Persuasion (1818), Jane Austen’s final completed novel, is generally considered her most subtle and mature work. As a young woman, Anne Elliott fell in love with a captain in the Royal Navy but, taking the advice of her family, ended their engagement—and long regretted it. When she meets Captain Wentworth again years later, their circumstances have changed dramatically. Will their renewed relationship help Anne resolve her feelings or only make them stronger?

Fellows in this seminar—which Dr. Scalia has subtitled “So Much Sympathy and Natural Grace”—will discuss Austen’s depiction of the competing loyalties to family and self; the tension between a fading aristocracy and a burgeoning meritocracy; the power of memory and the passage of time; the traits of true friendship; and much more. A close study of Persuasion, which Harold Bloom called a “perfect novel,” is a perfect way to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth.

Image: James Hook A Regency Pair: Man with Walking Stick, 1802

Dr. Scalia on Persuasion

This course is offered by Humanities at Hertog. It takes place biweekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, via Zoom, from 6 PM to 8 PM ET. Fellows will receive a $150 Amazon Bookshelf voucher contingent upon participation in the course and completion of a brief response paper. All course materials will be provided.

Faculty

Christopher Scalia

Christopher J. Scalia is a senior fellow in the Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies department at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on literature, culture, and higher education. Prior to his role at AEI, Dr. Scalia was an English professor with a specialty in 18th-century and early 19th-century British literature.

Download the Full Syllabus

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Preview the Syllabus by Week/Session

Readings:

  • “Biographical Notice of the Author” (pages 3-8); Persuasion, Volume I, Chapters I-VII (pages 9-54)

Discussion Questions:

  1. What traits and virtues does Austen’s older brother Henry emphasize in the Biographical Notice? How does the letter shape what you expect from the novel to come? Based on what you’ve read for the first day, does the notice do the novel, and Austen’s voice as a novelist, justice?
  2. How would you characterize Anne Elliot’s position among her family and friends? What role does she play in this circle, and to what degree do the others appreciate her?
  3. What questions about social class does the novel raise so far? Which characters are most preoccupied with class and what is the narrator’s tone toward them?
  4. Apart from matters related to class, does the narrator seem particularly critical of any characters? What personality traits come under attack or judgement?

Readings:

  • Persuasion, Volume I, Chapters VIII-XII (pages 55-98))

Discussion Questions:

  1. In the reading for today, do other characters demonstrate a sympathetic capacity on par with what we’ve seen from Anne? Are there any moments when Anne’s abilities to think of others are compromised?
  2. What is the significance of the conversation Anne overhears between Wentworth and Louisa? How does Anne interpret it?
  3. The scholar William Deresiewicz writes that in Lyme, “Anne found . . . what she did not know what she’d been searching for: something to belong to.” Discuss the validity of that interpretation.
  4. Louisa’s accident in Lyme is one of the most dramatic events in the novel. How does it confirm or complicate our understanding of particular characters? How could it be understood as a symbol of courtship in the novel?

Readings:

  • Persuasion, Volume II, Chapters I-VIII (pages 99-154)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Discuss Lady Russell’s role in these chapters. Does her relationship with Anne undergo any changes? Does Anne’s opinion of or attitude toward her develop?
  2. Consider Anne’s attitude toward Bath. What does she like or dislike about the place, and why? How do these opinions relate to other themes and ideas we’ve discussed so far?
  3. How do the Dalrymples figure into the novel’s exploration of class and manners? How do they compare to the Crofts in particular?
  4. What accounts for Anne’s distrust of Mrs. Clay and Mr. Elliot? On what grounds is she skeptical of them? Do her opinions seem reasonable, or do they illustrate the kind of snobbery she resents in other contexts?

Readings:

  • Persuasion, Volume II, Chapters IX-XII (pages 154-203)

Discussion Questions:

  1. Evaluate the behavior of Mrs. Smith in these chapters, especially in Chapter IX. Why does Anne doubt the information she provides? (It may be useful to recall references to gossip during the first scene with Mrs. Smith.) What do you make of Mrs. Smith’s rationale for withholding information she knew about Mr. Elliot?
  2. Discuss the significances of the conversation between Anne and Captain Harville in chapter XI. How does this conversation compare to the one Anne overheard for our second reading? How does it develop the ideas of sympathy and loyalty we’ve been discussing?
  3. Toward the end of Chapter XXIII, Anne and Wentworth both say they “have been thinking over the past.” What have they learned from that thinking? How helpful is it to understand Persuasion as a novel about coming to terms with the past?
  4. How does the novel’s final sentence about the merits of the Royal Navy build on what we’ve seen elsewhere in the novel? In what sense does the work’s tone toward the navy complicate a reading of the novel as a straightforward conservative or progressive novel?
  5. What accounts for Anne’s distrust of Mrs. Clay and Mr. Elliot? On what grounds is she skeptical of them? Do her opinions seem reasonable, or do they illustrate the kind of snobbery she resents in other contexts?

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Biography Image

Patrick T. Brown

Patrick T. Brown is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, where his work focuses on developing a robust pro-family economic agenda and supporting families as the cornerstone of a healthy and flourishing society. Prior to joining EPPC, Patrick served as a Senior Policy Advisor to Congress’ Joint Economic Committee (JEC).