Social Hierarchy plays a major role in Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Austen illustrates the differences between having happiness due to wealth, and having happiness due to the people you surround yourself with.
Having money does not mean having happiness. Sir Walter Elliot tried to trade his wealth for the mask of elegance and pride in his class. Obsessed with himself, the baronet reads Baronetage after reading Baronetage, again. Walter holds their position in terms of social class against potential owners of their old home. For example, Walter doesn’t hesitate to reject those in the Navy; he says, “Yes; it is in two points offensive to me; I have two strong grounds of objection to it. First, as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into undue distinction, and raising men to honors which their fathers and grandfathers never dreamt of” (Austen 27). He draws attention to how joining the Navy weathers a man’s features, making them out to be something much less than his ideal image of the owner of his home.
Lady Russell shares the same point of view as Sir Walter in terms of men from the Navy. Because of his weathered appearance, She tries to convince Anne not to marry Captain Wentworth. The only things that give Wentworth any worth, in Russell’s opinion, are his social class, his looks, and the way he treats women.
Persuasion adequately portrays the meaningless of social classes in the 1800’s. Through characters so self-indulged and obsessed with their stance socially, to characters like Anne who selflessly accept others for who they are.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. Persuasion. New York: Knopf, 1992. Print.
I completely agree with your point about having money does not mean happiness. It is very clear throughout the novel that the happiest people were not focussed on money, but on the people they were with. I like your point about Sir Walter and the navy, and your evidence is clear how he feels about social rank. Great post!
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