Austen's Genius (8)
Jane Austen is considered one of the most articulate, clever, and witty of 19th Century British authors. An 1890 textbook, A First Sketch of English Literature, declares that Austen "had a keen feminine perception of character, quickened by the sympathetic insight of true genius" and that "every sentence has pith in it...enlivened by the magic touch of genius in every page, and all this charm was found in the common things of life (912-13).
Identify at least one such "genius, pithy, charming" moment in Persuasion, offering your own analysis of its charm and your own hypothesis about why it qualifies as an example of literary genius.
Each of you must write about a unique moment in the book, so read previous posts carefully.
I knew exactly which “genius” part of the story I wanted to write about. I’m drawn to it probably because it’s an exciting part of the story, but also because it came out of nowhere-and that’s why Austen is a genius.
ReplyDelete“Jealousy of Mr. Elliott! It was the only intelligible motive. Captain Wentworth jealous of her affection! Could she have believed it a week ago---three hours ago!” (154). The past few pages Anne has been worrying about Captain Wentworth. She’s fearful he still has feelings for Louisa, or that he may find someone else to be interested in. This whole last paragraph in chapter 8 reveals how Anne’s mind never stops turning. I imagine that Austen’s mind was like this when she was writing; she would have so many thoughts and just be overwhelmed, so she wrote. The paragraph goes on to say, “For a moment the gratification was exquisite. But alas! There were very different thoughts to succeed. How was such jealousy to be quieted? How was the truth to reach him? How, in all the peculiar disadvantages of their respective situations, would he ever learn her real sentiments? It was misery to think of Mr. Elliott’s attentions---Their evil was incalculable.” (154)
I believe that this passage shows how amazing of an author Jane Austen is because it doesn’t stop. The passage has so many thoughts in such a short amount of time (and length) that it catches the reader’s attention. The elegant choice of words for Anne’s statements and Anne questioning herself makes the passage genius. This isn’t the only passage in the book that is filled with thought and character. Another example is on page 135. The paragraph starts with, “Captain Benwick and Louisa Musgrove! The high-spirited, joyous, talking Louisa Musgrove, and the dejected, thinking, feeling, reading Captain Benwick, seemed each of them everything that would not suit the other.” That whole paragraph is nonstop dialogue from Anne’s head. She is thinking about those two and trying to collect all her emotions and feelings. The paragraph is filled with elegant words and is at a rapid pace, which makes it another example.
Austen uses the speech of her characters to portray moments of humor and sarcasm so seamlessly that if she hadn’t written, then I wouldn’t be able to believe that someone could say such things. One of my favorite demonstrations of this occurs when Sir Walter is questioning Anne about Mrs. Smith for the first time. Some of my favorite little moments from the entire passage (pg 127-128) include:
ReplyDelete“-and who was her husband? One of the five thousand Mr. Smith’s whose names are to be met with everywhere.”
“And what is her attraction? That she is old and sickly – Upon my word, Miss Anne you have the most extraordinary taste! Everything that revolts other people, low company, paltry rooms, foul air, disgusting associations are inviting to you.”
Anne goes on to explain how she can’t go with the other Elliots to see Lady Dalrymple. The whole speech made by Sir Walter is full of humor and sarcasm. The speech is used not only to further characterize the dramatic Sir Walter, but it also gives insight to the values of the time period. The whole novel offers hilarious insight to Austen’s views of popular culture at the time. She seems to find all of the mindless twittering and histrionic behavior absolutely ridiculous but still amusing. Sir Walter is identifying himself further as a physical impressions type of man who is obsessed with rank and associations, but not in a decidedly snobby manner. He makes his judgments not to be scathing but rather to demonstrate the common beliefs of the time. Sir Walter seems to be the personified values of typical early 19th century culture. The genius-ness of this passage is established because it provides so many functions at one time. There is the basic views of the culture married with Austen’s views of people all wrapped in a bit of wit and outrageousness. There is a little something in it to keep everyone involved and smiling.
I was really excited when I read this week’s blog prompt because Jane definitely has a way with words that can be interpreted in so many different ways. That being said, the quote that I chose as my “genius” moment can be found on page 148 when Anne is talking about her time at Lyme. The passage reads, “But when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.”
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this line, I stopped and reread it multiple times after that. It is one of those proverbial statements that the author slips into the writing very well. The moment you read that line, you are instantly taken back to a time and a place where the best and worst things in your in life have happened. This quote offers a reflective moment for you to ponder your life, while becoming more connected to Anne’s character.
I think that the quote qualifies as an example for many reasons. First, it is one sentence that sums up the whole scheme of life. Good and bad things happen, yes, but you can almost always find a positive in every negative situation. As time passes, it is true, that although you will remember the bad times (but probably will be laughing about them) you will remember and reflect more upon the good (pleasurable) times. Secondly, if this quote causes the reader to pause for a moment and think about a time like this in their life, they are instantly more connected to Anne’s character and her experiences. This facet might be the most interesting of this piece of literary genius. I find it amazing that an author can create this feeling of connectedness between the reader and the fictional characters with such seamless quality.
I am looking forward to reading how this line plays out and affects the rest of the story.
Upon completion of Persuasion, I immediately knew which scene stood out to me as a particularly charming and pithy moment. In Chapter 11 of Volume 2, after overhearing Anne and Captain Harville discuss love from a male and female perspective, Captain Wentworth, unable to contain his true feelings for Anne, writes a letter to her proclaiming his eternal admiration for her. However, the most charming part of this scene is the way in which Jane Austen describes the way Captain Wentworth delivers the letter to Anne, “footsteps were heard returning…he [Wentworth] had forgotten his gloves, and instantly crossing the room to the writing table…he drew out a letter from under the scattered paper, placed it before Anne with eyes of glowing entreaty fixed on her for a moment…” (190).
