Answer TWO of the following...
Q1: Discuss
Austen’s writing style: how does she convey a unique personality and authorial
sense through her sentences and observations? What makes her sound “old” and
what makes her sound “modern”? Consider a passgesuch as this one in Chapter V: “Oh!
Could the originals of the portraits against the wainscot, could the gentlemen
in brown velvet and the ladies in blue satin have seen what was going on, have
been conscious of such an overthrow of all order and neatness! The portraits
themselves seemed to be staring in astonishment!” (27).
Q2: As her last
novel, written around 1815-17, Persuasion
shows Austen responding to many of the influences of her age, notably the
Romantic poetry that surrounded her (and delighted young people in general).
Where do we see these influences in her work itself, despite the fact that it
is much calmer than Coleridge and less interested in nature and the sublime
than Wordsworth? What touches in the work signal a ‘Romantic’ sensibility in Austen’s
writing? Consider not only
what the narrator focuses on/describes, but what the characters say, read, and
expound to others.
Q3: Like all of her novels, Persuasion
is a novel of class: not upper vs. lower, but the struggle of middle class
men and women to fit into the “old order” of England. Where do we see this
struggle explored in the first nine chapters? Who represents the “old” way and
who the “new”? What side is Anne on, and related to this, which side does
Austen seem to favor?
Q4: How does Persuasion discus the theme of mothers and
fathers? We get an usual
set of parents in this book, from Sir Walter Eliot, Lady Russell (a surrogate
mother, though perhaps more properly an aunt figure), and the two generations
of Musgroves. How does
Austen reflect on the duties and sensibilities of parents, and their
relationships with their children? Do
you feel she is more often praising or satirizing these relationships?
Elyse Marquardt
ReplyDeleteQ3. The struggle of maintaining the "old order" of England is seen very clearly in the first two chapters of Persuasion. Sir Walter Elliot represents the older class; he is merely a puddle of surface respectability, only concerned with what others think. One main thing that he uses to maintain his public image is his home. He is unwilling to "retrench" because he is afraid that people will begin to see him as inferior to the rest of his class. Meanwhile, Anne, his sensible daughter, represents the new order in that she sees the practical side of things and wishes to take the most logical steps that will lead to their greatest comfort and ease.
Q4. Persuasion starts out with an abrasively scornful description of Anne's father, Sir Walter Elliot. Her portrayal of the main father figure in this story is definitely negative, as he is complacent, vain, and totally dependent on the female figures in his life to take care of him and his possessions. He seems to have raised up daughters only to bring himself value and to do the boring, tedious business of the home for him. In contrast, the main mother figure of the story is Lady Russell, who is portrayed as wise, sensible, and blessed with a genuinely kind and patient heart. Jane Austen has a habit in her later stories of presenting her father figures in a helpless, rather clueless light and her mother figures as strong, independent characters.
Elyse Marquardt
1.) Austen is doing something that a lot of authors didn't do at the time: she writes a good deal from the point of view of the underdog. Here, I don't just mean those who aren't in the highest class, but those who are thought of very little by the immediate family around them. She shows that their ideas are worth listening to instead of making it seem as though those with the power are the only opinions we should regularly consider. This helps breathe life into modern ideas, because it becomes progressive instead of stagnant.
ReplyDelete4.) The parents in this novel definitely have a knack for "picking their favorite" when it comes to their children, and even teaching the other children that the "not-favorites" are okay to be thought of as less than. This is mostly something that can be said about Sir Walter as well as Mrs. Musgrove. Anne and the late Richard are both seen as children that are not favorable to their parents - only Richard when Mrs. Musgrove learns of his previous captains arrival being imminent. Anne's fate comes from the fact that her father is - in large - a narcissist and is unable to accept a child in whole that can be seen as anything but perfect. From our discussion on Jane Austen in our last class, I cannot help but feel that Anne is almost an avatar for Austen. Lady Russell is about the only mother who seems likable at this point, as Mr. and Mrs. Charles don't even have it together when it comes on how to "properly" raise their children since they cannot see eye-to-eye on almost anything (which usually turns into Anne helping more with her nephews than need be).
q1. It seems like the "old" ways were represented by her father and Elizabeth when they refuse to adapt to their financial status for fear of ruining their reputations. Also, it was an old order for Lady Russel to suggest that Anne shouldn't be engaged to a man in the war and not necessarily financially stable yet. I think the "new" perception is Anne's maturity and understanding of love after eight years; now she knows better than to let anyone convince her to do anything other than what she personally wants.
