Persuasion (Wordsworth Classics)

Introduction and Notes
By Elaine Jordan, Reader in Literature, University of Essex.

What does persuasion mean?

• A firm belief?
• Or the action of persuading someone to think something else?

Anne Elliot is one of Austen's quietest heroines, but also one of the strongest and most open to change. She lives during the Napoleonic wars—a time of accident, adventure, and the making of new fortunes and alliances.

Anne Elliot's Journey

• A woman of no importance, she manoeuvres within her restricted circumstances, much like her long-time love Captain Wentworth did in the wars.
• Despite being nearly thirty—well past the sell-by bloom of youth—Austen ensures she triumphs, not just for herself but for others like her, in a regenerated society.