ReplyDeleteI know men are not often considered the best judges of romantic and captivating scenes, but I fell in love with this scene. In my opinion, it is pure literary genius. With the way Anne and Captain Wentworth’s recovered relationship had been developing, I see no more appropriate or charming way for this storyline to reach its climax than the discrete revealing of a letter which tells Anne that he has “loved none but [her]” (191). Furthermore, considering the coldness with which he had addressed her in the past, a spoken proclamation of his love for her would almost seem out of character. Given the time, setting, and established personalities of the two principal characters, a written letter seems to work magic. Another example of how Austen keeps each character true to their demeanor comes at the very end of the letter, “A word, a look will be enough to decide whether I enter your father’s house this evening, or never” (191). This line seems to perfectly capture the amount of mutual understanding between the two, and their shared and uncanny ability to read other people solely through their actions. All that being said, one of the most spectacular things I have witnessed in my first time reading Jane Austen is her knack for giving the reader so much while saying so little. The utter abruptness of this scene (the entire scene takes up about one page of text) and the fact that it sneaks up on the reader, encapsulate this scene as, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating scenes I have ever witnessed. I do not know how long it took Austen to come up with the idea for this scene, but its shear majesty in terms of characterization and terseness certainly added literary merit to Persuasion as a whole.
This book is full of these “genius” quotes and picking one is difficult but the quote I picked showed just how well she writes her characters.
ReplyDelete“Mrs. Clay’s affections had overpowered her interest, and she had sacrificed, for the young man’s sake, the possibility of scheming longer for Sir Walter. She has abilities, however, as well as affections; and it is now a doubtful point whether his cunning, or hers, may finally carry the day; whether, after preventing her from being the wife of Sir Walter, he may not be wheedled and caressed at last into making her the wife of Sir William.” (pg. 201).
In this statement, Austen sums up both the cunningness and deceitfulness of both Mrs. Clay and Mr. Elliot. Mrs. Clay, throughout the book, is trying to marry Sir Walter in order to become a baronet. She plans on tricky Sir Walter while in Bath. This would make her a very rich women and change her status in society a great deal. This is a problem for Mr. Elliot because it could jeopardize his chances of inheriting the baronetcy and all that comes with that. Mr. Elliot only became reacquainted with the family in order to keep Mrs. Clay and Sir Walter apart and at one point in the book, Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay were seen sneaking around and talking, that Anne believed it was Mr. Elliot was warning Mrs. Clay to stay away. This paragraph shows how both of their plans end in two sentences. Mrs. Clay had given up on trying to win over Sir Walter and Mr. Elliot got away before she could try to marry him to become a Lady. Austen shows Mr. Elliot as being smarter then he appears at first and Mrs. Clay being more deceitful by trying to marry either of the two men.
I think Austen’s genius is most evident in her ability to describe the complexities of human thought. There is no greater point in which she does this in my opinion as when she describes Anne’s thoughts about her conversation with Wentworth before entering the concert. Austen spends an entire paragraph portraying a ‘monologue’ of Anne’s thoughts, in which she contemplates Wentworth’s feelings for her. The paragraph is the second one on page 150, and is what makes the writing of Austen so powerful for me. She is able to capture the real emotions and thoughts of people, rather than embellishing the moment and making it too dreamy or realistic. She makes the reader become fascinated with her work because the story feels as though it has or will actually take place somewhere.
ReplyDeleteAlso in this paragraph, I feel as though her use of commas and run-on sentences emphasizes Anne’s thoughts and adds to their reality. I especially like the sentence in which she analyzes the conversation with Frederick:
“His opinion of Louisa Musgrove’s inferiority, an opinion which he had seemed solicitous to give, his wonder at Captain Benwick, his feelings as to a first, strong attachment, -- sentences begun which he could not finish – all, all declared that he had a heart returning to her at least; that anger, resentment, avoidance, were no more; and that they were succeeded, not merely by friendship and regard, but by the tenderness of the past; yes, some share of the tenderness of the past.” (150)
This sentence is just so true to what I think most people think in real life when they are in a similar situation. She is over-thinking the situation, analyzing every single piece of it, and trying to turn in it the direction she wants. The run-on feel to the sentence just adds to the giddiness of Anne’s thoughts. The commas and semicolons almost seem to stand for the fact that Anne’s thoughts are jumping all over the place because she is so excited. This paragraph was amazing to me because Austen is able to capture real thoughts, through fiction, and write them in a way that is both naturally chaotic and literarily genius.
I think that Jane Austen's real genius lies in the way that she can use one character's dialogue to reveal the character of another. The quote that came to mind in this case was when Frederick Wentworth is talking to his sister, Sophia Croft, about whether or not woman belong on a boat. "But, if I know myself this is from no want of gallantry towards them. It is rather from feeling how impossible it is, with all one's efforts, and all one's sacrifices, to make the accomodations on board, such as women ought to have" (pg. 590) and "When once married people begin to attack me with, 'oh! you will think very differently, when you are married' I can only say, 'no I shall not' and then they say again, 'yes you will', and there is an end of it" (pg. 61).
ReplyDeleteI do not think that these two quotes reveal Frederick Wentworth's true feelings. I think that these two quotes reveal his bitterness towards Anne and how he really feels about her character. Reading through this dialogue we see how Captain Wentworth allows other women on the ship but when it comes to hime personally he does not allow it. I think that Frederick Wentworth boarded the ship eight years ago to escape the pain that Anne had put him through and now he feels that no one as like Anne's character should be allowed on the ship. I think that if a woman of Anne's character were to be allowed on the ship that it would remind Frederick of what he could of had and that might be too painful for him.
