So I am deeply immersed in the first few chapters of Jane
Austen's Persuasion, my book club's
first book selection, when it hit me- The protagonist in this novel is Anne,
more specifically Anne with an "e."
This may seem like a silly observation to most, but to a literature
lover with a special fondness in her heart for a fellow ginger in the character
of Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables,
this caused a freak out moment of epic proportions. Go gingers! Go Annes!
Anywho. Back to the Anne I'm supposed to be studying for
book club.
Anne Elliot is the middle daughter of a pompous and conceited
baronet. She is quiet, sensible, and selfless. It is clear that her arrogant,
fool of a father (Oops! Is my absolute disdain for this figure showing? I'll
try to reign it in...) does not see any value in his daughter, because she is
neither especially beautiful or as concerned with keeping up appearances as he
and his eldest daughter are. Still, Anne faithfully serves her family to the
best of her ability.
When she was young, she fell in love with a dashing nobody
of man, and was superbly happy. But her father and mentor were not impressed.
Weighted down by their disapproval of what they considered such an imprudent
match, Anne broke off the engagement, and has been brokenhearted and filled
with regret ever since.
Having read the book multiple times before and watching the
movie version on many a blustery evening, I have the comfort of knowing how
this story plays out. But for the sake of the book club, I'm trying to pretend
that I don't know the outcome, and reporting my thoughts and feelings as they
occur, chapter by chapter.
With that in mind, I'm sure I'll have many more
"GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!" and "What the even heck?!" moments
regarding her friends and family, the breakup of her relationship with
Wentworth, and her daily adventures.
For now, I'll try to focus on the first two chapters.
The story begins with Sir Walter Elliot, the baronet owning
Kellynch Hall. Sir Elliot is vain, pretentious, and preoccupied by rank and
social status. He is obsessed with the Baronetage, a book detailing the family
histories of all the muckety mucks in England.
We learn that Sir Elliot's wife has died, leaving behind
three daughters- Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary. Elizabeth is by far her father's
favorite, and follows after him in conceit and entitlement. Anne is the most
like her deceased mother, being practical, humble, and kind. Mary, the
youngest, is the only married daughter, which gives her a tremendous feeling of
importance.
We're also introduced to Lady Russell, a friend of the late
Lady Elliot, who has become a trusted family advisor.
Since Sir Elliot had no sons, his fortune would fall to a
cousin, Mr. William Elliot. It was Sir Walter's deepest wish that William marry
Elizabeth, but the heir wanted nothing to do with the scheme. He spoke poorly
about them behind their backs, and opted to marry a wealthy woman of little
rank in order to be more independent. Sir Walter and Elizabeth never forgave
him for it.
In the beginning of the book, we also discover that Sir
Walter was facing significant money troubles. With his wife's practical
guidance and frugality gone, nothing held him back from spending lavishly to
live a lifestyle in keeping with his high rank. Debts were piling up around
him, and Mr. Shepard, his advisor, along with Lady Russell, try to come up with
a plan to get him out of his financial mess.
He must retrench, making cut backs in order to get out from
under the mountain of debt he created for himself. Anne agrees, and in fact,
wishes harsher cut backs would be made in order to pay back what the family
owes even sooner.
Unfortunately, Sir Walter feels the restrictions can't be
borne with; that doing without the comforts and customs he presently enjoyed
would be disgraceful to a man of his rank. Instead, he opted for Mr. Shepard's suggestion
of leaving Kellynch Hall, and moving to Bath where a household could be run in
a more modest way without lessening his status among his peers. Once again,
Anne's wishes against going to Bath were dismissed, and Sir Walter agreed to
rent Kellynch Hall, as long as a suitable tenant was found.
These first couple of chapters illustrated two things.
First, Sir Walter's character illustrates the self-importance and snobbishness
of members of high society in general. Appearance was everything. It meant
nothing to him that he abandoned responsibilities and obligations, because
maintaining the illusion of wealth and prestige was his highest value. Honoring
one's debts and being a man of integrity never entered his head. By contrast,
Anne was deeply disturbed that the family had fallen so far into debt, and
wished to rectify the situation as quickly as possible and by any means
necessary. (Her reaction reminded me of Dave Ramsey's "gazelle
intensity" of getting out of debt, but that's another blog post! Haha!)
The difference in these two's approaches to their money problem speaks volumes.
Second, the beginning of the novel sets up the unique Elliot
family dynamic. We get a character sketch of each of the family members, as
well as secondary characters like Mr. Shepard and Lady Russell. We know that
Sir Walter values appearances, Elizabeth her good looks, Anne honor and good
sense, Mary her marriage, and Lady Russell respectability. Sir Walter's idiocy
is on full display, as well as Anne's attempts to clean up his messes. Yet Anne
received no reward for her dedication to her family; instead, Anne's desires
are cast aside, and even Elizabeth prefers the company of a woman of
questionable motives, Mrs. Clay, to that of her sweet sister.
I think Persuausion,
more so than any of Austen's other novels, is the most blatantly cynical and
satirical. The sharp contrasts are very present for the reader. Her social
statements are hardly subtle, even from the very first few chapters! Even
though I've read this book before, it's easy to forget all the details and
nuances and humor found in Persuasion's
pages. I am so excited to continue reading, and I'll be sure to keep y'all
informed of my impressions!
Happy reading, everyone!
