Where Is The Author In Elliot

’s Work? Essay, Research Paper

The majority

of this extract uses narrated interior monologue to register Anne Elliot?s

impressions.? This gives the reader the

impression that they are looking at the occasion through Anne Elliot?s eyes.? Jane Austen uses this perspective to great

effect during this extract in order to manipulate the reader?s bias, by giving

the reader an insight into her thoughts and feelings. ??????????? The use of

narrated interior monologue is apparent throughout the extract and phrases such

as ?Anne felt an instant oppression? give the reader and insight, not only into

the mind of Anne Elliot expressing her reaction to the entrance of her father

and sister, but also the phrase gives the reader a sense that a similar

reaction was felt by the others in the room.?

In this way the author not only displays the reaction of Anne Elliot,

which is clearly adverse towards her father and sister?s intrusion, but also by

using the words ?instant oppression?, gives the reader an instant picture of

the atmosphere in the room. ??????????? In similar

ways Anne?s perspective, prior knowledge and sensitivity towards people allows

Austen to show the reactions of other characters to a single event through

Anne?s eyes.? For example, Anne?s prior

knowledge of Captain Wentworth allows her to give the reader a clear impression

of his reaction to her sister?s invitation. (?Anne caught his eye?and his mouth

form itself into a momentary expression of contempt?) ??????????? Austen also

uses the entrance of Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot to manipulate the reader?s

response towards these characters. Anne?s response, one of dislike towards the

clearly unwanted intrusion plays a large part in manipulating the bias of the

reader against Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot.? ??????????? Also,

despite the well-mannered and formal behaviour, the reader senses a falsity in

the addresses. Anne?s point of view aids the effect of this induced

reaction.? It is Anne?s prior knowledge

that allows the reader to realise this underlying bitterness from past

experience.? (?Captain Wentworth was

acknowledged?by Elizabeth more graciously than before?).? The reader therefore, senses the

hypocritical nature in the behaviour of Sir Walter and Elizabeth in their

cordial invitation to Captain Wentworth. ??????????? Austen?s

use of Anne?s rational reasoning, whilst maintaining her bias firmly set

against her father and sister gives a less than flattering picture of

Elizabeth?s motivations.? In this way

too, Austen gives the reader an insight into the extremely selfish character of

Elizabeth.? (?The truth was, Elizabeth

had been long enough in Bath to understand the importance of a man of such an

air and appearance as his?Captain Wentworth would move about well in her

drawing-room). ??????????? It is clear

that during this piece Austen is intent upon giving us the impression of

Captain Wentworth?s displeasure, Elizabeth?s hypocrisy, and Anne?s dislike of

her father and sisters intrusion, all using Anne?s perspective on the

situation. In this objective Austen is extremely successful as a powerful

picture of Anne?s impressions and emotions is effectively put over to the

reader.1b)?????? The

mood/atmosphere of the encounter is set extremely early on in the extract.? Austen once more exploits Anne?s sensitivity

towards the reactions of others, in order to create an impression of the

atmosphere of the occasion. Anne not only conveys her own reaction to the

entrance of her father and sister early in the piece but also comments on the

reactions of the other persons present in order to create a negative

atmosphere.? (?The door was thrown open

for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a general

chill?).? The word ?chill? gives the

reader an excellent impression of Anne?s sensing a real deterioration of the

warmth of the occasion. Anne is made used to great effect as a ?sensitive?