I definitely feel that this is the moment where Austen's genius comes in. As the reader, you have to pay attention closely to be able to identify the characterizaton of this moment. She knows how to read people and we see that skill shine through Wentworths dialogue.
One of my favorite lines in the novel, was when Anne was talking to Mrs. Smith about Mr. Elliot, and Anne tells her, "Facts and opinions which are able to pass through the hands of so many, to be misconceived by folly in one, and ignorance in another, can hardly have much truth left" (165).
ReplyDeleteI think Jane Austen in a genius for adding these proverbs throughout the novel. She is known for her irony and humor, which is clearly evident everywhere in the book, but she can also slip in these pieces of truth or advice that fit the story, and are also relateable to the reader and everyday life. I reread that quote several times, and I felt like Austen said so much in one sentence. I think this comment on gossip was placed perfectly in the conversation, and it is something I think people can relate to at some point of time in their life. I also like this quote because gossip is obviously something occurring in the time period that Austen lived in, and yet it is still occurring to this day. Today gossip and rumors are spread so quickly through the media, and back then probably only by word of mouth or letter. Either way, that comment on gossip had meaning in the 1800s and still has huge significance in today's modern world. She is a literary genius because what she wrote 200 years ago can stand the test of time and still be influential to readers today.
One moment that sticks out to me as truly genius is in chapter 6 of volume II when the Crofts have just arrived in Bath. The narrator says “He did, in fact, [Sir Walter] talk a great deal more about the Admiral, than the Admiral ever thought about him.” (p136). I think this small little injection is so perfect because it just says so much by saying so little. As we talked bout in class one of Jane Austen’s most perfect abilities is to be able to write characters and have the readers form perfect opinions about them without blatantly saying anything directly about their character. I believe one thing that makes this quality even more intriguing is the fact that throughout the entire book Anne is reading people and finding out their character for herself. When we as readers are simultaneously doing the same thing we cannot only connect with the characters more deeply, but also become more involved with the book. In this short statement we not only can dive deeper into both Sir Walter and the Admirals character, but also the relationship between the two, and learn more about what Austen is saying about class. This statement is another attack at Sir Walter’s vanity. He is always concerned with himself and how he looks to others that he fails to notice when people don’t care about him. The fact that he is talking on and on about the Admiral and wanting people to know that they are acquaintances yet the admiral barley thinks of Sir Walter is hilarious. We can see by this statement that Austen not only feels that having such vain characteristics is a bad thing but also that people who are humble about their class is a good characteristic to have. This can be seen in this comment, and that Admiral Croft is the contrast of Sir Walter. They are contrast in personality and clearly the Admiral is the one whose life is better, has a loving wife, lives in Kellynch, and has a high rank that he earned. I think the genius is saying all of this in that one little line.
ReplyDeleteJane Austen’s genius shines through in the ever-present narcissism of Mary, I chose specifically a point in Volume 2 Chapter 2 when she refuses to acknowledge any recognition of Captain Benwick mentioning Anne during her absence. “But Mary. . .whether from not considering Captain Benwick entitled by birth and situation to be in love with an Elliot, or from not wanting to believe Anne a greater attraction to Uppercross than herself, must be left to be guessed” (106-107). I believe this delves into the well-known world of sibling rivalry and is not just Mary being, well, Mary.
ReplyDeleteMary, while not showing much depth during the entirety of Persuasion, does emanate the famous Elliot pride as shown in the first half of that quote. Instead of using this to only her advantage or to appease society’s standards, she does so solely to benefit herself and put down her sister. The character of Mary is similar to Sir Walter and Elizabeth in that they both care about the connections with the Elliot name, but she veers off of their path by caring less about what people think about the Elliot name, but more about her name in particular. If less people are paying attention to her the worse her demeanor becomes. She doesn’t want to accept that anyone could like one of her sisters, especially Anne, more than her; and, if they do, she doesn’t want that made known to Anne.
Austen uses her genius to create a slight roundness to Mary, one of the flattest characters in the novel. Allowing to see her potential insights without actually switching to her thoughts is an excellent technique that the narrator can use to make clear the character of Mary without any words being spoken.
Jane Austen has a way of holding “genius” conversations and scenes throughout the entire book. I chose a scene/quote from Volume 1 Chapter 9. In volume 2, there was trouble figuring out exactly where everyone had left off, so I’m still figuring it out.
ReplyDelete“Charles may say what he pleases...but it would be shocking to have Henrietta marry Charles Hayter; a very bad thing for her, and still worse for me; and therefore it is very much to be wished that Captain Wentworth may soon put him quite out of her head, and I have very little doubt that he had. She hardly any notice of Charles Hayter yesterday. I wish you would had been there to see her behavior. And as to Captain Wentworth’s liking Louisa as well as Henrietta, it is nonsense to say so; for he certainly does like Henrietta a great deal the best. .I wish you had been with us yesterday for then you might have decided between us; and I am sure you would have thought as I did, unless you had been determined to give it against me” (66).
I found this part to be a little peculiar as this is just Mary Musgrove being Mary rambling and complaining to Anne about other people. I often think of Mary to have jealousy towards the people around her. This quote in particular is upon meeting Charles Hayter and not liking Louisa or Henrietta, just gave Mary an excuse to rant and complain to all the problems to Anne. With the quote, Mary states “I wish you would had been there/with us yesterday” a couple different times in this. Mary did not see how Charles Hayter would have been a good match for Henrietta. Anne didn’t seem a bit concerned about what Mary had to say. Of course I don’t think that Mary would let Anne even get a word in upon meeting Charles and how it seems that Anne could really careless about these people at the time.
