According to Sir Walter Elliot and Elizabeth, social rank is most important. Jane Austen addresses the subject of class in Persuasion to portray how status and class were major values during the 19th century in England. Social hierarchy plays a major role in the fate of the character’s marriages throughout the novel.
In addition to Persuasion, Jane Austen uses satirical elements to highlight the importance of social classes during the time period in her other novels, such as Pride and Prejudice. Lady Russell is a perfect example of a character from Austen’s novel that speaks in a humorous tone and judgemental approach about lower class characters. For example, Lady Russell convinces Anne not to marry Captain Frederick Wentworth by explaining his low financial status and dangerous companionship. Austen portrays the value of social rank and the consequences that follow afterwards through Lady Russell’s advice to Anne when Austen states, “she had a value for rank and consequence, which blinded her a little to the faults of those who possessed them," (Austen 15). Lady Russell stresses that Wentworth is not worth marrying because he does not have enough money or high rank to marry someone in Anne’s league. Lady Russell respects Sir Walter Elliot since he has a hereditary title, and she is the widow of a knight.
Sir Walter Elliot is another character who values social class in Persuasion. His character is very vain and he tends to judge many individuals of lower class. His judgements toward poorer characters are ironic because he is in severe debt at the moment and fears that he will lose his high social class label so he makes fun of others who are dealing with his same financial issues. Austen demonstrates how social rank is not challenged in Anne and Wentworth’s happy ending when she states, “On the contrary, when he saw more of Captain Wentworth, saw him repeatedly by daylight, and eyed him well, he was very much struck by his personal claims, and felt that his superiority of appearance might be not unfairly balanced against her superiority of rank; and all this, assisted by his well-sounding name, enabled Sir Walter at last to prepare his pen, with a very good grace, for the insertion of the marriage in the volume of honour,” (502). Sir Walter Elliot does not want Anne to marry Captain Frederick Wentworth, but eventually approves of their marriage because of his physical appearance, well sounding name, and new successful title in a higher social class rank.
Work Cited
Austen, Jane. Persuasion. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, 1997. Print.
I completely agree when you state that the fate of many marriages are ultimately a consequence of social hierarchy. I stated very similarly that Sir Walter Elliot is the clear representation of an Austen character who values social class. He is often judgemental of lower classes, and carrys himself in a very distinct way. His disdain for lower classes is mainly evident in his hate for the navy. Very well written and I enjoy your comparison to another Jane Austen novel.
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