Today is the last day of 2010 and for my New Year’s Resolution I have created this blog…not. In reality, I have created this blog for an Honors English independent reading project. We were instructed to read a book of our choosing. Once that book was read, one of our choices for a project was to post at least five comments about our book on a blog. Since it is somewhat awkward to write on a random person’s blog, a few of my friends and I decided to create our own blog. It started out as a Jane Austen blog, since we were all reading different Jane Austen novels. When talking about it to some of my other friends, an interest was shown and it has thus evolved into an overall Honors 11 blog. Though I can hardly expect everyone to have the same love of Jane Austen novels as I do, I did sneak in a few Jane Austen touches. If you were not familiar with Jane Austen, they probably will go unnoticed. The title of the blog was derived from a quote from the book Persuasion, which just happens to be the book I have read for this assignment. So, I welcome you to my blog, which is available to anyone who wants to use it. You can comment about your own book or even someone else’s book. There may be a way to have possible authors, but I have not quite figured it out. I guess we will just have to see how this works out.
A few nights ago, I finished reading Persuasion by Jane Austen, and I absolutely loved the ending. I found it to be so romantic. The story is about a twenty-seven year old woman named Anne Elliot, who lives with her father and older sister in Kellynch-hall. When she was nineteen, she fell in love with Captain Wentworth and the two of them became engaged. But through the persuasion of her friend, Lady Russell, Anne decided to break off the engagement. Eight years later, Captain Wentworth returns to the neighborhood with a large fortune. Now that he has established himself in the world, he is contemplating marriage. He all but ignores Anne and seems to be forming an attachment with Anne’s sisters-in-law, Louisa and Henrietta Musgrove. I will not reveal the ending because I personally hate it when people spoil the ending. But if you have read any love stories, the ending should be obvious. For anyone who has not read this book, I would read through the first twenty-two chapters of the book as fast as you can in order to get to chapter twenty-three. As I was reading that chapter, I kept sighing and smiling, especially when it came to Captain Wentworth’s letter, but I will say no more on the subject. You will just have to read it yourself.
ReplyDeleteThe title of the book, Persuasion, brings up one of the major questions posed in the novel. Is it better to have a strong character or should one submit to other people’s beliefs? Through the actions of the characters, it is shown that a mixture between the two is the best solution. After Anne breaks of their engagement due to the persuasion of Lady Russell, Captain Wentworth believes that whoever he marries will have a strong character and will not be so easily persuaded by others. While in Lyme, he realizes that having a character where one does whatever they want is not completely desirable. Louisa does not listen to the protests of her friends. Instead, she does what she wants, which results in her falling and hitting her head on a concrete floor. In reflection of this day, Anne admits that a strong character and independent mind are good qualities to have, but they must be in moderation. It is also shown that being completely submissive is also not a very desirable quality. Anne and Captain Wentworth are unnecessarily separated for eight and a half years. If Anne had not been so easily persuaded by Lady Russell, the two might have been married after two years of their initial engagement, when Captain Wentworth made a large fortune. Overall, the author leaves it up to the reader to decide whether persuasion is a good or bad thing. Due to the given evidence, I believe that persuasion is neither good nor bad, but rather something that is needed in moderation.
ReplyDeleteI have read a few books about the author of Persuasion, Jane Austen. While I was reading the novel, I noticed that there were a lot of similarities between Austen’s life and the plot and characters of the novel. Many people who have studied Austen’s life and her works believe that Anne Elliot, the protagonist of Persuasion, is based off of Austen herself. Anne Elliot is the only female main character who is passed the bloom of youth. Unlike most of Austen’s characters, Anne is twenty-seven years old and her beauty that she had during her youth has slowly started to disappear. Persuasion was Austen’s last novel and it was written at a time when the author was passed her time of marrying, which is perhaps why the Anne is not the young, beautiful heroine that are characteristic to Austen’s novels. Most of Austen’s male family members were clergymen and in many of her novels, she pokes fun at the profession. Through brief mentions of the character Charles Hayter, the cousin of the Musgroves who is soon to be a clergyman, Austen makes clergymen seem like they are more concerned with their own comfort and care little about the people. It would probably be a good bet to guess that the clergymen in Austen’s family influenced her when she created these characters. Two of Austen’s brothers went into the navy and at the time, it was one of the few careers that allowed men from poor families to distinguish themselves. This is probably the inspiration for the naval officers in Persuasion. In many of her novels, Austen portrays the parents of the heroine as being ridiculous. Throughout her life, Austen did not get along with her mother very well and there was often resentment on both sides. This perhaps influenced Austen in the portrayal of parents in her novel. In Persuasion, Sir Walter, the father of Anne, cares only of his standing in society, which blinds him to many of the problems around him. I suppose that we shall never truly know what influenced Austen to create the masterpieces that she did, but looking at her life, we can make some conjectures that are very likely correct.