Alicia Smith
ReplyDeleteI realize this is a quote that we have talked about in class, but I wanted to use it in a unique way to emphasis just how genius Jane Austen is; "her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give way;- she was only Anne," (11).
Professor Kirgiss had already pointed out the obvious, 'well, we can't have a story about nobody, so apparently Anne has to be more than just a static character," in Persuasion blog number one. However, if the reader looks at Anne through the eyes of, say, Mary or Sir Walter, then this description is accurate to a fault.
The reader can then deduce, through the events of the story, that Anne really is more than what her father and sisters take her for. She is responsible enough to handle family finances (or else Sir Walter would spend it all on face powders for freckles) and is the most capable nurse that has been introduced in the story. Also, she is kind enough to be the bigger person in all situations, even allowing thick headed Mary stay with Louisa in place of herself. Anne is constantly thinking about others and their well being over her own wants. Therefore, she is more than 'just Anne': she is the benevolent caregiver who heals the wounds while being hurt herself. The quote that I mentioned doesn't address these qualities which make Anne radiant. Simply put, the reader could conclude that the statement was of Austen irony and leave it at that.
But if that's where the punchline is, mere ironic quality, then it really isn't all that special. I mean, my grandmother preaches, 'don't smoke - it's bad for you,' with a cigarette between her lips. Any one can produce a bit of irony. There is something deeper that makes this quote ingenious. It not just ironic, but it also speaks truths.
I mentioned that the entire quote is a depiction of Anne from the perspective of her family, so in this case, the quote is true. Even though Anne does many things for her family, her family doesn't acknowledge it, and therefor she is just a bland person. On the other hand, the readers know that Anne is worth more than what her family's perception entails. From this vantage, it is easy to see that the statement is both a truth and a lie. A truth to the family's perception and a lie to the readers.
But I want to point out something more obscure. "Her convenience was always to give way," is a detail about Anne that the readers can agree with (she sacrificed many things in order to satisfy her family). This is a truth about Anne. "She was only Anne," is, in essence, a lie because Anne is more than just Anne - she is the center of a family who (though they don't realize it) would fall apart without her support. The beginning, "her word had no weight," can arguably be both a truth and a lie, depending on who Anne is speaking to. Sometimes her advice was sought after because of her capability. Sometimes she was shrugged off. Sometimes she was silent and had no words in the first place. This quote is loaded with contradictions, opposing ideas where on one side Anne is somebody and the other Anne is nobody. Yet, these conflicting ideas work together to create Anne's personality. She is both a leader and a follower, the persuaded and the persuader. That complexity is woven into sixteen words. That combination and blending of irony and truth is Austen genius.
This blog may not be the most articulate, but I tried hard. I hope that my idea was clear enough.
I find Jane Austen very genius in describing Anne Elliot. At first when we were introduced to Anne, she just described her as “she was only Anne”. However as we read the book, we will realized that she described more details about Anne. I really like the part when she described Anne’s beauty in volume 1 chapter 12.
ReplyDelete“She was looking remarkably well, her very regular, very pretty features, having the bloom and freshness of youth restored by the fine wind which had been blowing her complexion , and by the animation of her eye which it had also produced.” (87)
It is wonderful how Jane Austen described Anne’s beauty. When I read it, I felt like I am really looking at her and admiring her beauty. It makes me feel so drowned by the words that she used to describe her. The lines after that tell us how Captain Wentworth was also struck by her beauty. It is wonderful how Jane Austen just changed my perception of Anne especially on her looks. I first thought that Anne is just a plain girl that has a beautiful sister who is Elizabeth. But after I read these lines I can picture Anne to be really beautiful with perfect complexion, bright eyes and her beauty managed to draw attention from people around her.
I think that what makes Jane Austin such a witty and compelling author is her ability to describe the simplest of situations and make them feel so rich and real-life. While reading the book, I have noticed that there have been so many instances where I think, “I have felt this same way at times in my life”, or “that is just so typical”! For example on page 101 when Jane describes, “Anne would have been ashamed to have it known, how much more she was thinking of Lyme, and Louisa Musgrove, and all her acquaintance there; how much more interesting to her was the home and the friendship of the Harvilles and Captain Benwick, than her own fathers house in Camden-place, or her own sister’s intimacy with Mrs. Clay.” (V.II Ch. I). this statement seemed to be a good example to me because it is just such a typical way for a person to feel. It is so common, likely, and human for one to be so wrapped up in what they are doing at the time and what is interesting them at the moment that they almost forget about what it is like at their home. It is so common to lose yourself in a situation that you neglect your roots, but would never want to admit that you are doing so.
ReplyDeleteJane Austin does this on so many occasions. She has a way of writing that feels so human and so typical. When I read this quote, it almost reminded me of going away to college and finding new friends that you feel more comfortable and yourself with, and while spending so much time away from home and with your new life at the moment, you almost forget to contact your best friend from high school because you have been so wrapped up in what you are doing that you have forgotten or they have been pushed to the back of your mind. Yet, as this happens, it is something that you would never want to admit to yourself or old from home. As I read through the book I find more and more of these little moments when things feel so common and typical, and that’s what id one thing that drives me to keep reading.
I find a source of Austen's genius to be her ability do convey every emotion in a situation, making an event feel easier to relate to and characters easier to connect to. I think this quality of her writing is greatly exemplified in the scene where little Walter is climbing all over Anne while she is trying to care for her nephew Charles.
