ENG117 - How Social Class Impacts Communication in Jane Austen’s Persuasion PDF

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ENG 117 – Introduction to Narrative How Social Class Impacts Communication in Jane Austen’s Persuasion In this, her final novel, Jane Austen satirises and questions the nature of a conservative society and the place of men and women within it. The break-down of the engagement of Anne Elliot to Captain Frederick Wentworth is initiated by Lady Russell as a means to preserve Anne’s standing in the social hierarchy of the day. Wentworth, who is yet to attain wealth is deemed completely unsuitable for an Elliot, however this changes when Wentworth returns from service in the Navy. Now with a respectable career, he has advanced several steps upon the social hierarchy and is now perceived to be of much nobler birth that marriage to Anne Elliot may now be considered an option. A particular section in Chapter 8 of the novel contains a passage that explores the relationship between Anne and Captain Wentworth after the latter returns from active service. The pair refrain from speaking with one another for the entire evening as a display of what is later described as the “commonest civility.” Manners and keeping up appearances are the priority in a social situation such as this and Anne requires validation that Captain Wentworth may have retained his feelings for her. Although he does not immediately do this;

The first section of the passage which explores the separateness of Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth following the latter’s return to Kellynch Hall, has the two dining in the same company, but not together, at the home of Mr Musgrove. It is during this dinner that we begin to understand Anne Elliot’s social intelligence as she reads faces for emotions. “Whether former feelings were to be renewed must be brought to the proof” is an example of free indirect discourse as Anne Elliot makes it clear that Captain Wentworth must show signs of reciprocating affection for her to take any action in regards to her own continued affections. Anne’s probing of Wentworth is a symptom of the larger theme of the novel related to social class and how the

need to conform to standards of acceptable behaviour in polite society inhibit one’s ability to express their true feelings to other people. An example of this occurs in Chapter 10, when the Musgrove sisters invite Anne and their younger sister Mary, on a walk in the country despite their reluctance to include the latter. Yet the sisters feel an obligation to maintain the appearance of cordiality for the benefit of others. This offers a further demonstration of Anne’s ability to read people through indirect speech as she confesses her admiration for the façade of cordiality that must always be upheld “however undesired and inconvenient”.

As the passage subsequently reveals through indirect discourse, Anne sees Wentworth is seemingly “unvisited by remembrance” and “very far from conceiving it to be of equal pain.” Yet the two continue to refuse to engage with one another verbally; “They held no conversation together, no intercourse but what the commonest civility required.” Ability to maintain one’s manners is an important theme in the context of Jane Austen’s work. It is referred to in Chapter 2 as “the art of pleasing”. Manners in this setting are clearly of great importance and any conversation with Wentworth must extend no further than polite small talk. Another example of this polite façade is seen in the character of Mrs Clay, a friend of Elizabeth Elliot. Anne observes that her mannerisms lack sincerity and motivation; “her courtesies and smiles were more a matter of course.” And she had “always felt she would pretend what was proper on her arrival.” This obligation to manners insincerity is a symptom of the vacuous nature of the British aristocracy in the early-19th century. The characters remain cordial in social settings in order to maintain the appearance of intelligence and good health which has been granted to them by their wealth and position.

Social class is related to how people are viewed in society as well as they’re social standing or whether they are of high birth or low birth. Much of Jane Austen’s work is centred around

characters who attempt to shift their social standing upwards, although this doesn’t always happen for certain characters. In the case of Captain Wentworth, his future with Anne is entirely dependent on his shifting upwards in class. The vanity that comes with this obsession with class is encapsulated in the first chapter by Anne’s father, Sir Walter Elliot who speeds his day reading the section of the baronetage that he is included in. As the novel explains; “vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character.” To Sir Walter, there is great importance placed on who his daughters will end up marrying and how this benefit him and social standing. This is in great contrast to Anne who believes that people should be rewarded for their hard work and their social standing should be largely based on this factor. This being the source of her appreciation for Captain Wentworth and his career in the Navy.

The lack of meaningful communication that occurs between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth during the dinner in Chapter 8 is related to larger ideas around social class and “keeping up appearances” for other people. Such passion and affection would never be seen in such a formal environment. It is this blatant classism and vanity that is demonstrated at earlier by Sir Walter as he looks at his own name in the baronetage as a reminder of his own high status in aristocracy, and Lady Russell’s act of persuasion that forces Anne to break of her engagement to the lowborn Wentworth. This moment in the text also gives a vital insight into Anne’s own mind and thoughts on the return of Wentworth. Utilising both indirect and free indirect discourse, we gain deeper insight into Anne’s ability to read emotions when she is unable to communicate with others on a physical and verbal level due to the expectations she has placed upon her in this formal setting. Persuasion is Jane Austen’s satire of a conservative world with somewhat ridiculous standards of cordiality....