- English 613

The Bodily Frame: Learning Romance in Persuasion
Author(s): Judy van Sickle Johnson
Source: Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Vol. 38, No. 1 (Jun., 1983), pp. 43-61
Published by: University of California Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3044848
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The Bodily Frame:
Learning Romance
in Persuasion
JUDY
VAN
SICKLE
JOHNSON
How eloquent could Anne Elliot have been, -how
eloquent, at least, were her wishes on the side of
early warm attachment, and a cheerful confidence in
futurity,against that over-anxious caution which
seems to insult exertion and distrustProvidence!She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she
learned romance as she grew older-the natural
sequel of an unnatural beginning.
Jane Austen, Persuasion
, the reserved, sensible,
ELLIOT
blushing heroine of Jane Austen's
Persuasion, reaches the certaintyof romanticlove througha most
gradual process in which she displays genuine pleasure, mingled
pain and joy, in the various sensations of her deeply feltphysical
life.' She is a heroinewho achieves a happy balance of reason and
passion, displayingthe decorousrestraintshownbymostofAusten's
characterswho fall in love. However, in spite of her reserve,and
genteel
withinthe usual conventionsand constraintsof superficially
society,Anne is unafraid of physicalsensationand excitement.In[NNE
? 1983 by The Regents of the Universityof California
'See Susan Morgan, In theMeantime: Characterand PerceptioninJaneAusten's
Fiction (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, I980), p. i68; A. Walton Litz, "Persuasion: Forms of Estrangement," in Jane Austen: Bicentenary Essays, ed. John
Halperin (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, I975), p. 223.
43
44
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
deed, she is Austen'smostmature, thoughtful,and selflessheroine.
She is certainlyprudent, but she is less a prude than her fictional
relative, Emma. Anne Elliot possesses nerves and flesh as well as
sense; she experiencespassionatefeelingsto a remarkablyactiveand
refreshingly
explicit degree. Although the rekindlingof romantic
sensibilitiescauses Anne a good deal of discomfortand agitation,
she is nonethelesscomfortablewithdiscomfort;she delightsin the
sharp, physical sensationsof her own passionate nature. In short,
she actually thrillsat the idea of being physicallynear Captain
Wentworth.It is thisnew excitementof physicalcontact,thisarousing consciousness of growing intimacy, that lends Persuasion its
"peculiar beauty."2
Jane Austenis not knownforher explicitor confidenttreatment
of the romantic love scene.3 However, Persuasion points toward a
heightened interestin romance, an increasinglyphysical tendency, particularly on the part of Austen's reserved yet emotional
heroine. Mary Lascelles has noted that in Persuasion Austen uses
the term "romantic" in a new way: ". . . it is the firsttime thatJane
Austen has used thisadjective sympathetically."4Emphasizing the
importance of fading bloom and frequent blushing in Anne's
mature features,A. Walton Litz has commented on the "deeply
physical impact of Persuasion"; he regards the novel as Austen's
"most successfuleffortto build this sense of physical life into the
language and structureof a novel."5 Such perceptionsof physical
excitement in Persuasion depart dramatically from Charlotte
Bronte's unjust rejection of Austen's cold, delineatorymethods of
characterization: "The Passions are perfectlyunknownto her; she
2VirginiaWoolf, "JaneAusten," The Common Reader (I925; New ed., rpt. London: Leonard and Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, I933), p. i8o. See also,
"She is beginning to discover that the world is . .. more romantic than she had
supposed" (p. i8i).
3Wayne C. Booth, "Control of Distance in Jane Austen's 'Emma,' " chapter 9
in The Rhetoric of Fiction (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, I96I), remarks,"[In
Emma] we are refused the romantic love scene" (p. 266). I would argue that in
Persuasion Austen does care about the romantic love scene; the novel is built of
one such scene after another.
4JaneAusten and Her Art (London: Oxford Univ. Press, I939), p. I83. My use
of the term "romantic" is not to be confused with currentinterpretationsof the
relationship between Austen's prose and the Romantic period. See, forexample,
Morgan, In the Meantime, pp. 3-II; and Penny Gay, "The Romanticism of Per-
suasion,"SydneyStudiesin English,5
(I979-80),
5"Persuasion: Forms of Estrangement," pp.
