by Jane Austen
53. emotion: agitation.
54. Mr. Wentworth, without a first name, is the elder brother (see also note 1).
55. It is reasonable because Edward Wentworth resided in this area when he was a curate at Monkford. This would make someone naturally assume that Anne knew him better.
56. Here, as elsewhere, Anne’s feelings regarding Captain Wentworth make her depart from her usual high standards of reasonableness, and comprehension of others, though she quickly realizes this and strives to resume her normal attentiveness.
57. This is probably because evenings are now dark (it being October), though it could also refer to the coldness of nights at this time of year. No street lighting would exist in rural villages.
58. The coach is the Musgroves’ vehicle (see note 55).
59. should: would. Thus there is no suggestion of moral obligation or urging in the sentence. This use of “should” is found elsewhere in the novel.
60. A harp being, then as now, as tall as a person, it could have required enough room in the coach to leave space for only a few people. Louisa, as the youngest of the family, would be the one selected to give way (for her being younger than Henrietta, see note 22). She or Henrietta would also be better suited to venture on foot, whether it was darkness or cold that was making the others go by coach—though if darkness was the reason, she might be accompanied by a servant now.
61. bringing: being brought. This use of an active verb in a passive sense was a traditional construction that can be found elsewhere in Jane Austen. The construction “be + past participle” (as in “being brought”) was also used, but it was subject to disapproval by grammarians.
62. amuse: entertain.
63. This suggests that Charles and Mary also own a pianoforte, for otherwise it would not be mentioned as an option (Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove’s grand pianoforte would be too cumbersome to be conveyed elsewhere for an evening). It is possible Mary learned when she was a girl; even without that, because the instrument was very popular, relatively inexpensive, and a standard sign of taste and gentility, it was found in homes throughout England, regardless of musical taste or ability (see note 60).
64. Louisa’s uncertainty about exactly what happened indicates her ignorance of the navy, even though, as shortly revealed, she had a brother in the service.
65. The language of Louisa’s speech reveals her character. It is not foolish or ungrammatical, but it does show her—through its exclamation points, its mostly brief clauses, its jumping from one point to another, and its occasional repetition of the same points—to be excitable and not prone to careful reflection.
66. intelligence: news.
67. This passage, especially the statement that the Musgroves were fortunate that their son died, has shocked some readers. Its cynicism does reflect a tough-minded attitude found frequently in eighteenth-century literature, and in Jane Austen, though usually in more modulated form. This attitude included an at times brutal honesty about the unpleasant facts of existence, such as the possible benefit to people of losing a child who had caused them trouble, and a willingness to draw sharp moral distinctions between people, which included identifying some people as completely bad and therefore better off gone. One could argue that Jane Austen’s strong realism about life, and her strict moral standards, lead logically to both these perspectives. Some commentators suggest that she might have softened this passage if she had enjoyed more time to revise the novel. Similar statements in earlier novels never attain the brutal frankness of this one.
The issue of Dick Musgrove and his parents’ grief for him, when continued a little later (this page, and this page), does serve to reveal important facets of Captain Wentworth’s character and his relationship to Anne—though the author could have accomplished this without such pointed language.
68. The man’s name, and its derogatory abbreviation here, may be an inside joke. In a letter to her sister Jane Austen jokes about someone named Richard putting off his marriage “till he has got a Better Christian name” (Sept. 15, 1796). There may have been a personal reason why she and her sister disliked the name; she never uses it for a speaking character in her novels.
69. Midshipmen were, in effect, officer apprentices. All who wished to become commissioned officers (lieutenant and higher) had to serve first as midshipmen. Midshipmen generally started when they were adolescents, as was the case with the Musgroves’ son.
70. Frigates were one of the three main types of ships in the navy. The other two were sloops, the smallest kind, and ships of the line (or men-of-war), the largest kind. Captain Wentworth’s command of this frigate will figure prominently when he gives a brief history of his naval career in Chapter VIII.
71. Those in the navy could engage in regular correspondence, though their receipt of letters could be very uncertain due to the vagaries of where ships sailed. The main character in Mansfield Park, Fanny, receives frequent letters from her brother, who is at sea, and Jane Austen corresponded with her naval brothers.
72. Clifton is a small town next to Bristol (by now it has been largely absorbed into Bristol; see map). It developed into a popular spa and resort during the eighteenth century, thanks to the hot springs discovered there, the spectacular beauty of the adjacent river gorge, and its proximity to Bath. In Northanger Abbey some of the characters, who are staying in Bath, take a day-trip to Clifton. Jane Austen lived there for a brief period. Being close to Somerset, it would be a natural place for the Musgroves to vacation.
73. It is a trial because they met Captain Wentworth during the same period when he was staying nearby at Monkford with his brother and romancing Anne. This has earlier been described as “more than seven years” ago (this page). The Musgroves, however, would have no knowledge of what happened between Anne and Captain Wentworth, since at that time, before the marriage of Charles and Mary, they had no particular connection with the Elliot family.
