Content Category
Literary Criticism
Abstract/Description
Hidden beneath the structure of Regency England lies a society near eruption. In Persuasion, Austen brings her characters on a journey through the landscape of social revolution. Bath serves as pinnacle of this journey –the battlefield where characters are invited to perform according to their social training.
The initial skirmish takes place before the book begins and uses social fighting techniques of the pre-Napoleonic war. It is fought within an aristocratic structure, and defeats our heroine. The second battle, however, is conducted under completely different training mechanisms. This second skirmish follows the fall of aristocracy and the rise of meritocracy. Although crushed by the previous defeat, through the new structure, Anne and her friends are able to claim victory. Yes, as one critic has said, Anne “defeats” Bath, but it is much more than a victory over place. She has also re-written history for herself and those who follow her.
Copyright and Licensing of My Content
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Origin of Submission
more than one of the above
Faculty Involvement
Paul Westover
Location
3082 JFSB
Start Date
18-3-2016 9:00 AM
End Date
18-3-2016 10:30 AM
Included in
The Revolution of Bath: The Writing and Re-Writing of Social History in Jane Austen's Persuasion
3082 JFSB
Hidden beneath the structure of Regency England lies a society near eruption. In Persuasion, Austen brings her characters on a journey through the landscape of social revolution. Bath serves as pinnacle of this journey –the battlefield where characters are invited to perform according to their social training.
The initial skirmish takes place before the book begins and uses social fighting techniques of the pre-Napoleonic war. It is fought within an aristocratic structure, and defeats our heroine. The second battle, however, is conducted under completely different training mechanisms. This second skirmish follows the fall of aristocracy and the rise of meritocracy. Although crushed by the previous defeat, through the new structure, Anne and her friends are able to claim victory. Yes, as one critic has said, Anne “defeats” Bath, but it is much more than a victory over place. She has also re-written history for herself and those who follow her.