I5-30.
223,
225.
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
45
rejects even a speaking acquaintance with [them]."6 Mark Twain
expressed even more vehement distaste for Austen's characters,
whom he interpretedas "manufactures [unable to] warm up and
feel a passion."7 In Persuasion, however,Austen does demonstrate
more than a casual, polite interestin the warm sensationsof love
betweenthesexes; herprosemay not "throbfastand full,"as Bronte
would have it, but indeed, the blood does rushto the surfacein surprisinglyvibrant and seductive, though understatedways. To be
sure, Austenpasses overthe mostprivate,intimatemomentsshared
by lovers; she discreetlylimits her business to the "human eyes,
mouth,hands, and feet,"prioritieswhichBronteregardedas superficial and superfluous.8
Throughout Austen's fiction,and most notablyin Persuasion,
- are used
the eyesand appendages - seeminglytrivialinstruments
ofhuman feelas reliablemeasuresof thefeignednessor authenticity
ing. Physicalgesturesand exchanged glances are crucial to the reunion of Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth,who exchange very
few words throughoutthe awkward period of rene,wedromance.
The varyingdegrees of distance between them, as the undeclared
loversread each other'slooks and seek to determinetrue feelings,
are at once embarrassingand seductive,painfuland exquisite. The
"littleparticulars"of entrancesand exits,surprisemeetings,shocks
of momentaryphysicalcontact, deliberate or fortuitousproximity
on a sofa, in a carriage-all circumstancesare profoundlysignificant and physicallystimulating,if not sexually suggestive.Depth
of feeling, good judgment, and sensual excitement are perfectly
balanced and reconciled in Persuasion. Jane Austen's claustrophobic,confinedsettingsin drawingrooms and carriagesdo not
restrictthe romanticpossibilitiesof thislove story.On the contrary,
thesmall social boundarieswithinBath, Lyme, and Uppercrossprovide wonderfulcircumstancesin which the ex-loversare forcedto
see each other face to face, to be physicallynear each other, and
6Charlotte Bronte to W. S. Williams, I2 April I850, afterreading Emma. See
extract of letterinJane Austen: The Critical Heritage, ed. B. C. Southam (New
York: Barnes and Noble; London: Routledge, I968), p. I28.
7Unpublished MS on Jane Austen, quoted in Ian Watt, introd.,Jane Austen:
A Collection of Critical Essays, ed. Ian Watt (Englewood Cliffs,N.J.: PrenticeHall, I963), p. 78Charlotte Bronte to W. S. Williams, inJane Austen: The Critical Heritage,
p. I28.
46
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
to experience embarrassment, expectation, anger, agitation,
discomfort,and pleasure in small but veryintensespaces. 9 Mutual
feelingand physical attractionare simultaneouslythreatenedand
intensifiedby social restrictions.
The renewedcourtshipbetweenFrederickWentworthand Anne
Elliot is remarkably,almost dangerouslynonverbal. The man and
woman say verylittleto each other, but much is felt,physicallyas
due to social necessity
well as emotionally.They speak infrequently,
and personal embarrassment;later, when the social contextproves
to be almost insignificant,and indeed ratherludicrous, Anne and
Frederickremain silentout of privacy,intimacy,and depth of feeling. Reticence strengthensemotion and rendersphysical gestures
and bodilycontactmore appealinglyromantic. The delicacy of intimacyslightlysuggestedand the simple beauty of a warm gesture,
a glowing look, are especially refreshingto the twentieth-century
reader, whose sensibilitymay be dulled by the samenessof contemporarysexual explicitness.
Persuasion begins where Austen's othernovels reach a climax:
the heroinehas alreadyenjoyeda "period of exquisitefelicity"'0and
she knowsherself."IAnne Elliot's romanticattachmenthas ended,
however,in a "rupture"-a somewhat arrestingand violent term
thatsurfacesquite dramaticallyin Austen'spolite prose. The word
"rupture" conveysa sense of physical shock, the consequences of
which are also acutely physical. When the separated lovers are
reunitedaftera period of eight-and-a-halfyears,the reunion, like
the preceding rupture, necessarilyinvolvesstrongphysical sensationsand self-consciousness.