character; this gives Jane Austen the character she needs in order to create an

impression of the atmosphere of a particular occasion (?Anne felt an instant

oppression?).? This statement gives the

reader an extremely negative impression of the effect the entrance had on the

?comfort, the freedom, the gaiety of the room?.? It also gives the reader an extremely powerful feeling of the

fast alteration of the atmosphere between warm, comfortable and free and oppressed,

uncomfortable and cold.? This quick

shift, brought about by the entrance of two people, gives the reader a powerful

impression of the atmosphere of the occasion. ??????????? This

impression of a chilled, oppressive atmosphere continues throughout the

remainder of the extract.? (?After the

waste of a few minutes saying the proper nothings, she began to give the

invitation.?)? The impression of an

extremely polite, but tense atmosphere is also conveyed to the reader through

the coldness and dignity that is apparent throughout the addresses of Sir Walter

and Elizabeth to the other characters.1c)?????? Austen looks

at characters effectively during the novel ?Persuasion? by using Anne Elliot

as an accurate judge of the characters of others.? It is Anne?s perception that Allows Austen to develop characters so efficiently.? The judgements and reactions of characters

are entirely seen in this extract from Anne?s point of view.? This does subject them to some bias, as any

character?s viewpoint will bring prejudice and bias into a judgement.? However, in this case I believe we can take

Anne?s viewpoint as being almost impartial, and the only bias imparted is that

which the author intends us to have.? In

this way Austen imparts cleverly the reactions of others from observations made

by Anne.? (? Anne caught his eye, saw

his cheeks glow, and his mouth form itself into momentary expression of

contempt.?)? In this example, Anne not

only expresses the physical attributes of the reaction which may tend to give

the wrong impression, but through previous experience, Anne is able to comment

upon the emotional reaction.? This is

key in the readers understanding of Wentworth?s displeasure at receiving such

an unwanted invitation. The way in which Austen has used Anne in this situation

allows the reader in order to portray a number of different reactions.? Firstly, Anne?s own reaction conveys to the

reader the sense of displeasure, felt by the whole party, at the appearance of

Sir Walter and Elizabeth and the effect they had upon the atmosphere.? Secondly, using Anne as the author?s

viewpoint, allows the author to become a character in the story.? However, this can be used to great effect as

other characters can express their reactions and judgements to the author.? This is used in this extract in the case of

Mary. (?I do not wonder Captain Wentworth is delighted! You see he cannot put

the card out of his hand.?) This address tells the reader much about Mary and

her lack of sensible judgement and her ability to misinterpret people?s

reactions.? The later quote regarding

Captain Wentworth?s actual reaction shows the more accurate, observant

judgement of Anne on her observations.?

The reader?s attention is also drawn to Captain Wentworth by causing

Anne to look in his direction. His reaction is apparent through the accuracy of

Anne?s judgement. ?This technique is extremely effective in its objectives in that it

includes the reader in the story, looks at the judgements and reactions of

other characters, and examines them through the eyes of a manipulative character.? This last effect allows the author to

manipulate the reader?s bias.? In this

way therefore, the author has looked briefly, but clearly at the viewpoints of

three different characters, their reactions and judgements within the space of

a short extract. 2)???????? I think that

certainly Anne is portrayed as a reliable observer.? Her point of view is intended to be based upon factual evidence

rather than emotions in this extract.?

However, in my opinion, her negative reaction towards her father and

sister is certainly not impartial, as it is based upon a personal dislike for

their silly obsession with their own position and personal appearance.? In this circumstance, I think that Austen

intentionally biases Anne against them and their shallow characters in order to

manipulate the reader?s response.? In

this case Anne?s viewpoint is certainly reliable, although it may not be

entirely impartial.? Therefore, from the

evidence in this extract, (Anne?s judgements on Wentworth?s reaction to the

invitation, and on the atmosphere on her father and sister?s entrance.) it is

clear that Anne?s viewpoint is intended to be reliable. ??????????? As for her

being portrayed as sympathetic, she is clearly sensitive towards the emotions

and reactions of others, as well as to the subtle changes in the atmosphere created

by an event. However, in the extract Mary?s judgement on Captain Wentworth?s

reaction is said to ?vex? her.? In this

way Anne is certainly not sympathetic towards the judgements of Mary in this

case.? Therefore, she is sympathetic in

the sense of her being sensitive towards others; however, she is not

necessarily sympathetic in that she is not always compassionate towards the

abilities of others to make mistakes.3)???????? The most

obvious point of view introduced into the extract is that of Mary.? Mary?s viewpoint is clearly expressed in the

quotation: ?Only think of Elizabeth including everybody! I do not wonder that

Captain Wentworth in delighted! You see he cannot put the card out of his

hand.?? This viewpoint is then shown to

be fundamentally flawed by Anne?s more precise observation.? However, this point of view does give the

reader a key insight into Mary?s character.?