ReplyDeleteOne characteristic of a good writer is that they draw you into the story so that you start to feel strong emotions towards the characters, as if they were real people. When I am reading a well written book, I will cry when a well liked character dies or practically shout at the book when a character does something stupid. With this idea in mind, I can definitely say that Persuasion is a well written novel. I am not simply saying this because I love Jane Austen novels. When I was reading Persuasion, I became so annoyed with some of the characters, while I felt sympathy towards others. Some of the most annoying characters in Persuasion are Anne Elliot’s relatives, Sir Walter, Elizabeth, and Mary. All three of them have so much pride, which is often referred to as “the Elliot pride,” and not in a good way. Instead of being worried about other people, their sole concern is for themselves. Everything revolves around them. If they do happen to decide to do something for someone else, it has some benefit for them. They also contradict themselves on several occasions. For example, Mary claims that she is unable to take care of her son, Charles, when he falls from a tree and breaks his collarbone. She has Anne look after him while she goes to meet Captain Wentworth at a dinner. Later in the story, when Louisa falls and hits her head, Mary complains about the decision to let Anne stay in order to care for Louisa, while Mary returns home. She claims that she can care for Louisa just as well as Anne can. Mary’s selfishness and contradicting actions is extremely annoying. I have no idea how Anne is able to spend so much time with her. If I had been Anne, I know I certainly would not be able to do so. Through my irritation, I had to smile because I know I should not be getting so worked up over a character in a book, but they seem so realistic.
ReplyDeleteA major theme in the novel, Persuasion is that a higher class does not make one a better person. The Elliot family is a very old family and they further gain respect from the fact that they have a baronetage. Sir Walter is obsessed with his social hierarchy status, believing that people with a title are the best type of people. Anyone who is poor or is not of nobility is inferior in Sir Walter’s eyes. Looking at Sir Walter’s character, it becomes quite obvious that he is not a great man, but rather a lazy, conceited baronet. As far as the reader can tell, he lives to enjoy himself. Upon hearing suggestions to remove him from debt, he immediately rejects them all, claiming that he could not possibly be expected to make that sacrifice. In short, Sir Walter is not a decent man and the only thing he has to recommend himself is his baronetage, which he obviously did not receive through doing anything worthwhile. There are also characters that are not of noble blood, who, in the social hierarchy, are considered inferior. One such character is Captain Wentworth. To Sir Walter, Captain Wentworth is not worth his notice. Yet, through his actions, Captain Wentworth shows himself to be the better man. He does not completely ignore and misuse Anne, like her father and sisters do. He also cares for his friends in their times of need. All of this shows that class does not determine the type of person someone is.
ReplyDeleteI have read three novels by Jane Austen. All of the people I have spoken to about her have commented on her satire. We all come to the same conclusion: Jane Austen is one author who is known greatly for her satire. In Pride and Prejudice, she satirizes the way in which people believe they always know a person just by their first impression. She shows this through Elizabeth Bennett’s first impression of Fitzwilliam Darcy, the man she ironically married. In Emma, she uses Emma as a satire of people who believe they can be matchmakers, as Emma fails in almost all of her matchmaking pairs. The novel I just read was Northanger Abbey. The thing most satirized in this novel was the aversion to novels that people of the early 1800s had. Also, the nature of women to only worry about dresses, hair, and gossip is satirized by Henry Tilney. The satire of the aversion to novels is clearly stated when Austen writes,
ReplyDeleteYes, novels; -- for I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel writers…scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. (828)
Austen is clearly showing her distaste for the common custom of not allowing a young woman to read a novel within a novel. The other example is displayed by Henry Tilney when he says,
‘Not keep a journal! How are your absent cousins to understand the tenour of your life in Bath without one? How are the civilities and compliments of every day to be related as they ought to be, unless noted down every evening in a journal? How are your various dresses to be remembered, and the particular state of your complexion, and curl of your hair to be described in all their diversities, without having constant recourse to a journal?’ (824)
Tilney is expressing his shock at Catherine’s not keeping a journal. He believes that every proper young woman should keep a journal to record their dresses and style of hair, as if those are the most important things in life to a woman. Of course, he is joking. The satire in Austen’s novels makes them more interesting to read and definitely makes one realize the silly worries people of the past and even present tend to have.