Anne blushes. Frederick'scheeksglow
with reproofand with passion. These flushed and blushing faces
are not stockimages; theyare delicatelycontrolledmanifestations
of physical discomfortand repressedsexual desire.
Prior to the reunion in which the lovers come silentlyface to
9See D. W. Harding, introd., Persuasion (Baltimore: Penguin Books, I965), p.
I5; Francis R. Hart, "The Spaces of Privacy:Jane Austen," NCF, 30 (I975), 332-33.
See also Tony Tanner, introd., Sense and Sensibility(Baltimore: Penguin Books,
I969). Tanner commentson the difficulties
of directmovementin social places and
the degree to which the energies and desires of the private world are repressedby
public "screens" and "sheaths" (pp. I8-20).
I Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, ed.
John Davie, Oxford English Novels
(London: Oxford Univ. Press, I97I), Persuasion, p. 248; subsequent citations in
my text to Persuasion are to this edition.
IIA. Walton Litz,Jane Austen: A StudyofHer ArtisticDevelopment (New York:
Oxford Univ. Press, I965), p. I54.
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
47
face, Jane Austen devotes three chapters to the satiric delineation
of a social context.'2 She draws boundaries of vanity, stupid
elegance, and insipidity,which prove ultimatelyto be no limitation whatsoeverto a confidentheroine. Out of bathetic dialogue
and mean arrogance emergesa heroinewhose firstappearance on
the scene marks a dramatic modulation in authorial tone: "Anne,
who had been a most attentivelistenerto the whole, leftthe room,
to seek the comfortof cool air forher flushedcheeks"(p. 247). Anne
leaves the centerof gossip not so much out of embarrassmentas in
anticipationand apprehensionof Captain Wentworth'sforthcoming
visit. She seeks freshair because she is physicallywarm as well as
stifledby the narrownessof a proud fatherand sister;her cheeks
are hot, her blood stimulated at the verypossibilityof being near
the man who is still a bewitchingattraction,the deepest object of
her affection.
Contrary to Anne's hopes, she has not "outlived the age of
blushing" (p. 268), and she continues to color wheneverCaptain
Wentworth'spresence is imminentor real: "Anne's heart beat in
spite of herself,and brought the colour into her cheeks when she
thought of Captain Wentworth unshackled and free" (p. 377).
Austen has designed forherselfthe challenge of making believable
a love stillpassionate aftereightyearsof separation. Moreover,she
choosesto dramatizethe romanticattachmentwithoutthe resource
of dialogue. 13 The author succeeds in sustainingthe credibilityof
a growing intimacy through bodily gestures, facial signs, and
physical encounters. Throughout the first half of the novel,
Frederickand Anne are incapable of engagingin extended conversations; as the narratorsuggests,theyexchange thesparestof polite
pleasantries. The marked sterilityof theirspeech barely conceals
and delicately reveals the deeper glow of feeling and sensual enthusiasm. The firstsegmentof conversationrecorded in dialogue
formis briefand barelyacknowledged:"I beg yourpardon, madam,
'2Norman Page, The Language ofJane Austen (New York: Barnes and Noble;
Oxford: Basil Blackwell, I972), p. 48.
I3See Alistair M. Duckworth, The Improvement of the Estate: A Study ofJane
Austen's Novels (Baltimore: JohnsHopkins Press, I97I), pp. 204-20. In his analysis
of unspoken discourse, Duckworth writesthat "Jane Austen has taken great care
to emphasize the private, largelynon-linguisticnature of the communication between the lovers" (p. 204). Duckworth also observes Austen's unusually strong
statementsof emotional response in light of her characteristicreticence, and he
notes that the author approaches "a more 'modern' examination of personal relationships," in Persuasion (p. 201).
48
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
thisis yourseat," is all Captain Wentworthcan manage to say. The
narratordescribesAnne's quick response:"thoughshe immediately
drew back with a decided negative, he was not to be induced to sit
down again" (p. 290). Anne is often"withinreach" ofCaptain Wentworth's conversation, and he likewise seeks to overhear her
dialogues. They "converse"witheach otherobliquely, sendingverbal messages usually througha thirdparty. Anne is informedby
her self-centered,insensitive,hypochondriacal sisterthat Frederick has said, "You were so altered he should not have known you
again" (p. 279). In the meantime, unwilling to address Anne directly,Frederickasks an anonymousdancing partnerwhetherMiss
Elliot everdances. In chapter9 both Anne and Frederickspeak with
Walter Hayter,but theyconsciouslyavoid dialogue witheach other.