ReplyDelete"...and he was resolutely borne away, before she knew that Captain Wentworth had done it.
Her sensations on the discovery made her perfectly speechless. She could not even thank him. She could only hang over little Charles, with most disordered feelings. His kindness in stepping forward to her relief--the manner--the silence in which it had passed--the little particulars of the circumstance--with the conviction soon forced on her by the noise he was studiously making with the child, that he meant to avoid hearing her thanks, and rather sought to testify that her conversation was the last he wants..." (VI, CHX)
Her word usage conveys such a different scene than if she had just said "and Captain Wentworth came and silently removed the child." She allows the reader to see into the minds and feelings of both characters in this situation, allowing it to be much more complex than it initially appears. Scenes like this appear throughout the text, showing exactly how great an author Jane Austen truly is.
The moment of genius that I would like to point out happens over a span of pages from 187 to 191. This is when Anne and Capt. Harville are talking about love, and which sex forgets first.
ReplyDeleteOne of the lines that I would like to point out first is in the second paragraph on 187, "Yes, We certainly do not forget you, so soon as you forget us". This is pure genius because we find out later on that Anne, for once, could possibly be wrong. We find that Wentworth never stopped loving Anne, even after he went to sea for years. Anne talks about "is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone". (Third paragraph 189). Again, we find this out not to be true. We find out Wentworth says he lost almost all hope, that after 8 years of not seeing Anne, he had very little hope, but he still loved her. Even when a pretty lady that would make any man happy (Louisa) was available to him, he still loved Anne. He says he almost all but gave up, if it was not for the looks that Anne gave to him.
The reason that I feel all this is literary genius is because Austen was an author who could write her true feelings and then learn from them. I have no doubt that Austen felt herself that women loved longest, but in writing the book, maybe she learned that a mans love can be just as long. Any author who can learn as they write, learn about themselves, about society as a whole, must be a genius.
Overall the story wasn’t too bad. I would have to say it was slow but had its parts where some descriptions by Jane Austen really were of literary genius. The part I am going to talk about in regards to Austen’s genius was when Anne and Wentworth were walking together in town with Charles close by. She described the atmosphere that was being created between the two “lovebirds.” “There could be no objection. There could be only a most proper alacrity, a most obliging compliance for public view; and smiles reined in and spirits dancing in private rapture” (193).
ReplyDeleteIt’s hard to tell whether Austen was talking about the atmosphere between Anne and Wentworth in the eyes of themselves, from a public view or from both points of view. I really liked how Austen made it all sound like it was the pinnacle of togetherness with those two as it seemed they understood each other by then. The “most proper alacrity” meaning to me the most proper cheerfulness in a public setting as in no screaming or drooling over each other, just the feeling of happiness to know they had the company of who they loved the most. The “most obliging compliance for public view” is somewhat the same thing as mentioned by other than by describing their feelings it’s more like describing their actions towards each other in a public setting. Again there is no drooling on each other, random hugging, piggy back rides, carrying like a princess, making out while walking, playing patty cake or what not since those didn’t properly oblige to public view. My favorite line in that quote though was talking about them smiling because she described the meaning behind their smiles so.. I don’t know, just so well!!! Even though I’m not a big fan of her writing I fall for those deceptive descriptions. They smile in public’s point of view but their smiles don’t just mean they are generally happy with any company, but it’s because they are with that certain company that both want to be with the most.
Ah that was hard to describe but I did what I could. As I mentioned before the story wasn’t all too bad but much too slow. I’m glad things got to work out for in the end for Anne. Oh! It was really interesting to find out about a “villain-ish” character in the story! Austen hid it pretty well from us that Mr. Elliot was not a good person. I enjoyed that a lot. Overall I don’t think I will be reading Austen anymore. Though she has positives in her writing there are more negatives that keep me from wanting to read more.
Jane Austin's "genius" in her writing is drawn out from her great ability to match a characters words and actions with exactly what she wants the character to portray without telling us. The part I wanted to look at here is in chapter 8 when Mrs Musgrove and Captain Wentworth are discussing her son Poor Richard. Here we see what Mrs. Musgrove has to say about her son during the interactions.
ReplyDelete"Poor dear fellow!" continued Mrs Musgrove; "he was grown so steady, and such an excellent correspondent, while he was under your care! Ah! it would have been a happy thing, if he had never left you."
This part in the story is a place where I believe Jane Austin is once again using her literary development to bring out the characters of those in the story. Here during this part she is showing the attributes of how Mrs. Musgrave acts toward her son, and Captain Wentworths feelings at that. Mrs Musgrove and her seemingly meaningless conern about her son shows the true discontent and general disinterest that she had for her son. At this point it is even not Wentoworth or Mrs Musrgove who brings to discussion poor Richard. Austin is able to create an undertone in her writing despite it being narration that allows you to feel a seperate maning in just the spoken words. Throughout this entire book, Austin explains the story throughout narration, but the way that she can tell you about the characters is established, but she allows for your own opinion to develop throughout actions and speech, and not descriptions. Although the story is mostly narration, the way that she can develop her characters and move the story using sarcasm, wit, and dialogue is what I believe makes her writing "genius"
Jane Austen's writing is full of sarcasm, some subtle, some glaringly obvious--yet all of it charming and genius. I tend to prefer the moments where she writes sarcasm into the characters' conversations. The sarcasm present in their voices is so similar to our modern wit that reading it makes me laugh (because I probably would've said something very similar were I in the characters' places). Take, for example, the moment when Anne is translating the Italian singing to Mr. Elliot at the concert. She is modest, and proclaims her ineptitude at the language. Mr. Elliot's reply is snappy.