ReplyDeleteq4. From the start, the narrator tarnishes any bit of hope that we might like Sir Walter. Not necessarily because he's a bad man for living lavishly, but I just don't think Austen has a preference for influential father figures. I think the relationship that Anne idolizes is that of the older generation of Musgraves. She seems to think that if she and Wentworth had stayed together, they'd be as inseparable as those two.
Q2: I think Austen allows her narrators to shape their own opinions or speak when the character's dialogue would not be sufficient. For example, Captain Wentworth is frustrated with Anne, but it could not be well-described by his own words. Instead, Austen lets the reader in, not only on how he feels, but also hints at potential characters flaws of Anne: " She had used him ill; deserted and disappointed him; and worse, she had shown a shewn feebleness of character in doing so...it had been the effect of over-persuasion...weakness and timidity" (44-45). In this passage, Austen's writing cues that Anne suffers from caring too much about what others think (or at least, she once did; I'm still trying to figure that out). The narrator is the ultimate authority in the novel, shaping our view of Anne and Captain Wentworth's relationship.
ReplyDeleteQ3: The social structure of England is the driving force behind the Elliot's problems. They are no longer able to afford their lavish lifestyle, yet Mr. Elliot is disgusted by the idea of spending less money. In fact, when approached with a budget Mr. Elliot exclaims "What! Every comfort of life knocked off! Journeys, London, servants, horses..." (10). He cannot possibly imagine living life within his means.
Anne has also fallen victim to the trap of society. She broke off her engagement with the man she loved because it was not a good match due to his lack of status and wealth. She now regrets her decision. To be honest, I'm not sure where she stands. Anne admits that Captain Wentworth has gained money now, and her interest is reawakened. This suggests she is still caught up in social classes. However, she also enjoys spending time with the Musgroves, who are of a lesser class, yet more enjoyable company than her self-absorbed father and sister; therefore, she may be coming to a place in her own mind in which social class doesn't matter.
Ashley Bean
ReplyDelete1. Austen, as always, a satirical genius. I mistakenly assumed that Elizabeth would be the main character, as we get more time with her in the beginning. I soon found out how wrong I was when she spent the first chapter satirizing her and Sir Walter. She was especially brutal towards him, she says "Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character... Few women could think more of their personal appearance that he did" (Austen 4). her writing holds no doubts and full of surprises. She always sounds pretty old to me, but she brings in some new ideas, especially in Anne.
2. I may be stretching this, but the focus on the sea and how it gives the person an older appearance seems Romantic in a way. The sea is beyond time and aging, and can add decades on a person's face. I know this is very literal, but I like how it talked about that fact.
1. Jane writes in a deceivingly modern writing style. Some of her words are difficult to understand because we do not use them in our language today. The words she uses sometimes had different meanings back then. It is very interesting though how in Chapter V she describes that paragraph. I think what separates her from modern writers is her ability to describe in such vivid detail. I think it is an art that has been lost of some sort. People now describe things beautifully, but they don’t use such descriptive words. We would no longer talk about wainscot or velvet. Astonishment is even a word that often gets overlooked. The words she uses are picked carefully and evoke emotion.
ReplyDelete3. We see the struggle when Sir Elliot who is in debt and cannot pay for his home. He refuses to give up anything to help him get out of debt. He
especially wants to ignore his daughters advice. He definitely sticks to the “old” way of living. He is all about appearance and himself. The “New” side would be he Musgroves. They are delightful to be around. They are not as judgmental and easier to talk to. That is the biggest difference between the two. Their ability to look on the bright side even through the lack of money.I do not know where Anne stands. I think she can be Persuaded to one side or the other, but as of right now, I am not sure.