The theme of Northanger Abbey could have been many things, for there were many to be found. However, the main theme that I found as important was the one saying, “Those who care for you most will always be there, no matter what you or others do.” This one is not one that necessarily jumps out at the reader. Examples of this theme are included with every character that is important to Catherine. Henry Tilney, Eleanor Tilney, and Isabella Thorpe are the three best examples. When Catherine has been sent away from the Abbey, she believes that Henry will just forget about her existence. She has snooped around his home, accused his father of murder, and portrayed a woman who has a fortune but really does not. However, Henry does not look to any of these. He was frustrated when he found her in his mother’s room and even angry when she accused his father of murder, but he oversaw all of these due to his love for her. Even after his father spoke badly of her to him, he followed Catherine to her home and still proposed marriage to her. Eleanor Tilney was a constant friend when John Thorpe was being a controlling, jealous man. She could have just turned away from Catherine and not have accepted any of her apologies and explanations for why she was not at certain events. However, Eleanor was patient with Catherine and allowed her to prove herself. Isabella, on the other hand, is a contrast to the other two. She pretends to be a friend to Catherine until it is not convenient. She lies about her relationship with Captain Tilney and blames Catherine for the smallest things. Catherine is saddened when their relationship breaks apart, but her relationship with Eleanor and Henry was seemingly ended. They returned to her, though, so they were clearly the characters who truly cared for her.
ReplyDeleteMany would say that the title Northanger Abbey has an obvious meaning. They would say that it just means that Catherine Morland gets invited there and that is the only significance. However, as I was reading the novel, I noticed that the title had more significance than just the fact that it’s where Catherine goes with Henry. While she is at the Abbey, Catherine evolves as a character and accomplishes much of her growing up. It is where she realizes who her true friends are and what is really important in life. She becomes sisterly close with Eleanor, falls in love with Henry, and learns how fake Isabella has always been. She also learns that her imagination is unbecomingly huge and learns to separate fantasy from reality. Not only does she see that novels are meant to be read for pleasure and nothing more than that, but she also sees that the secrets of people around her do not have to be horrendous to be secrets. Northanger Abbey is not only the place where she happens to be invited by the Tilneys, but it also the main setting where she grows and evolves as a character.
ReplyDeleteNot many people would be willing to say that Jane Austen is their favorite classic author. Many would just say that classics are a waste of time and not worth reading, as they are only full of flowery language and lack plot. I, on the other hand, have learned to love classics, and not just classics, but those written by Jane Austen. Her style of writing is one that just draws me in. The way she describes only what is important and her word choice is immaculate. I love reading her writing because the way she words things is perfect. When a character is distressed or confused, she describes their feelings in way in which one can completely connect with the character. Her description of places can get long eventually, but it is all important when looked back upon. The dialogue she creates between two characters is always as one would imagine it. The things Catherine and Henry Tilney said to each other was just as I would have expected. She does not describe or portray a character in one way and then have them speak in a totally opposite way. Reading her language is not a task to me, and I cannot believe that some do not enjoy reading her novels just for the language, even though the plots are always amazing, too.
ReplyDeleteThe time period during which Northanger Abbey takes place is clearly described through the actions and characters themselves. Though she does not directly state that it takes place in “this year, this month, and on this day,” Jane Austen makes it clear that the period is in the late-eighteenth to early-nineteenth century. Details that give this away are the mention of the fact that women must marry for money and not necessarily for love. An example of such is when General Tilney will not Eleanor marry her love because he does not have a fortune. However, when he comes into fortune, she is suddenly allowed to marry him. Another detail that gives away the time is when they all go to Bath to relax and socialize. Bath was the resort town of the early 1800s in England and remained so through the century. A final example would be the mention of the publication of The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe in 1794. These examples all show how an author can hint to the time setting without directly stating that it occurs in a specific year. The clues that are found throughout any novel can hint to the time setting, and that is one of the beauties of accomplished authors. They can state their point and opinion without directly saying, “I believe” or “it occurred in….” The fact that they can do this makes the novel all the more interesting because a guessing game arises and not everything is apparent until the end of the novel. Sometimes, you still have to infer at the true ending.
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