ReplyDelete"Yes, yes, I see you are. I see you know nothing of the matter. You have only knowledge enough of the language, to translate at sight these inverted, transposed, curtailed Italian lines, into clear, comprehensible, elegant English. You need not say anything more of your ignorance.--Here is complete proof" (151). I savored this passage a few times before moving on with the text. The best of it is that in the surrounding pieces of the conversation, there is no "hint" of his sarcasm; nowhere does it say that he smirked, or that she rolled her eyes, as a modern work might do (and as we all know would be true descriptions of real life). She leaves it simply to these few sentences to convey the charm of the moment.
While this display is one of the most charming bits in the book, for me, it is also proof of her genius. For who else can write humor in such a way that it loses nothing in the passage of time? Generally, humor in an older text seems to come from sentences that were not intended to be silly and is lost from places where it was intended; yet in Austen's work, humor is humor. You notice it where it was meant to be noticed. I view this as a mark of literary genius--being able to reach across the decades and still be just as at home in your readers' minds as you were in your own era.
Kaitlyn Smith
ReplyDeleteJane Austen continually uses sarcasm and witty comments to engage the reader within the story that she has written. Without these phrases thrown in to make it more interesting, I would not love the book as much as I do.
The area of the book that I particularly love is in chapter 5 of volume 2 when Anne is trying to leave to go see Mrs. Smith and Sir Walter is throwing a fit about it. They have been arguing some when Sir Walter says, “A mere Mrs. Smith, an every day Mrs. Smith, of all people and all names in the world, to be the chosen friend of Miss Anne Elliot, and to be preferred by her, to her own family connections among the nobility of England and Ireland! Mrs. Smith, such a name!” (128).
This part seems extremely ironic to me because no one has ever cared about Anne and put themselves before her. Here, Sir Walter says that he cannot believe she would choose to see someone over her own family. While these are the words Austen uses, you see the irony because in reality, he just does not want his daughter engaging in a friendship that is beneath their social status. Anne is different from her family in that this does not matter to her and that she would rather spend an evening with a friend than with the noble cousins she had just become acquainted with.
When getting ready to leave for Mrs. Smith’s, Austen places a witty comment in Anne’s mind so that all of her readers can see the irony of what Sir Walter has said about Mrs. Smith. “She left it to himself to recollect, that Mrs. Smith was not the only widow left in Bath between thirty and forty, with little to live on, and no sirname of dignity” (128). Here, Anne is referring to Mrs. Clay, who has been fancying over Sir Walter and staying with them since they left for Bath in the fall. This just makes me love Anne more because she is so aware of everything going on and continues to make pithy remarks when thinking about things. While Anne does not specifically say this to her father, Austen allows us to see how rounded of a character Anne is through her thoughts.
Jane Austen has filled the entire novel with clever banter which is the reason I enjoy it so much. She could write about any miniscule, unimportant event and her comments alone would make it interesting. The quote I chose is when she is describing Sir Walter's children, and comes to Anne's description. "...but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister. (11)"
ReplyDeleteWhile it may not be the most "pithy" or "charming", I believe it sets the tone for the rest of the novel and allows for the understanding of so much more of her descriptions. She effectively places Anne high above the other members of the Elliot family, and shows how Elizabeth and Sir Walter lack "real understanding". Anyone who had real understanding would realize Anne's good nature and kindness. Despite having been shown how vain Sir Walter was, this was the moment where I decided how much I didn't like him or Elizabeth. This was the first moment where I really understood and comprehended her banter and it opened my eyes to all of her other comments as well. Every subsequent comment that Elizabeth or Sir Walter make are significantly more comical because of the background we now have on them; they are complete fools.
Jane Austen’s genius really appears to me when she is describing a mundane situation, and gives such details that the situation seems extraordinary. The quote I have chosen to blog about takes place after Lady Russell has made her way to Anne at the start of Volume II, and they are on their way to Bath to see Elizabeth, Sir Walter, and Mr. Elliot.
ReplyDelete"Everybody has their taste in noises as well as in other matters; and sounds are quite innoxious, or most distressing, by their sort rather than their quantity. When Lady Russell, not long afterwards, was entering Bath on a wet afternoon, and driving through the long course street from the Old Bridge to Camden-Place, amidst the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and drays, the bawling of newsmen, muffin-men and milk-men, and the ceaseless clink of patterns, she made no complaint. No these were noises which belonged to the winter pleasures; her spirits rose under their influence; and like Mrs. Musgrove, she was feeling, though not saying, that, after being long in the country, nothing could be so good for her as a little quiet cheerfulness" (110).
I find this certain passage to be charming for a number of reasons. The first being that the content of the passage is not something most people think about--the sounds of their surroundings. I've been in West Lafayette for three and a half years now, and I couldn't really tell you of the typical sounds heard on a day-to-day basis; I don't really pay attention to those things in life. I think many people could agree that we become so busy in our lives that we don't take the time to stop and realize how beautiful our surroundings are. Austen certainly did this here--she even went as far to say that the sounds of the muffin-man and milk-man were of comfort to Lady Russell. I also, really like that Austen analyzed all the sounds that were heard by Lady Russell in that moment, and related it to Lady Russell's time spent in the country. Obviously in the country you will not hear the same hustle-and-bustle noise you hear in a town or city. She draws attention to these noises and relates them to Lady Russell, which I find fascinating.
for MARYBETH PICKENS:
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! I had the perfect example of Jane Austen’s ingenious writing. On page 132-133 Jane Austen masters the art of writing a letter as if she was one of her characters, Mary.