74. enure: inure, i.e., accustom.
75. insensible: indifferent, unmoved.
76. The navy wished its midshipmen to be educated, since they were designed to become its commanding officers. It stipulated that they should receive instruction from a schoolmaster. But many ships did not have schoolmasters, and how much schooling was offered, or enforced, was in practice left up to the captain. Sometimes the ship’s chaplain would undertake the responsibility, sometimes the captain himself. The letter quoted here suggests that Captain Wentworth was more conscientious than most captains, through his apparent insistence that Dick Musgrove do his lessons.
77. Such resolutions of calm and forbearance have formed a good part of the comfort of Anne’s life until now. Her statement above about teaching herself to be insensible harkens back to her determination at the outset of the chapter to draw an important lesson from her experience on joining the Musgroves.
VOLUME I, CHAPTER VII
1. His wine cellars.
2. Apothecaries were one of the main types of medical practitioner. Originally they only dispensed drugs, but over time they expanded their role to include prescribing drugs and offering general medical advice. In strict terms, injuries like a dislocated collarbone fell under the purview of the surgeon, who was traditionally distinct from the apothecary. But in practice by this time the two roles were frequently melded, especially in rural areas like this, where the small population of patients made it impractical for a medical man to restrict himself to one type of case. Lists of the time show surgeon-apothecaries, sometimes just called apothecaries, making up the majority of practitioners.
3. Managing and supervising servants was one of the basic duties of the mistress of a household. Anne’s apparent facility with that indicates her suitability for being such a mistress, if she should ever have the opportunity.
4. Anne’s calm, sensible actions in the face of an emergency foreshadow her behavior during a far greater emergency (this page).
5. brother’s: brother-in-law’s.
6. replaced: put back in its original position.
This was the original definition of “replace,” and still the most common one at this time, though the present-day meaning, “take the place of,” had also become current by the eighteenth century.
Medical science of the time possessed a good knowledge of human anatomy and was able to deal well with many bone fractures and dislocations. A book of surgical advice described the treatment of a dislocated collarbone, or clavicle, as fairly simple and straightforward; it also pointed out that the lack of muscles around the bone made abnormalities in it easy to detect, which is seen here in the detection of the injury before the arrival of the doctor. To treat the usual dislocations the writer advised “taking off the weight of the arm, by placing the elbow and fore arm in a sling,” pushing the bone back in position, and “applying compresses and a spica [reverse spiral] bandage, for the purpose of keeping the end of the clavicle from ascending again” (Samuel Cooper, First Lines of the Practice of Surgery, page 433).
7. The two young aunts are Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove.
8. The second half of this paragraph is an example of what is known as free indirect speech. This technique, in which Jane Austen was a pioneer, consists of rendering the characters’ words or thoughts in the third person, without quotation marks, but in a way that replicates the manner and language of those words. In this case, the exclamation points, the frequent dashes, the switch from glad to sorry to glad, and the fulsome language with which Captain Wentworth is praised and their feelings are described, all serve to convey the breathless excitement of the characters who are speaking.
9. One reason for their delight in him is that there are few unmarried young men within their social circle, limited as it is by neighborhood and class (see note 25). Henrietta has already been wooed by one of the only eligible men in their area, and he is neither that close geographically nor their complete equal socially (this page). The arrival of a man as attractive and charming, and socially and financially suitable, as Captain Wentworth represents an important event for them.
At the same time, their willingness to switch their concerns so quickly to him, and away from their just injured nephew, contrasts them with Anne, who bears the same relationship to little Charles but shows far more solicitude.
10. As the eldest son of Charles Musgrove, Mr. Musgrove’s eldest son, little Charles is in line ultimately to inherit the Musgrove estate. Preserving one’s property and position across the generations was a central concern of the landed elite.
11. They are worried about the spine because they had already noted that the boy’s injury was in the back as well as the collarbone.
12. amused: entertained, occupied.
13. See note 16, for the issue of this as a female case.
14. It was standard practice to change into one’s nicer clothes for a dinner that included more than one’s immediate family.
15. scruple: hesitation.
16. province: duty; sphere of action. Anne reflects current opinion and practice as to women’s natural suitability for nursing. The sick were generally cared for at home by the women of the house, who were already at home, or by female servants—the hospitals existing then were charitable institutions treating the poor, and full-time outside nurses were not frequently hired (for one example of the latter, see this page). Anne’s readiness to nurse, and apparent aptitude, indicates the domestic habits that, in the opinion of Lady Russell, make her especially fit to become a wife and mother. It thereby underlines the poignancy of her current single state.
17. teazing: bothering, disturbing (in a petty way). It is significant that it is this and scolding that Mary sees as her primary parental tasks.