It shows firstly, that Mary is an extremely poor judge of a person?s

reaction to an event.? She misreads

Captain Wentworth entirely and jumps to the entirely wrong conclusion.? This not only shows that Mary doesn?t know

Captain Wentworth, it also shows that she has little time to appreciate the

feelings of others.? Her impetuous

judgements do not take into account any real facts, only the appearance of

fact.? An example of this is in Captain

Wentworth?s holding the card.? Instead

of regarding his countenance in order to read his true feelings, she jumps to

the conclusion that he is delighted with the invitation.? Her lack of sensitivity is apparent in this

short quotation and through this we learn much about Mary?s character. ??????????? The second

viewpoint in this extract is expressed in a less direct manner.? It is not a direct quotation, but instead

the author temporarily looks at the situation through the eyes of Elizabeth

Elliot: ?Elizabeth had been long enough in Bath, to understand the importance

of a man of such an air and appearance as his ? Captain Wentworth would move

about well in her drawing room.??

Through this short insight into the thoughts and feelings of Elizabeth

we learn much about Elizabeth as a character.?

We realise that her motives in extending an invitation to Captain

Wentworth are purely selfish and in no way a sort of reconciliatory gesture for

their relationship in the past. ?She

realises only the good impression that Captain Wentworth is capable of making

in her drawing room.? In this way her

own vanity is highlighted, she thinks only of how she would look surrounded by

such people of wealth and position.?

Elizabeth is therefore shown in a harsh revealing light.? This shows up her shallow nature in her

dealings with others and her motives in doing so.? In this way Austen manipulates the readers opinion against

Elizabeth, and shows us clearly the sort of character that she really is.4)???????? I find that

in many parts of this extract it is extremely difficult to separate the

authorial view from that of Anne Elliot, because Anne?s view is, fro the most

part, strikingly similar to that of the author.? There are places in this extract where I find it near impossible

to distinguish between the two.? I am

not sure whether the author intended for the reader not to be able to

distinguish between the two different viewpoints or whether it is just that,

because of the similarities, I find it difficult to distinguish.? There are parts of the extract where I am

certain that the author is looking at the situation from Anne?s point of view

(?Anne felt an instant oppression?), and there are also parts of the extract

where I know that is the Authorial view that is being expressed. (?After a few

minutes in saying the proper nothings,?)?

However, there are times when it is difficult to tell which of the two

is speaking, these ?grey? areas are generally peripheral to our understanding,

but it can still be difficult to understand from whose viewpoint the statement

is made.? In this way it would be

relatively straightforward to confuse Anne?s thoughts and feelings with those

of the author: (?The door was thrown open for Sir Walter and Miss Elliot, whose

entrance seemed to give a general chill.?) ??????????? I find that

the author does not generally intrude upon Anne?s judgement; however, it can be

difficult to separate the two.? I would

not describe this as authorial intrusion but simply ambiguity.? In this was any intrusion in my mind is

clearly implicit and in this way the first two lines can be described as an

intrusion of authorial judgement: ?The door was thrown open for Sir Walter and

Miss Elliot, whose entrance seemed to give a general chill. Anne felt an instant

oppression.?? It is clear that Anne felt

both the chill and the oppression, but in my opinion, the first sentence is

written from the author?s point of view because of the way Sir Walter and

Elizabeth are referred to.? In this way

the author has intruded upon the judgement of Anne Elliot with a similar

authorial judgement.? This is not

explicit, but is apparent upon close examination.?