You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own, than when you almost broke it eight years and a half ago.
Persuasion was published posthumously in December 1817, in a four volume set along with Northanger Abbey, as they are both shorter novels.
According to Cassandra, Jane wrote the novel in 1815 to 1816, whilst at home in Chawton Cottage. It was the last of her novels to be completed before her death in 181, and she referred to it as The Elliots.
Plot summary
The story follows Anne Elliot, Jane’s most mature heroine who is 27 years old. She is unmarried, having seven years earlier been persuaded to break off her engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a promising young naval officer. When the Elliots rent out their family estate to try to reduce their debts and expenditure, Anne Captain Wentworth, who is home on leave and has since been promoted.
The theme focuses on the relationship between Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth, who are given a second chance at love after years of separation and misunderstanding. It deals with themes of loss, love, second chances, and pride. Jane had a deep love of the sea and the Navy, and weaves those themes throughout.
Family themes
Jane and Cassandra were given Topaz crosses by their brother Charles, bought with his winnings gained as a Royal Navy officer. Jane was so impressed with the gift, she wrote it into Mansfield Park, where Fanny’s brother William gives his sister a topaz cross.
It seems that she was further inspired by Charles’s career as there are similarities between the career of the real life Navy Captain and Captain Wentworth. Both began their careers in North America, commanding sloops and then frigates. They are both about the same age, popular with their crews, and won prize money, although Captain Wentworth won considerably more.
Jane admired Fanny, thought her brave, and got on well with her when they met. She has similar traits to Mrs Croft in Persuasion who follows her husband, no matter where he was commissioned to serve and what danger awaits.
Another ending
Jane rewrote the ending of the novel, as explained by her nephew in his Memoir of Jane Austen. Edward writes that his aunt finished the novel in July 1816, but was dissatisfied with the ending. “She thought it tame and flat, and was desirous of producing something better”.
In her revision, Jane expanded Chapter 10 of Volume 2 into two chapters, and made the original Chapter 11 into Chapter 12 of the finished novel.
The original draft of the last two chapters of Persuasion is the only part of a manuscript of Jane Austen’s that has survived. It was on show in 2017 for Jane Austen 200, and I was lucky enough to read from her novel.
Publication
Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published by John Murray in December 1817. For the first time the biographical notice, written by Jane’s brother Henry, named Jane Austen as the author. Her family kept the copyright.
The first edition of around 1750 copies sold quickly, and the total profits were estimated to be around £500 at that time.
Persuasion in film
Persuasion has barely made it onto screen. The only one I can find came out in 2022 as a modern version of the story. Although Dakota Johnson took the lead role, the film had mixed reviews. It’s now streaming on Netflix, so may fare better to television audiences as Sunday afternoon entertainment.
The end
For fans of Jane Austen, Persuasion is Jane’s most mature novel. Anne is like all of her heroines, poor and unprotected, cultivating the theme that is so particular to Jane Austen, the style that Sir Walter Scott describes as “renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting.”
For More
Read the last two chapters of Persuasion can be found at the London British Library.
