The Annotated Persuasion

by Jane Austen

  92. It is possible his stay with his brother was longer than six weeks. For the potential problem with this part of the chronology, see this page.

  93. The former words were those, which Mary repeated to Anne, that she was “so altered he should not have known [her] again” (this page). He spoke them the first time he had seen her since their separation; that now he does not even recall them indicates the revolution in his attitude over the course of the novel.

  94. Shropshire is the home of his brother. The blindness of his pride refers to the pride that made him angry at Anne, unwilling to allow for her possible good reasons for having refused him, and determined not to attempt a reconciliation.

  95. “Waiting in inaction” is a naval term, and it is something that Captain Wentworth would particularly dislike, both because of his personality and because his own naval career so far has involved stations requiring frequent activity (see this page). Some naval officers had to spend years on duties, such as maintaining a continual blockade outside enemy ports, that involved long periods of waiting; such officers would have at least grown more accustomed to the condition than Captain Wentworth.

  96. He refers to learning that Anne had refused Charles Musgrove (this page). He was described at the time as pausing, presumably in thought, when he heard it. Charles had better pretensions than Captain Wentworth because he had much more secure financial prospects, being destined to inherit a substantial landed estate. A match with him would also have offered Anne a home in her own neighborhood, among a family she already knew, and a way of life, as the mistress of an estate, similar to her mother’s. The earlier description of Anne’s refusal, and her satisfaction with the decision afterward, did not suggest that it was made for Captain Wentworth’s sake (this page and this page). But it is not surprising he might imagine that to be her reason.

  97. eligibilities: things that make it fit or suitable.

  98. Thus Captain Wentworth experienced very similar feelings to what Anne experienced when she saw him with Louisa and Henrietta Musgrove.

  99. indifferent to me: that I was indifferent to.

  100. Anne is correct from a logical point of view, but it is probably unrealistic, as he suggests in reply, for her to expect him, from his more limited vantage point, to have perceived the differences as clearly as she did. Her mistake is similar to Captain Wentworth’s in imagining that she must have discerned fully his feelings after he came to Bath (this page). It shows how even the most kindred souls can still fail to achieve complete comprehension of each other.

  101. bring it into play: make use of it, activate it.

  102. Captain Wentworth was angry that she had allowed anyone else, even a close friend and substitute mother like Lady Russell, to influence Anne rather than himself. The statement shows his unreasonableness, as does, even more, his continuing for years afterward to allow such anger to distort his judgment. This, along with the highly charged description of his own feelings in these passages, indicates that he is still learning to control his feelings as well as Anne has learned to control hers. One reason for his greater difficulty is that he has not been forced to spend years practicing and developing her strong self-control.

  103. ease: absence of awkwardness or embarrassment; tranquillity.

  104. This shows the ideal of balance that is often found in Jane Austen: an excess of anything, even happiness, can be dangerous. In this case Anne is finally content when she can be steadfast rather than highly wrought. In the original draft of the novel this passage presents the idea of excess in happiness even more sharply: “It was necessary to sit up half the Night, & lie awake the remainder to comprehend with composure her present state, & pay for the overplus of Bliss, by Headake [sic] and Fatigue.”

  105. The lighting up of the rooms is mentioned particularly because one notable feature of evening parties and entertainments was that they were the only time large amounts of artificial illumination were used. Otherwise the high cost of lighting caused people, even the wealthy, to be sparing in its use. On a special occasion the most likely form of illumination was wax or spermaceti (whale oil) candles—both much better but also much more expensive than the standard tallow candles. Many would be hung in a chandelier, which had become a standard fixture in affluent homes. Oil lamps, potentially even more powerful but very costly to fill, were also used.

  106. sensibility: acute or aroused feelings. The positive connotation given to the term here shows a possible relaxation of the critical attitude toward sensibility seen in Sense and Sensibility. For more on this issue, see note 17.

  107. Mrs. Wallis has recently finished her confinement—see note 37, and note 25—and thus can attend the party. Anne can have amusement, or occupation, in understanding them because she has already heard much about them without having seen them yet.

  108. innoxious: innocuous.

  109. The delicious consciousness would be her awareness of her engagement, which she knows will confound Lady Russell. It may be delicious to Anne because it will force Lady Russell to confront the error of her earlier persuasion of Anne and her mistaken opinion of Captain Wentworth.

  110. peculiar: particular.

  111. She knows that her engagement will give them a more particular and fervent interest in one another, but she cannot reveal that yet.

  112. It would be impolite to separate very long from the main party for private conversation, especially if there were many friends and relatives there.

  113. Greenhouses had become very popular in England, allowing the production and display of plants that could not be grown there or could not be grown throughout the year. Hence the Elliots can display plants even though it is now February. It is possible that, rather than being purchased, the plants came from their own greenhouse, since some nicer town houses included one.

  114. event: result, outcome.

  115. Her meaning is presumably that, because Lady Russell’s advice was founded principally on her pessimism about Captain Wentworth’s chances, its rightness would inevitably be determined by how well his career went. Anne stated earlier that she would have preferred the engagement even if his lack of success had forced her to wait for years (this page), but perhaps she considers that, from a more objective point of view, Lady Russell’s caution would have been vindicated by such a turn of events.

