Persuasion--Austin Poor Dick

A detailed Summary of Persuasion--Austin Poor Dick

"And upon looking over his letters and things, she found it was so, and is perfectly sure that this must be the very man, and her head is quite full of it, and of poor Richard!" (Austen, 34)

Richard Musgrove is a very, very minor character in Jane Austen's Persuasion. However, his presence in the novel allows Austen to initially stake her claim on one of the novel's overriding themes. Austen presents the idea that one's merit is more a measure of usefulness and worth than the rank that one's family holds. This is a very powerful and relatively new idea for the early 18th century, a time period in which the aristocracy is still a powerful social class. Austen's exploration of usefulness vs. uselessness allows the reader to gain a glimpse of the true purpose of Persuasion. That being that happiness and self-fulfillment can only be achieved when one refuses the shackles of the ineffectual aristocracy.

Austen seems to be expounding on Richard's uselessness and his failure to live up to the promise of his birth and entitlement. This is a very important point. It seems that in the world of Persuasion, it is the qualities of usefulness, resourcefulness and capability that are attractive to the reader. To the aristocracy, what one does

The reader identifies with certain characters in the novel. The reader is meant to see that the productive, resourceful characters--the Crofts, Wentworth, and Anne--are the ones to aspire to, versus the slothful, talent less vacuum of characters like Sir Elliot, Elizabeth and Mary. Persuasion offers the reader a forked road. Down one path lies aristocracy and down the other lies the merit and usefulness. Ultimately, it is the meritorious road that offers self-definition, contentment and possibly salvation.

Anne is the perhaps the most utility oriented character in the novel. She stays behind as the family moves to Bath and helps pack up Kellynch Hall. She is always the one that various other character call upon when some sort of work is to be done, be it playing a piano or caring for a sister's injured child. However, the strongest example of Anne's utility and the strength that comes from being useful occurs when she takes charge when Louisa cracks her head. Anne's ability to be useful in that situation most likely saved the life of Louisa. Even Capt. Wentworth, normally a meritorious character, quickly plays second fiddle to Anne as she takes charge of the situation. Fortunately, Anne is no the only character with utility.

"She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing -- indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it." (Austen, 19) In referring to her prior engagement, Anne realizes that being persuaded out of marrying Wentworth was t

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Approximate Word count = 1001
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels