importance of fortune when marrying is obvious in the quote “Anne Elliot, so young; known to so few, to be snatched off by a stranger without alliance or fortune… youth killing dependence… it would be prevented”(14). Austen has clarified the importance of social class in this quote. Marriage at those times was nothing more than a business transaction to benefit from. It is obvious in the quote “instead of pushing his fortune in the line marked out for the heir of the house of Elliot, Mr. Elliot had purchased independency by uniting himself to a rich woman of inferior birth” (15). ). The Crofts are an example of joyful wedded couple in Persuasion. They are shown to very loving towards each other and Mrs. Croft find it very pleasing to be the wife of a sea captain. She says “We none of us want to be in calm waters all our life.” (16)This quote by her provides a perfect example of the happiness Anne could have gained if she would have followed her feelings and instincts. Now in Persuasion Austen has conveyed that a blend of money and love is shown to be necessary for marriage and Anne does the right thing in marrying Wentworth on these two grounds References Jane Austen, “Persuasion” (1816) Judy Simons, “Mansfield Park and Persuasion” (1997) published by PALGRAVE Margaret Kirkham “Jane Austen, feminism and fiction” (1997) published by THE ATHLONE PRESS Laura C.Lambdin, Robert T. Lambdin “A companion of Jane Austen studies” (2000) published by GREENWOOD PRESS Sayre N.Greenfield “Jane Austen in Hollywood”(2001) published by university press of Kentucky Harold Bloom “Jane Austen’s Persuasion” (2004), an imprint of InfoBase publishing Ostrov Weisser, “Persuasion by Jane Austen” (2003) published by fine creative media Read More