Later, whilesittingbehind a hedgerow,Anne overhearsFrederick's
discourseto Louisa on the beauty of a firmhazelnut (p. 303). During the same excursion, he urges his sister to address Anne's
weariness:Mrs. Croftinvitesherinto the carriagewithwords,while
Frederickleads her by the hand.
It is not untilthe accident at Lyme in chapterI2 that Austenrecords the slightestconversation;but even here, the stiltedspeeches
are mere exclamations addressed more to a hystericalcrowd than
to each other. In everyscene that precedes the extremelysatisfying encounter in the concert hall at Bath, Jane Austen focuseson
her characters' eyes, cheeks, entrances and exits, their "mouths,
hands, and feet," their positions in carriages and on sofas, in
enclosures and open spaces. Anne attempts to "reach" Captain
Wentworthwithher eye; she recordsmomentswhen he is near and
when he does not seem to want to be near. Little circumstanceswhen eyesjust miss, or when hands touch, whetherby accident or
intent- are interspersedamong more dramatic scenes in which a
man and woman feel acutelyeach other'sphysical presence. Most
important,the man and woman in Austen's last novel enloywhat
theyfeel, despite momentaryvexations and confusions.
Earlyin the novel, as Anne anticipatesa renewedacquaintance
withCaptain Wentworth,her suppressedemotion is half-revealed
in a tentativeconjecture regarding his intentions:
Anne understoodit. He wished to avoid seeing her. He had enquired after
her, she found, slightly,as mightsuit a formerslightacquaintance, seeming to acknowledge such as she had acknowledged, actuated, perhaps, by
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
whentheyweretomeet.
thesameviewofescapingintroduction
49
(pp.
277-78)
The definitiveopening statementsare qualified by a thirdsentence
which is syntacticallyand emotionallyfarmore complex and more
true.14 Clearly,Anne's understandingis not so confidentas the initial wordsindicate; throughhesitant,flexiblephrasing,Austengives
a fullerglimpse of the heroine's confused mind, using qualifying
termsthat throwthe whole idea of slightacquaintance into question: "mightsuit," "seemingto acknowledge,""actuated, perhaps."
The repetition of "slightly . . . slight" underscores the fragile
paradox in a relationshipthatwillproveto be apparentlybut deceptivelyslight,according to conventionalmeasures of civilbehavior.
Anne and Frederickcommunicatewitheach otherthroughthe
slightestsigns-they move by degrees and halves of degrees. Each
half wishes to see the other. When they finallydo confrontone
another aftersufficientanticipation, theireyesbarely meet: "Her
eye half met Captain Wentworth's; a bow, a curtseypassed; she
heard his voice-he talked to Mary, said all thatwas right . . . but
a fewminutesended it. . . . theirvisitorhad bowed and was gone"
(p. 278). Jane Austen devotes only three sentences to their first
meeting, from the moment Wentworthenters and exchanges a
slightglance, to his equally abrupt and affectingexit. Frederickhas
a knack fordisappearing quicklyand silentlyfromrooms in which
Anne is present; she watches intentlyeach departure.
During their subsequent half-meetingat Uppercross, Anne
overhearsCaptain Wentworth'svoice, speaking not to her but to
a general crowd; in sequential double negatives,her mind detects
some slightacknowledgmentof theircommon past in Frederick's
near glance toward her direction: "though his voice did not falter,
and thoughshe had no reason to suppose his eyewanderingtowards
her while he spoke, Anne felt the utter impossibility,from her
knowledgeof his mind, thathe could be unvisitedby remembrance
any more than herself"(p. 28I). Within the next severalmoments,
Captain Wentworthdraws closerto Anne, engagingin a discussion
withMrs. Musgrove,who indulges in hollow lamentationsoverthe
death of her unworthyson. Again, Anne reads the satiricalamuse14Page, The Language ofJane Austen, pp. 49, I97. "JaneAusten has developed
a syntax exceptionally sensitiveto shiftsin emotional tone."
