Jane Austen’s, Persuasion engages with the values of the nineteenth century society in which the novel was written. Through the exploration of these values, particularly those of the rigid class system, and the worth that was placed on persuasion, Austen subtly challenges and critiques many aspects of her society, particularly through the use of characterisation. The contrast between aristocracy and meritocracy is examined in depth, and the ideals of these classes are characterised by Sir Walter, Lady Russell and Anne. Through this, Austen critiques the aristocracy and the snobbery of the upper class. Using the characters of Anne and Captain Wentworth, Austen also challenges the value placed on persuadability in the nineteenth century, and suggests that conviction is of more worth.
Austen critiques the idea of the aristocracy, and the snobbery of the upper class. Within the nineteenth century context, the rigid class system was highly valued by the aristocrats because they benefitted from their status and it ensured that the majority of the land and wealth remained in their control. Others valued social mobility, and the ability to gain wealth, status and land due to merit. The social construct of the aristocracy and its values are embodied by the characters of Sir Walter Elliot and Lady Russell, while Anne characterises the emerging and more progressive views of society which supported the meritocracy. While speaking about Mr Wentworth, Sir Walter states, “You misled me by the term gentleman”. The use of ridicule reveals Sir Walter’s prejudice and arrogance. His extreme view of any man in a lower class being unworthy of the title, “gentleman”, highlights his snobbery and emphasises that his values and ideals are alike to those of the aristocracy. The narrator claims that Lady Russell has, “prejudices on the side of ancestry, she had a value for rank and consequence, which blinded her a little to the faults of those who possessed them.” This bluntly conveys her biases to the reader, and due to it being stated near the beginning of the novel expresses how prevalent it is in her character. The use of characterization emphasises her strong aristocratic ideas. Furthermore, “being blinded to the faults of those who possessed them”, connotes that the consequence of having wealth and being a part of the upper class is a distorted view of society. This concept of not seeing a person’s faults due to their social standing is used to further enhance the idea of the snobbery of the upper class. Austen uses the snobbery of these characters to critique and challenge the nineteenth century view of the upper class being superior. Austen contrasts the characteristics of the upper class and the aristocracy against the meritocracy, which is exemplified through the character of Anne. Whilst Anne has a high social standing due to her family’s high rank in society, her ideas and values are aligned with those of the meritocracy. She represents the idea of a society that is not bound by a rigid class construct which limits and restricts social mobility. The meritocracy values social mobility, and believes that one can move between classes based on merit. This is exemplified as Anne states that, “Sailors work hard enough for their comforts.” The juxtaposition between the idea of an individual being able to earn luxuries and being confined to one class highlight the immense differences between Anne and her father. Furthermore, the great contrast between the two values suggest that the meritocracy and the aristocracy cannot co-exist. This is reflective of the nineteenth century society, in which Austen wrote Persuasion, where values and concepts were rapidly changing and evolving. Throughout her novel, Persuasion, Austen uses the characters of Sir Walter, Lady Russell and Anne to embody the ideas of the aristocracy and the meritocracy. Through the snobbery and arrogance of the upper class, Austen challenges the value that the nineteenth century