“MY DEAR ANNE, – I make no apology for my silence, because I know how little people think of letters in such a place as Bath. You must be a great deal too happy to care for Uppercross, which, as you well know, affords little to write about. We have had a very dull Christmas; Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove have not had one dinner-party all the holidays. I do not reckon the Hayters as anybody. The holidays, however, are over at last: I believe no children ever had such long ones. I am sure I had not. The house was cleared yesterday, except of the little Harvilles; but you will be surprised to hear that they have never gone home. Mrs. Harville must be an odd mother to part with them so long. I do not understand it. They are not at all nice children, in my opinion; but Mrs. Musgrove seems to like them quite as well, if not better, than her grandchildren. What dreadful weather we have had! It may not be felt in Bath, with your nice pavements; but in the country it is of some consequence. I have not had a creature call on me since the second week in January, except Charles Hayter, who has been calling much oftener than was welcome. Between ourselves, I think it a great pity Henrietta did not remain at Lyme as long as Louisa; it would have kept her a little out of his way. The carriage is gone to-day, to bring Louisa and the Harvilles to-morrow. We are not asked to dine with them, however, till the day after, Mrs. Musgrove is so afraid of her being fatigued by the journey, which is not very likely, considering the care that will be taken of her; and it would be much more convenient to me to dine there to-morrow. I am glad you find Mr. Elliot so agreeable, and wish I could be acquainted with him too; but I have my usual luck: I am always out of the way when any thing desirable is going on; always the last of my family to be noticed. What an immense time Mrs. Clay has been staying with Elizabeth! Does she never mean to go away? But, perhaps, if she were to leave the room vacant, we might not be invited. Let me know what you think of this. I do not expect my children to be asked, you know. I can leave them at the Great House very well, for a month or six weeks. I have this moment heard that the Crofts are going to Bath almost immediately: they think the Admiral gouty. Charles heard it quite by chance: they have not had the civility to give me any notice, or offer to take anything. I do not think they improve at all as neighbours. We see nothing of them, and this is really an instance of gross inattention. Charles joins me in love, and every thing proper. — Yours, affectionately, “MARY M -
This is a very difficult task for most writers, as stated by Mrs. Kirgiss in class. Her ability to incorporate tongue and cheek humor, without coming right out and making a joke was extremely impressive to me. A wonderful example of this was, when Mary criticized Mrs. Harville’s mothering ability. “The house was cleared yesterday, except of the little Harvilles; but you will be surprised to hear that they have never gone home. Mrs. Harville must be an odd mother to part with them so long. I do not understand it…..I do not expect my children to be asked, you know. I can leave them at the Great House very well, for a month or six weeks” (132). It is extremely humorous that Mary initially seemed so distraught by the amount of time Mrs. Harville spent away from her children. Then a few sentences later, she was completely willing to ship off her kids for as long as six weeks! The way Jane Austen snuck in that ironic joke was cleverly hilarious. It is another way to dig deeper into the character of Mary (which can be hard seeing as she is very shallow). This is definitely an example of literary genius because of the sneaky, clever, ways she includes humor and a deeper understanding of her character’s in her writing, without being bluntly obvious.
In reading through “Persuasion,” one can find sentences that cause a plethora of feelings and emotions. One can see anger in statements, and one can see laughter. Sorrow and despair are seen as common as joyous rapture. The sarcasm that Jane Austin uses in her writing can produce almost any type of emotion one can have while reading a fictional account. That being said, I had to choose one of the more light hearted lines for my discussion. It is found on page 180, about halfway down the page. Charles is talking with Mary and Anne about not wanting to go to the party at the Elliot’s, and that he would rather go to the concert instead. In response to Mary’s comment about him promising to go, Charles states this: “No, I did not promise. I only smirked and bowed, and said the word ‘happy.’ There was no promise.”
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this line, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. As I write this, I still have trouble not chuckling outright at the frankness that Jane gives to Charles. This one line reveals much about how Charles character and thoughts about his cousins, and we as a reader can only agree with what he says. He really does not see his relatives as anything but the spoiled and foolish people that they are, and seems to take great delight in how he can stick it to them in this way.
Jane’s use of sarcastic lines, such as this one, is a great example of how an author can keep their audience’s attention and to help move the story along. It is these types of lines that give a color and character to the story that is otherwise the same drama of shy love and romance. This line in particular is worth the title of an example of literary genius because it is itself making an argument of semantics and perception. Charles is stating that what he did was to give the appearance of affirmation, and that it was taken to look by those who witnessed it as a promise, using a semantics argument to get out of the engagement. However, the deeper meaning that it is giving of perception is core to the understanding of the book itself.
Right from the start, we are introduced to the idea of perception and what it is worth to the characters within the story. Anne is extremely good at perceiving the character of almost all that she comes across, while the perception of others is usually only based upon the status of the other character, or their physical appearance. It is the idea of perception that carries the tale beyond the typical romantical drama to a different plane of literature. That is why this one line is so important to the narrative. We can see the sarcasm within it, which helps to bring enjoyment to the book. We can sense the meaning behind it as being a character judgment on a few of the main characters. But when we see it as a play on the idea of perception, it really comes out as a beautiful line that is “enlivened by the magic touch of genious.”