Q1: Her writing makes it sound like the narrator is a real person relaying the story to you. Their personal opinions and feelings might leak over here and there, making it feel like the story you are reading is a story being told to you as you gossip with a friend. What makes her sound old are the phrases and words here and there that we just don’t use anymore, and the situations described that we no longer experience. What makes her sound modern is how she describes things; a little bit satirical about things that are considered standard and a little more approving of others that are different or unappreciated. The passage from Chapter V is pretty much a roundabout and slightly mocking way of saying that “If the people in all these paintings could see what we were doing now, they would be scandalized by mere association.”
ReplyDeleteQ3: Sir Walter Elliot represents the “old order” as a gentleman who relies on the prestige of his family and has more than likely never worked a day in his life. Captain Wentworth represents the “new order” as a man who has worked hard to make his fortune, starting from the bottom and working his way up. The struggle is that the “old” looks down on the “new”, and that back when Wentworth had little to nothing at all, Anne turned him down (whether it was for his benefit or hers or maybe even a little of both is to be left to a jury of her peers). Now he’s back and he has money, but he’s also not her biggest fan anymore and her father thinks that he is ugly. In all honesty though, I think Anne prefers the new order above the old. The new way promotes the idea that money doesn’t really matter too much and above all, Anne loved Wentworth because he was Wentworth. He had no money, he wasn’t high-class, and for all she knew he may have very well never gotten anywhere in life, but she loved him anyway. I think that Anne’s preferences reflect on Austen in that marriage should be about love, not about money or whether or not you were going to get another suitor or not.
1- Austen's writing seems very proper and shows that she grew up in a well-to-do family and that she knew how to be a proper lady. I struggled with reading the first chapter because I had to get accustomed to the old style of writing. Many of the conversations between characters are very proper and stuffy and give off the feeling of being old. The further I read through the story the more it started sounding like one of the modern novels I read.
ReplyDelete4- Austen describes Sir Walter Eliot as a self-absorbed father who chooses Elizabeth as his favorite because she reminds him of himself. He has trouble with his finances because he wants to keep up social appearances. He doesn't care much for Anne at all because he doesn't see himself in her. Lady Russell seems sweet and caring especially for Anne because she reminds her of Anne's mother. I feel like she is satirizing the relationship between Walter and his daughters and praising the relationship between Lady Russell and Anne.
Q3: Sir Eliot represents the old way. He is very interesting in marrying off his daughters to "desirable" men despite what their own wishes might be. As we see, Mary often complains of a vague illness that has no physical cause. She is stagnated in her life, and in the old ways. Captain Wentworth is representative of the new way as a self-made man. He is not interested in pretenses, and when he sees Anne again after several years, he is repulsed by her character. "She had used him ill; deserted and disappointed him; and worse, she had shewn a feebleness of character in doing so, which his own decided, confident temper could not endure. She had given him up to oblige other. It had been the effect of over-persuasion. It had been weakness and timidity." He sees Anne as stuck in the old ways, and too cowardly to venture out and try something new. Austen is favorable to the new way, as Sir Eliot's character is unlikable and cruel, while Captain Wentworth is described as having a good character. Anne is also regretful of her decision to turn down Wentworth's marriage proposal.
ReplyDeleteQ4: Sir Eliot sees his children as extensions of his own reputation, and he has no difficulties in choosing favorites, criticizing their flaws, and controlling their lives. Lady Russell is also "sensible" in her own way, persuading Anne not to marry Captain Wentworth in order to ensure a comfortable future for herself rather than take a risk on a man without wealth. "She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning". Her parents, especially Lady Russell, wanted her to seek prudence first, and after she was in a socially and financially secure marriage, then she could pursue romantic affairs if she so desired.