50
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
mentbetrayedin Frederick'sface; her eye catches "a certainglance
of his brighteye, and curl of his handsome mouth" (p. 285). Anne's
perceptionsindicate that she is not onlyinterestedin his opinions,
but also attractedto and captivatedby theparticularsofhisphysical
appearance. When Frederickseats himselfnext to the capacious
Mrs. Musgrove,Austen'ssatiricaldescriptionsof the lattercounterbalance but do not outweigh Anne's more serious arousal at the
noveltyof being physicallyclose to her ex-lover:"They were actually
on the same sofa." Quietly hidden among Austen's comic descriptionsof Mrs. Musgrove's"fatsighings"is a passing,almostimperceptible referenceto Anne's body, unobtrusiveand greatlyaffectedby
the intensityof close confinement:"the agitationsof Anne's slender
form, and pensive face, may be considered as very completely
screened" (pp. 285-86). The broad body of Mrs. Musgrove is the
social "screen" that allows Anne's passionate impulses to remain
undetected and unfulfilledby Wentworth;nonetheless,the sexual
longings within the heroine's seeminglydelicate frame are by no
means screenedfromthe reader,who perceivesthe agitationof suppressed desires.'5
This scene a troisis a more seriousversionof a similarbut comically wrong encounter in Emma, in which Mrs. Weston, Emma,
and Mr. Elton forman annoyinglycozy threesomeon a sofa: "at
last the drawing-roomparty did receive an augmentation. Mr.
Elton, in verygood spirits,was one of the firstto walk in. Mrs.
Westonand Emma weresittingtogetheron a sopha. He joined them
immediately, and with scarcely an invitation,seated himselfbetween them."16 Whereas Frederick Wentworth prudently and
strategicallysitsone seat removedfromAnne, Mr. Elton obtrudes
his unwanted presence upon close friends,invading Emma's exclusivelyprivate momentswith her beloved companion. Emma is
offendedby Mr. Elton's sillyaggression physicalclosenesscauses
hergreatdiscomfort.Moreover,once the unknowingheroinebegins
to perceivethatshe is the object of his parading romanticovertures,
15Tanner,introd., Penguin edition of Sense and Sensibility,describesthe society
that impinges similarlyupon Marianne Dashwood's passions and fantasies: "It is
a world completelydominated by forms,forwhich another word may be screens"
(p. I5).
'6Emma, ed. David Lodge, OxfordEnglishNovels (London: OxfordUniv. Press,
I97I),
p. II2.
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
51
the claustrophobic seating arrangement is hardly a source of
pleasure; it is indeed "perverse"(Emma, p. 113).
Emma is a decidedly cool and unphysicalheroine, immensely
threatenedby bodily contact, especially when such contact points
only to her own errorand misperception. When she is vexed and
agitated, she is angry. Anne Elliot also suffersagitation in similar
but potentially more serious and more authentically romantic
circumstances;her agitation, however,does not consistin anger.
There is nothingperversein the comedyon the sofa at Uppercross.
On the contrary,the opportunityaffordsAnne great satisfaction
and pleasure in spite of simultaneous uncertaintyand embarrassment. When Anne is agitated and vexed by intimationsof physical
attraction,she feels an ambiguous, arousing emotion of mingled
pleasure and pain. While Mrs. Musgrove occupies the most space
on the couch, absorbing most of Austen's narrative, the comedy
rankssecond to the more subtle, decisive beginningsof a renewed
love affair.
The busysocietyof the extended Musgrovefamilyprovidesfew
opportunitiesin which Anne and Frederickfindthemselvesalone;
nor are theyready at early stages of the novel for a private tete-'atete. Insignificantcharacterssuch as Mrs. Musgrove and Charles
Hayter are but inconsequential barriers who enable Anne and
Frederickcomfortablyto maintain theirdistance and apparent indifference;such obstructionsactuallyserveto throwthe loversinto
sharperreliefas theyseek subtlyappealing methodsof testingeach
other's feeling and will.