Hey
ReplyDelete“When any two young people take it into their heads to marry, they are pretty sure by perseverance to carry their point, be they ever so poor, or ever so imprudent, or ever so little likely to be necessary to each other’s ultimate comfort. This may be bad morality to conclude with, but I believe it to be truth” (208)
ReplyDeleteThis quote in the book really stood out to me. I think it is because it applies to people today and really goes against what was common in the time period that Persuasion was written. Throughout the novel Austen is writing about well matched and socially acceptable marriages, I think it is interesting that the heroine in the novel goes against that norm. Anne marries Wentworth even though he has low social status because she knows from the eight years they were apart no man of high status would interest or warm her heart. This quote is stated in the final chapter and is in reference to Anne and Captain Wentworth’s marriage. Its message is essentially that when young people have it in their heads to be with someone they don’t care the obstacles or trials that come in the way; they will do anything for love even if it is unacceptable due to money or irrationality.
I think that this quote proves Austen’s genius because there are no records or information about her having a great love in her lifetime. Maybe it is from her experience of a class-matched proposal of marriage that she turned down that provoked this message of true and passionate love. She wrote this novel with so much wisdom and power, not caring if its ending wasn’t completely socially acceptable. It is seen in how Anne and Wentworth are so in love that nothing could come between them a second time around. Once their feelings were both on the table the logical next step was marriage and because of Austens writing no reader could deny that (past or present).
I have enjoyed the novel thus far and found select pieces of Persuasion quite witty. I thought the first volume was full of quick lines, but what I recall from volume two, Jane Austen started right out the gates with a great line that left me perplexed when I first read it, and then I laughed after read the actual meaning in the appendix. Of course, this humor is different from todays but this book has renewed the light in which I see the older side of wittiness.
ReplyDelete“The Admiral wound it all up summarily by exclaiming, ‘Ay, a very bad business indeed. A new sort of way this, for a young fellow to be making love, by breaking his mistress’s head! Is not it, Miss Elliot? This breaking a head and giving a plaister truly!’” (103) I remember that we had to go over this in class because; hopefully I wasn’t the only one, who was confused by this particular part of volume two. Of course, I made sure that this didn’t mean what I thought it meant. Surely enough, it simply meant that the style of courtship in that particular time was different from that of the parents’ age. Similar to what is happening presently in some occasions. This shows me that the Admiral and his wife were more traditionalists when it came to a proper relationship. I also interpreted this as the Crofts seeing a sign that times are slowly changing. What really made me laugh thou was the fact that Admiral Croft referred to Miss Musgrove as a mistress in steady of, maybe a significant other. This to me seemed like a very sharp observation from Admiral Croft, very much alert.
Jane Austen has many “genius” quotes and passages from Persuasion, but I was trying to find something deeper than just a witty comment or observation. Even though I am terrible at close readings, I ended up doing it for a quote by Captain Wentworth in Volume II Chapter VIII. He and Anne were talking about Captain Benwick and Louisa when Captain Wentworth (referring to Fanny Harville and Benwick) says “A man does not recover from such a devotion of the heart to such a woman! – He ought not – he does not.” (148)
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me because I feel he does not only mean that about Captain Benwick and Fanny Harville. I think he says it because that is how he feels about Anne. His heart has never recovered from the kind of love he had for Anne years ago when she rejected his marriage proposal. I also feel that Anne almost picks up on this hidden meaning as well, because she ends up changing the subject right after he says it. This quote also shows a vulnerable side of Captain Wentworth and that he really has a grasp on what love is. Jane Austen was clever to have Captain Wentworth saying this to Anne because it would not have made much sense for one of the other characters to say it.
Jane Austen has a genius and pithy charm through-out her text and can be identified early on in the reading. She has a way with words and poking fun at the characters she created to give the reader a laugh from the outside perspective. Yet, she describes people with such wording that you can picture a scene taking place, without actually having seen any such thing, in your mind.
ReplyDeleteThe section or quote that I chose is, “What! Every comfort of life knocked off! Journey’s, London, servants, horses, table, -- contractions and restrictions every where. To live no longer with the decencies even of a private gentleman! No, he would sooner quit Kellynch-hall at once, than remain in it on such disgraceful terms.”
This quote humors me because of the way that Austen writes this quote, much like a thought, because Anne already knows that her Father and sister will not accept “every comfort of life knocked off”. Heaven forbid they live in their home and have to complete the simplest of tasks on their own. In this section of Chapter II, and from this point throughout, Austen starts to give us more of Anne’s personality and we can see the way Austen portrays Anne’s family, through Anne’s eyes.
The last line of this quote baffles me more and more that I read it, “No, he would sooner quit Kellynch-hall at once, than remain in it on such disgraceful terms”. Disgraceful terms? Really? However, I love the way that Austen describes it. She gives the reader that feeling of seeing Sir Walter and Elizabeth’s stupidity and selfishness. Austen brings out their character to make you really want to slap some people, Mary included!, and you can begin to see Anne, although at first a background, but later she becomes that main person holding this self-absorbed family together, until she finds exactly what she has been waiting for.
When I think of Austin’s writing having “genius” moments inside of it, seems kind of hard to imagine since I’m not a huge fan of her work. Although, while reading this book, there was one paragraph that I found to be rather interesting which can be found on page 102 and is about Lady Russell listening to Anne and Wentworth converse.
ReplyDelete“Lady Russell had only to listen composedly, and wish them happy; but internally her heart reveled in angry pleasure, in pleased contempt, that the man who at twenty-three had seemed to understand somewhat of the value of an Anne Elliot, should, eight years afterwards, be charmed by a Louisa Musgrove.”
I found this paragraph interesting because unlike some of her other paragraphs of individuals’ thoughts, this one has some humor built in to it as well. I also like how she mixed the two words ‘angry’ and ‘pleasure’ next to each other in this sentence considering how they are quite opposite in meaning. The word play in this passage is something different than I have seen throughout the book due to the clever placement of words that she uses here.