  116. She would have suffered because of her violation of the principle of duty toward parents or parental figures, a basic tenet of this society. This point also seems to contradict her earlier statement: “She was persuaded that … she should yet have been a happier woman in maintaining the engagement, than she had been in the sacrifice of it” (this page). There, however, she was focusing on the general wisdom of renouncing the engagement, encapsulated in the question of whether she would give similar advice to another young person. It did not address specifically whether Anne would have been happier in continuing the engagement after Lady Russell had issued her advice to the contrary, and thereby imposed an obligation on Anne. Thus Anne’s position may be consistent, though it is also possible that now that she no longer suffers from her earlier decision, she is less inclined to condemn the reasoning behind it.

  117. She alludes to the Christian idea of universal human sinfulness and the great danger of proudly believing oneself to be free of sin or weakness.

  118. portion: dowry; or, what one has been allotted, whether by specific events or by fate in general. Anne probably has both meanings in mind (and both are found elsewhere in Austen). The latter would fit because her own course of life until now has inculcated that sense of duty in her, and because the many social obligations of women would make such a sense valuable, both for fulfilling these obligations and for being contented while doing so. The former meaning could be appropriate since, dutifulness would be important in a wife: discussions of marriage then emphasized its many duties, with a particular emphasis on those of a wife. Anne, in alluding to such a dowry, could have in mind her current lack of a regular monetary one, due to her
father’s indebtedness (see note 7).

  119. This would have been two years after his first proposal. Of greater importance than his few thousand pounds was his promotion to captain, necessary to command a frigate like the Laconia. This promotion was a crucial one, for it meant that he was certain, if he lived, to become an admiral and rise through its ranks, since advancement at that level was based purely on seniority. Below the level of captain there was no assurance of rising higher.

  120. In addition to the better position of Captain Wentworth just described, Anne’s willingness at this point to override her earlier caution would have probably resulted from her not having had other acceptable offers in the interval, which meant she would be getting closer to being past the age of marital eligibility. It could have stemmed as well from an increased sense, as she matured, of independence and ability to form her own judgments.

  121. The navy, due to the opportunities it provided to rise through merit, as Captain Wentworth seems to have done, could encourage this sense of desert.

  Woman of the time wearing and holding a portrait miniature.

  [From Stuart; American School (Boston, 1906), plate VII]

  VOLUME II, CHAPTER XII

  1. It would be bad morality to conclude with because it violates the principle of obedience to parents and the need to seek parental consent in marriage. The strength of this belief is shown in the contemporary reaction to the novel. Of three reviews of the novel just after it appeared, two complained of its moral tendency. One of them, in the British Critic, declared that the novel “contains parts of very great merit; among them, however, we certainly should not number its moral, which seems to be, that young people should always marry according to their own inclinations and upon their own judgment” (emphasis in original).

  2. independent: sufficient.

  3. want: lack.

  4. His current rank of captain has been attained by the merit of his actions. The higher rank of admiral, and its various gradations, would all be attained by seniority.

  5. address: apply to (with the intention of marrying).

  6. The idea that providence placed people in their station of life was common then. It was generally accompanied by the idea that people should fulfill the duties of their station well, which Sir Walter has not by spending beyond his means and being forced to cease presiding over the estate.

  7. This would be her dowry, guaranteed as part of the strict settlement binding the estate; it had probably been established on the marriage of Sir Walter and his wife. Normally a daughter would receive her dowry upon her marriage, thereby contributing to the fortune of the new couple. Sir Walter’s debts prevent him from fulfilling most of that obligation. But she will eventually get it: even if Sir Walter never gives her the remainder, upon his death the estate will be required to pay it.

  8. The weak artificial illumination of the time meant that one could see people well only by daylight. Sir Walter already showed a consciousness of this when discussing Lady Russell’s appearance (see note 33).

  9. personal claims: claims of personal appearance.

  10. These are, of course, Sir Walter’s supreme values.

  11. As mentioned earlier by Sir Walter, Wentworth was the family name of the Earls of Strafford (note 49).

  12. This is the Baronetage, which came in multiple volumes. Sir Walter was earlier shown updating his family entry by writing in new information of importance.

  13. manners: outer qualities or behavior.

  14. mind: inner character.

  15. This change in Lady Russell is plausible, but it could be argued that its being only summarized at the end is a weakness in the novel. The limited development of Lady Russell as a character, relative to her importance, has already been discussed (note 18). In the last part of the book she never appears at all, despite being in Bath the whole time and despite her frequent recurrence in Anne’s thoughts (the last time she is more than mentioned is in Volume II, Chapter Seven).

  16. nicety: subtlety, minute accuracy.

  17. part of understanding: portion of her intellect.

  18. abilities: mental powers, cleverness.

  19. The other child is Anne—once she is done “attaching herself as a mother” to Captain Wentworth, she has two children in effect.

