During the nineteenth century in England
social divisions were more common than they had ever been since the abolishment
of the feudal system in the mid 1600’s. Jane Austen in her book Persuasion shows these social
differences between the different classes. Furthermore, the class someone is
placed in is, in many circumstances, down to their wealth. In Persuasion, the characters Mary, Mr.
Wentworth and Sir Walter show these social divisions to be true when approached
with certain situations.
The importance of wealth and a noble
title are at the forefront of importance in Persuasion.
Mary, who is married to Charles Musgrove, constantly rejects lower class
people into her social sphere. For example, while on a walk through the forest
with her husband and sisters, Charles Hayter and Henrietta both want to visit
the Hayter house, but Mary is shown to be shocked at the statement expressing
her disbelief in their need to go near the house of such a poor family, as it
would not look good for her or her families image to be associated with people
who are in a different socio-economic class to her. After refusing to go to the
house, and apologizing for bringing them close to the Hayter’s house, she
quickly talks to Captain Wentworth, trying to show she has no affiliation with
a family of lower status. She promptly assures Captain Wentworth that “It is very
unpleasant, having such connexions! But I do assure you, I have never been in
the house above twice in my life” (Austen 63). Mary demonstrates how people of any
type of nobility quickly shun the idea of interaction with anyone of a lower
standing than them, even if her sister was to marry into the Hayter’s family.
Mr. Wentworth also provides an
understanding of how Jane Austen displays the change occurring in England with
a shift to the importance of wealth and title. When Mr. Wentworth and Anne were
first in love seven years before they meet in the book, the narrator describes
them being deeply in love while still young, and quickly they moved to marry
each other. However because Mr. Wentworth held no title and had little money to
offer Anne, Lady Russell and Sir Walter strictly advised Anne against the move,
as a woman of her nobility should marry better than a poor man. Anne,
therefore, refused Mr. Wentworth. However by the time she met him seven years
later he had not only gained the title of Captain, due to his naval triumph, but
also moreover gained serious wealth. Due to Captain Wentworth’s new fortune,
Sir Walter saw that “ his personal claim and…superiority of appearance might
not be unfairly balanced against her superiority of rank…assisted by his
well-sounding name enabled Sir Walter at last to prepare his pen” (Austen 185).
While skeptical seven years ago, chapter twenty-four shows Sir Walter’s newfound
admiration for Captain Wentworth due to his sizeable wealth, making him a
worthy partner for Anne.
Sir Walter Elliot is another character that
also embodies the change in English society. At the start of the book it is
prevalent that “Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s
character; vanity of person and of situation…he considered the blessing of
beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a baronetcy” (Austen 2). Even though
Sir Walter’s title was not as noble as he perceived it to be, he constantly
shunned people of the lower class. When he decided to lease his house he was in
sharp disapproval of a naval officer staying in his home and took much
persuading by Lady Russell to agree to give Mr. Croft a meeting. After the
meeting he swiftly decided Mr. Croft was good enough. Later in the book Sir
Walter also furthers the difference in social class but at the other end of the
spectrum. While in Bath, Sir Walter is offered the opportunity to go to visit his
relative, Lady Dalyrmple’s house. Previously relations between the two families
had been bad with no contact for many years. However, Lady Dalyrmple is now one
of the wealthiest people in Bath, and so Sir Walter abandons all his family
pride, and does whatever he can to please Lady Dalyrmple. Sir Walter’s actions
not only reflect the difference of social class, but more importantly that even
someone of Sir Walter’s high family principles will throw them all away in
order to be friends with someone above his standing. Anne is disgusted with his
actions and sees it as weak.
In conclusion, the difference between
social classes, now dependent on wealth and title was strongly prevalent in
Jane Austen’s Persuasion. The
characters Mary, Captain Wentworth, and Sir Walter all show the change in
English society through various situations.
Work Cited
Austen, Jane. Persuasion. Mineola, NY: Dover
Publications, 1997. Print.
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