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Characters And Culture In Jane Austen's Persuasion

1270 Words6 Pages

Throughout her lifetime, Jane Austen wrote many novels dealing with current issues of her time. In the 19th century, it was not socially acceptable for women to receive pay for this type of work; therefore, “The pen has been in [men’s] hands” (221). This caused Austen to initially publish her novels anonymously. In order for Austen to authentically represent her voice and opinions on current issues without compromising her identity, she in turn used the characters and events in her published novels to convey them for her. Austen maintained her credibility on the significant subjects in her time by doing so. Analyzing how the characters engage with their culture can show how Austen experienced life. The characters, events and locations presented throughout Persuasion reveal Jane Austen’s real life experiences of a women living in England during the 19th century.
Jane Austen was the seventh out of eight children and second daughter born to George and Cassandra Austen. Austen was born in Steventon, Hampshire, England in 1775 where she spent most of her life as a child and teen (Biography). Around 1801, she and her family moved to Bath (Important Places). This was due to the declining financial situation of her father. This issue is also …show more content…

The title of the book originates from the main theme of the story, persuasion and the act of being persuaded. Persuasion is the act of causing people to do or believe something that differs from their own viewpoint and opinions. It is such a main theme that a form of the word is used twenty-two times during the span of the novel (Occurrences). The main incident of persuasion starts around seven to eight years before the actual events of the novel. Lady Russell persuaded Anne not to marry her summer love Captain Wentworth due to his inferior social class. Anne headed the advice of Lady Russell and declined his

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