  20. connexion: connection—that is, one formed by marriage.

  21. A woman’s status was raised by being married. Thus Mary enjoyed precedence over Anne, her older sister, when she was married and Anne was not. Anne’s marriage returns the precedence to her.

  22. landaulette: a small carriage with a folding top, which allowed it to be either open or closed (see picture). Unlike completely open carriages, such as a gig or a curricle, it was not driven from the passenger seat but by a coachman from a special seat in front. This would be standard for a carriage used by a woman, for women rarely drove. The landaulette, like its larger cousin the landau, was a fashionable vehicle (a barouche-landau is a major source of boasting by a snobbish character in Emma). This would undoubtedly be a large part of Mary’s suffering on seeing Anne in possession of one, a suffering that would be made worse if Mary herself continued to lack a carriage, a condition she laments early in the novel.

  23. This all represents Charles Musgrove’s inheritance, and thus what Mary will share in, at least provided Charles outlives his father.

  24. condition: social position.

  25. Mrs. Clay is under his protection because a woman who went to live with a man out of wedlock became a social outcast and would have a hard time finding a place to live, including with her own family. In Mansfield Park a woman who abandons her husband for another man ends up exiled to a distant retreat, supported by her family but not allowed to associate with them further. Thus Mrs. Clay’s only hope is to remain with Mr. Elliot: he, as a man, would be subject to far less censure or ostracism, and as long as he consents, she could enjoy a comfortable enough existence in London, with its many amusements and the presence of some others living a similar life.

  26. artful: crafty, wily.

  27. This surprising plot development has been given a little preparation, most especially by the meeting between Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay spied by Mary. Anne also reflected earlier on how he made himself as agreeable to Mrs. Clay as to anyone else (this page), and the incident when Mrs. Clay disputed with Anne over who should walk with Mr. Elliot instead of riding in the carriage might have resulted from Mrs. Clay’s allowing her eagerness to be with Mr. Elliot overpower her discretion (this page). This development also serves some useful functions. It wraps up this subplot and resolves the question of what will happen between Sir Walter and Mrs. Clay. It confirms Mrs. Smith’s revelations about Mr. Elliot’s duplicitous character. Finally, it metes out just deserts all around, with Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay left to punish each other, Sir Walter and Elizabeth forced to endure some humiliation, and Anne spared having to worry further about Mrs. Clay’s intrigues in her father’s house.

  Yet it has serious problems of plausibility. Both Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay have been shown as careful, unemotional characters, governed primarily by calculations of self-interest, and their running away together risks their interests. In his case, it does serve to remove the danger of her marrying Sir Walter, while also providing him sexual companionship, something hard for an unmarried man to procure in this society without resorting to prostitutes—this is what is meant by the words “his own enjoyment.” But by angering Sir Walter, Mr. Elliot will no longer be able to intervene in case another woman tries to snare him. Moreover, if Mr. Elliot felt the need to establish an even more intimate footing in the family, he always had the option of marrying Elizabeth. That would bind him even more closely to Sir Walter than marrying Anne would have. Elizabeth is a far less appealing person, but she is attractive and has good external manners, something Mr. Elliot values, while she, unlike Anne, shares completely his high regard for rank; Mr. Elliot’s first marriage also indicates that he does not mind having a wife he does not respe
ct if the marriage serves his interests.

  As for Mrs. Clay, her affection for Mr. Elliot would need to be so strong as to override all other considerations. Unless she can wheedle him into marriage—and she has no means of pressuring him, while he seems like a difficult person to wheedle or manipulate—she has made herself a social outcast. She can no longer associate with most people, and if he abandons her, she could be left with no one and scarcely any means of even supporting herself. She has also alienated her family, which would be her one remaining refuge in the event of his abandonment. Her action would bring social disgrace upon them, while forever tarnishing the lives of her children, and probably harming, perhaps fatally, her father’s business as an attorney, especially by causing him to lose the vital custom of Sir Walter.

  28. Her lack of concern could result from her own nonmaterialistic character or from the greater wealth that men usually brought to a marriage.

  29. The plural for both brother and sister is used because in-laws are included. Hence it means the Crofts and Edward Wentworth and his wife (the existence of the latter is mentioned on this page).

  30. sensible: cognizant, conscious.

  31. A fundamental principle seen in Jane Austen is that marriage is never simply the union of two individuals. It always involves a larger circle of people, and the best couples are those whose love for each other goes along with goodwill toward, and good relations with, others.

  32. Thus both Captain Wentworth and Lady Russell end up adjusting their ideas about each other.

  33. offices by: services to.

  34. putting her in the way of recovering: helping her to be able to recover.

  35. This is playful irony at the expense of the romantic idea, which some literature of the time promoted, that wealth was inimical to happiness. In Sense and Sensibility the highly romantic Marianne argues that the two have nothing to do with each other, before admitting that she still considers a very substantial sum to be necessary for a decent existence. Jane Austen, while never celebrating wealth as the key to happiness or advocating the sacrifice of other values for its sake, always indicated that wealth could be a good thing and certainly did not mar life.