Persuasion: A Summary
The book Persuasion centers on the Elliot family, which is comprised of the father, Sir Walter, and his daughters Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary. Anne, the middle daughter, is the main protagonist. At the age of twenty-seven, she is still unmarried, a fate one would not wish on any female of genteel birth at that time. Anne is described as being rather plain to look at, but with a sweet, tender heart, and a very sharp mind.
When the story begins, her father is being faced with reality that through his incompetence and vanity, he has managed to squander his wealth. He and his eldest daughter have decided to let their home, Kellynch Hall, out to renters, while they rent a more affordable home in Bath. Anne is to be left behind for a time with Mary, who is already married to Charles Musgrove. Because the weather in Bath is not conducive to her health, Anne is more than happy with this arrangement, until she discovers that the new tenants at Kellynch Hall is her former fiancee's sister and her husband, Admiral and Mrs. Croft. Although it was Anne who broke off the engagement seven years earlier, it was more at the behest of her friends and family than any of her own wishes. All too soon Anne once again finds herself in the company of Captain Frederick Wentworth.
Anne travels from her home in Somersetshire, to Lyme with her sister Mary, some of Mary's in-laws, and Captain Wentworth. When tragedy strikes, Anne is sent away from the party to Bath to be with her father and older sister. In Bath she becomes acquainted with her distant cousin, who is also her father's heir, William Elliot. Soon Anne suspects that Mr. Elliot has feelings for her, but any feelings she had for him rapidly dispel when Captain Wentworth arrives in Bath. After several rounds of misunderstanding, Anne and Wentworth finally discover their love for one another never faded.
Because the book was published after Austen died, it was not given quite the same revision of her earlier works. Therefore, the book is shorter and to some, the plot is simpler. Over the years, cancelled chapters, later revisions, and other changes have been brought up for Persuasion, but for the most part, fans choose to leave it just as Jane did.
When the story begins, her father is being faced with reality that through his incompetence and vanity, he has managed to squander his wealth. He and his eldest daughter have decided to let their home, Kellynch Hall, out to renters, while they rent a more affordable home in Bath. Anne is to be left behind for a time with Mary, who is already married to Charles Musgrove. Because the weather in Bath is not conducive to her health, Anne is more than happy with this arrangement, until she discovers that the new tenants at Kellynch Hall is her former fiancee's sister and her husband, Admiral and Mrs. Croft. Although it was Anne who broke off the engagement seven years earlier, it was more at the behest of her friends and family than any of her own wishes. All too soon Anne once again finds herself in the company of Captain Frederick Wentworth.
Anne travels from her home in Somersetshire, to Lyme with her sister Mary, some of Mary's in-laws, and Captain Wentworth. When tragedy strikes, Anne is sent away from the party to Bath to be with her father and older sister. In Bath she becomes acquainted with her distant cousin, who is also her father's heir, William Elliot. Soon Anne suspects that Mr. Elliot has feelings for her, but any feelings she had for him rapidly dispel when Captain Wentworth arrives in Bath. After several rounds of misunderstanding, Anne and Wentworth finally discover their love for one another never faded.
Because the book was published after Austen died, it was not given quite the same revision of her earlier works. Therefore, the book is shorter and to some, the plot is simpler. Over the years, cancelled chapters, later revisions, and other changes have been brought up for Persuasion, but for the most part, fans choose to leave it just as Jane did.