Persuasion Individuality Essay

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Should a person yield their desires to those of the society or social group they are a part of? Throughout history, the issue of the sovereignty of individual humans has captured the attention of thinkers from John Locke and Carolyn Sherif, to Josiah Warren. Jane Austen explores the theme of individuality in her novel, Persuasion. By prizing theory of mind and free indirect discourse, Austen proposes an argument against the dhavni of the time period in which she wrote, England’s Georgian era. Austen suggests individuality and one’s own desires should be valued above those of the surrounding society. Anne Elliot, the main character in Persuasion, is one of the only “individuals” in a society influenced greatly by finances and politics. While …show more content…
The term is defined by Lisa Zunshine as the “ability to explain people’s behavior in terms of their thoughts, feelings, beliefs and desires.” (Zunshine, 6). Humans try to infer the mental states of others in order to rationalize their physical actions. Zunshine proposes an example of a lady reaching for a glass of water. The people around her, if they have full use of their theory of mind, are likely to assume she is thirsty. The action of reaching for something to drink is attributed to the feeling of thirst. Theory of mind is often modeled in fiction. This occurs when characters attempt to deduce the motivations behind the actions other characters perform in the story. In Persuasion, Charles Musgove uses his theory of mind when he tells Anne that “it’s a very clear thing that [Captain Benwick] admires [her] exceedingly” (Austen, 143). This conclusion is based on Sir Musgrove’s observation that Benwick frequently flatters Anne and reads and discusses the books she recommends. Theory of mind can also be used by readers to rationalize the actions of the characters in a story. For example, readers attribute mental motivations when Wentworth helps Anne control the rambunctious. Some readers may believe that he still loves her, while others may say that he is having simply pitying her. Because theory of mind is purely speculation, …show more content…
This concept was originally discussed by Indian literary theorist Abhinavagupta, who interprets it as “suggestion”, “the heart of poetry and literary stories” (Oatley, 72). The dhavni can relate to a book’s genre and historical context, among other factors. Readers must have the same mindset as this dhavni in order to understand the meaning of a literary work. Were someone to read a story about Rosa Parks without knowing the state of society during her life, they would see her in a different light than a reader who is familiar with the time period. Rosa Parks did not refuse to give up her seat out of malicious intent, rather, she wanted to take a stand against the social injustice endured by her people. Lisa Zunshine also contemplates the connection between dhavni and theory of mind, writing, “analysis of any novel with respect to its engagement of our Theory of Mind requires close attention to specific historical circumstances attending the development of the genre” (Zunshine, 5). If a reader misinterpreted Austen’s novel as a classic romance novel, certain interactions may be viewed differently. When Wentworth pulls out Anne’s seat, uninformed readers may view his action as a sign of affection as opposed to an ingenuine following of the social customs of the time
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