18. nerves: this could refer simply to what are now called nerves, or it could have a wider connotation. Medical thinking at the time attributed a large number of ailments to nerves or nervous disorders. Hence Mary could also be warning of the possibility of damaging her own health, which would be in keeping with her hypochondriacal nature. A similar character in Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Bennet, complains frequently about her nerves.
19. A dressing room attached to the bedroom had become a standard feature of affluent houses. Both the man and woman of the house would usually each have their own dressing rooms; they also could have their own bedrooms.
20. Charles’s noticing this elementary point shows his greater fair-mindedness than Mary, as does his offering, after Anne insists on her wish to stay, to come fetch her so she can join them later.
21. Another sign that Anne can easily resist persuasion when she has a strong reason for her actions.
22. The last sentence—another example of free indirect speech—reveals the contradictory nature of Anne’s thoughts. She asks what Captain Wentworth is to her, in a manner meant to suggest he means nothing, even as the very need to ask that, as if in reassurance, shows that he means a lot, and that his presence nearby occupies her mind.
23. should have: would have.
24. Anne contrasts her place to his because, as a woman, she cannot go to him. Women were never supposed to take the initiative in romantic matters; a woman who did so would be scorned as wanton and immodest. Moreover, a young, unmarried woman like Anne could neither travel on her own, nor live on her own.
25. independence: financial independence.
26. wanting: lacking. Since his lack of fortune and uncertain prospects were the principal reasons Anne was persuaded to refuse him, Captain Wentworth has long been in an excellent position to renew his addresses to Anne—if he wished to do so.
27. Anne’s immediate instinct is to interpret his action as one motivated by aversion to her. This shows both her confidence in knowing his character, a confidence that will be justified on a number of occasions, and her tendency to see things through the prism of her earlier experience with him. This tendency will often prove justified, but not in every case.
28. Mary’s different breakfast hours could result from her family background. Generally, the more affluent people were the later they ate breakfast: one reason was that wealthier and more fashionable people ate dinner and went to bed later. Mary probably picked up her daily habits when growing up and has maintained them, at least for breakfast, especially since they are a source of social distinction. Charles’s having obviously eaten earlier may reflect, in addition to his eagerness to begin his sport, the Musgroves’ lesser rank and elegance.
29. The dogs are to assist Charles and Captain Wentworth in their shooting. Dogs played two essential roles, locating the live birds by their scent and retrieving them after they had been shot. Once birds were located the standard method at the time was “shooting flying,” which meant hitting the birds as they flew up in the air; the method’s widespread use resulted from improvements in guns in the immediately preceding decades, which had caused it to supersede older methods of shooting birds on the ground or catching them with nets and snares. Another innovation of the period was the battue, in which birds were flushed out by beating the trees, but it was not widely practiced at this juncture.
30. wait on: call on.
31. Captain Wentworth’s evident wish to call on Mary, when he must know Anne will be in, might suggest that he is not as averse to her as Anne suspects. But it also could be his way to pay his courtesy to Mary, and perhaps satisfy his curiosity about how Anne looks, without having to spend much time in her presence, as he would have to if he ate breakfast there.
32. Bowing and curtseying are standard greetings. In this case they allow the two people to acknowledge each other without having to speak directly to each other.
33. The rapid sequence of thoughts represents Anne’s state of mind, nervous and barely able to register what is happening.
34. Anne frequently struggles to subdue her feelings and remain rational. Her inability to do so here shows both the limits of reason and the strength of these particular feelings.
35. The folly is her obsessive inclination to study him constantly and try to analyze everything he does, along with, perhaps, her inclination to
interpret everything he does as motivated by his feelings toward her.
36. gallant by: gallant to. There are other instances in Jane Austen like this; “by” was sometimes used then where “to” is used now.
37. being inflicting: inflicting.
38. peculiar: particular.
39. Anne is trying to convince and reassure herself that his words must make her happier: by convincing her that he no longer cares for her and that there is no possibility of renewing their intimacy, his words will make her cease wondering about how he feels and help her look upon him with calm indifference.
40. It is appropriate that the first action by Captain Wentworth depicted in the novel involves speaking as he feels. He will exhibit this spontaneity on a number of occasions, and it will turn out to be one of the critical differences between him and another man who will interest Anne. It will also be a notable characteristic of other naval officers.
41. These last lines, a series of short emphatic sentences, convey the decisive character of Wentworth’s thoughts. They are particularly appropriate when those thoughts are expressions of contempt for timidity.
42. As with Anne’s thoughts about him, Captain Wentworth’s thoughts are contradictory, and revelatory. Logically it would be odd to be so determined on never again meeting the woman one considered superior to all others. Moreover, his having such strong feelings about Anne—for the thoughts described here seem his current ones, made as he thinks back on their affair—suggests that she still has the power to occupy his mind, however much he consciously believes otherwise.
43. This means his ship is no longer sailing. The navy would quickly reduce the number of ships sailing as soon as a war ended, in part to save the considerable expense that active ships involved.