The drawingroom at theCottageis thesettingforanothercomic
satistriangle,whichis at once extremelyawkwardand wonderfully
fying.Upon Captain Wentworth'sentrance,both he and Anne experience nervouspleasure at findingthemselvespracticallyalone:
"The surpriseof findinghimselfalmost alone with Anne Elliot,
deprived his manners of their usual composure" (p. 296). Their
clumsy, stilted greetingsmark the firsttime Austen representsa
completed exchange of dialogue between them. Their words are
nicelysupplementedwithnarrativedescriptionof theirmutual selfconsciousness and discomfort:
had been
He started,and could onlysay,"I thoughttheMissMusgroves
here- Mrs.Musgrovetoldme I shouldfindthemhere," beforehe walked
to thewindowto recollecthimself,and feelhowhe oughtto behave.
52
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
"They are up stairswithmysister-they willbe downin a fewmoments,I daresay," -had beenAnne'sreply,in all theconfusionthatwas
natural;and ifthechildhad notcalledhertocomeand do something
for
him,shewouldhavebeenoutoftheroomthenextmoment. (p. 296)
Neitherthe child nor Mr. Haytercan smoothoverthe "zigzags"
ofembarrassment;insteadtheycause Anne and Frederickto be even
more conscious of the inevitabilityof a confrontation.The scene
culminatesin a peculiar entanglementbetweenAnne and her persistentnephew. It is importantforthe reader to visualizethisscene,
because it is such a rare passage of explicit descriptionin Austen's
prose; moreover, it is a literal embodiment of awkward feelings,
which are becomingincreasinglyagitated. This is the mostunusual
and dramatic physical confrontationin the novel:
Therebeingnothingto be eat, he could onlyhavesomeplay; and as his
auntwouldnotlethimteazehissickbrother,he began to fastenhimself
uponher,as sheknelt,in sucha waythat,busyas shewasaboutCharles,
she could notshakehimoff.She spoketo him-ordered,intreated,and
insistedin vain. Once shedid contrive
to pushhimaway,buttheboyhad
the greaterpleasurein gettingupon her back again directly. (pp.
296-97)
For a brief and highly entertaining moment, drawing-room
decorum is pushed aside by the vigorousspontaneityof an active
child. In thisatypicalscene, we are givena glimpseof characterschildren and adults -not as mere minds and sensibilities or
stereotypes,but as tangible and tangled bodies. The child enjoys
physical contact with his attractiveaunt, and when he is pushed
away, he seeks the pleasure a second time, with his "little sturdy
hands." In the meantime, the heroine is pictured in a distinctly
unheroic,unflattering
position;howevercontortedher posturemay
be, she is nonethelessan appealing physicalpresence in the eyesof
her playfulnephew. Most important,her contortedposition,kneeling and struggling,and her fruitlessattemptsto resistthe vexing
assault, are witnessedand relievedby Captain Wentworth,who is
also acutelyaware ofAnne as one who here assertsherselfphysically.
He looks upon her back, her neck, her head (and her eyes,mouth,
hands, and feet), intriguedby her veryawkwardness.Naturally,
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
53
therefore,it is he who rescues her, touching her forthe firsttime
in eight years:
In anothermoment,however,shefoundherselfin thestateofbeingreleasedfromhim;someone was takinghimfromher,thoughhe had bent
handswereunfastened
from
downherhead so much,thathislittlesturdy
borneaway,beforesheknewthat
aroundherneck,and he wasresolutely
(p. 297)
Captain Wentworth
had done it.
Not a word passes between them. Anne is rendered perfectly
speechless -in part, no doubt, by sheerexhaustionand vexationbut mostlyby her "sensations"on discoveringthat FrederickWentworthhad been so close to her. Affectedwiththe "mostdisordered
feelings,"Anne reviewsthe episode, with apparent relishforeach
detail, each littleparticular:
His kindnessin steppingforwardto herrelief-themanner- thesilence
- with
in whichit had passed- thelittleparticularsofthecircumstance
theconviction
soonforcedon herbythenoisehe was studiously
making
withthe child,thathe meantto avoid hearingher thanks,and rather
thatherconversation
was thelastofhiswants,produced
soughtto testify
sucha confusionofvarying,butverypainfulagitation,as she could not
recoverfrom,tillenabledbytheentranceofMaryand theMissMusgroves
tomakeoverherlittlepatienttotheircares,and leavetheroom.She could
notstay.
(p. 297)
Jane Austen's diction for physical gratification- "sensations"
and "littleparticulars"-is vague and, by currentstandards, quite
prim and primitive; nevertheless,she distinctlysuggests Anne's
aroused statein passingphrases. She acknowledgesAnne's pleasure,
not onlyin Frederick'skindnessbut in his engaging "manner," and
mostof all in the charming"littleparticularsof the circumstance."''7
Although Anne leaves the room in "verypainful" confusion,her
pain carrieswithit the paradoxical pleasure of passionate warmth
and romantic possibility.
On the excursion to Winthrop Anne is at times "withinreach
of Captain Wentworth'sconversation,"although she neverspeaks
with him. Nor, forthat matter, do any members of the partyindicate a desireto speak to her. She is a mute listener,and when she
"7Litz,"Persuasion: Forms of Estrangement,"notes the "rapid and nervoussyntax designed to imitate the bombardment of impressionsupon the mind" (p. 228).
54
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
inquires,"Is not thisone of thewaysto Winthrop?"no one responds
(pp.
300,
30I).
Anne is contentsimplyto be near Captain Went-
worth. She catches his contemptuousglance in response to Mary's
affected snobbery, and later, afraid to move, she overhears
Frederick'scriticismsof yielding and indecisive characters, as he
flirtswithLouisa Musgrove.The scene reachesa climax in one more
point of contact in a favoriteAusten setting,the carriage. Inspired
by the courteousappeal of theirbrother,the happilymarriedCrofts
eagerly"compressed themselvesinto the smallestpossible space to
leave her a corner,and Captain Wentworth,withoutsayinga word,
turned to her, and quietly obliged her to be assistedinto the carriage" (p. 307). At thisjuncture Wentworth'smere act of turning
in Anne's directionis more than enough, both to satisfyher of his
likelyaffectionand to provoke the most agitated sensations. The
exquisitemomentof physicalcontact,however,evokeseven greater
pleasure, a sharper sense of mutual warmth and attraction:
Yes,- he had doneit. Shewasin thecarriage,and feltthathe had placed
herthere,thathiswilland hishandshad done it, thatsheowedit to his
perceptionofherfatigue,and hisresolution
togiveherrest.She wasvery
muchaffectedbytheviewofhisdispositiontowardsherwhichall these
seemedthecompletionof
thingsmade apparent.Thislittlecircumstance
all thathad gone before.
(p. 307)
Carriages affordwonderfulopportunitiesforphysicalintimacy,
vexation, and anxiety-with eithercomic or tenderresults.It was
in a carriage that Emma Woodhouse found "her hand seized -her
attentiondemanded," and sufferedthemortification
of a "Mr. Elton
actuallymakingviolentlove to her" (Emma, p. II7). In Anne's case,
Captain Wentworth'shands are just as real and important as his
will. She knows romance keenly, though her youthfulbloom has
passed. Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworthare onlyhalf together
at this"momentof completion"; she is in a compact, crowded carriage, while he remains at the door. The relative distance hardly
mattersto Anne, who is more than content;the certaintyof hishand
is enough -"he had done it."
Frederick's short-livedflirtationwith Louisa Musgrove and
Anne's subsequentidentificationwithher cousin Mr. Elliot are but
temporaryaggravationsthat serveto intensifytrueremotions and
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
55
draw the loversnearer theircommon destination. In Lyme Anne
enjoysa quick successionof male admirersand companions -Mr.
Elliot, Captain Benwick, and even Captain Harville- who arouse
to Anne's physicalattributesand charms. He
Frederick'ssensitivity
is piqued withwarm admirationand withjealousy whenhe sees how
attractiveshe is to othermen. When Anne passes Mr. Elliot on the
stairwayfromthe beach, he is arrestedby her physicalappearance:
"Anne's face caught his eye, and he looked at her with a degree of
earnest admiration, which she could not be insensibleof. She was
lookingremarkablywell; herveryregular,veryprettyfeatures,having thebloom and freshness
ofyouthrestoredbythefinewindwhich
had been blowingon her complexion, and by the animation of eye
which it had also produced." To Frederick,who has witnessedthe
suggestiveencounter, Anne is no longer a bittermemory,a slight
acquaintance with a sensible mind and an injured heart; she is a
woman whose personis lovelyand remarkablysensuous. Mr. Elliot,
who eventuallyprovesto be an interference,is at firsta catalystfor
Captain Wentworth'ssparked passion. The triangularencounter
enables Frederickto addressAnne, firstimplicitlywitha glance that
Anne interprets,and later in a warmer and more direct address,
as theywatch Mr. Elliot'sdeparturefromthe inn: " 'Ah!' cried Captain Wentworth,instantly,and withhalf a glance at Anne; 'it is the
veryman we passed' " (pp. 3I9, 320).
Anne is so secureand certainin herlove forCaptain Wentworth,
and so hopeful of a returnof affection,that she is not threatened
byphysicalcontactwithothermen who enjoyherelegant,intelligent
company.She respondsto Captain Benwickand happilyinviteshim
to be near her, withoutfear of the implications or consequences.
Since she knows her own heart, she does not sufferthe physical
alarms of a naive and obtuse Emma. Captain Benwick is always
drawing near Anne; he even "cling[s]" (p. 324), and she comfortably accepts his familiarityand satisfieshis simpleneeds. When she
actuallyrunsinto Mr. Elliot in the hotel'snarrowpassageway,Anne
is not vexed. She is relaxed withsuch men and withherself.It is only
in the presence of Captain Wentworththat she experiences quite
differentsensations.
AlthoughJane Austenwas ill and fatiguedas she composed her
final novel, and though the final chapters of Persuasion are
56
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
somewhat clumsy,particularlythose which treat Mrs. Smith, the
author nonethelesscontrolsskillfully
and delicatelythe growingintimacybetween her hero and heroine. The energyand interestin
theirincreasinglypassionate, albeit painfuland occasionallyuncersustainedrightup to the culminating
tain attachmentis masterfully
declarationof love. While the reader is fullyconfidentof the novel's
happy outcome, Austen's slow, meticulous preparation for the
climax-with all the little complications of circumstance-is
rewardingin its suspense and romance.
The accident at Lyme marks the end of Captain Wentworth's
attachmentto Louisa (and almostthe end of Louisa herself);it also
opens thewayformore frequentand directdiscoursebetweenAnne
and Frederick.They discussappropriatemeasuresto be takenwith
the injured Louisa, while the restof the company stand by helpless
and hysterical.Frederickasks Anne's advice and trustsin her rare
ability. The minimal conversationtheyshare, however,is superseded by the warmththat arisesfromthe privateconsciousnessthat
they are once again physicallyclose:
"You willstay,I am sure;youwillstayand nurseher;"criedhe, turning
whichseemedalmost
toherand speakingwitha glow,andyeta gentleness,
restoring
thepast.- She coloureddeeply;and he recollected
himself,
and
movedaway.-She expressedherselfmostwilling,ready,happyto remain.
(p- 329)
Even the carefulpauses enhance the romanticimplicationsof this
warm exchange. When theyeventuallyfindthemselvestogetherin
the same carriage en route to Uppercross,Frederickspeaks onlyto
Henrietta. Anne is silent,out of embarrassmentperhaps, but more
likelyout of the sense that to be so close to Captain Wentworthis
more than sufficient.Dialogue would be superfluous.
Once Louisa is removed fromthe central plot, Mr. Elliot is introduced to provide additional delay and agitation. Throughout
the sojourn at Bath, Austen makes the most of chance meetings,
handshakes,surpriseentrancesand disappointingexits.When Anne
and Captain Wentworthmeet suddenlybelow Milsom Street(after
a long separationspanningfivechapters),each experiencesthe ambivalence of pleasure and discomfort:
He wasmoreobviously
struckand confusedbythesightofher,thanshe
had everobserved
before;he lookedquitered.Forthefirst
time,sincetheir
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
57
theleastsensibilrenewedacquaintance,she feltthatshewas betraying
ityof thetwo.She had theadvantageof him,in thepreparationof the
firstefblinding,bewildering,
lastfewmoments.All theoverpowering,
wereoverwithher.Still,however,
shehad enough
fectsofstrongsurprise
betweendelightand
tofeel!It was agitation,pain,pleasure,a something
misery. (P. 384)
Once Mr. Elliot arrives,the consciousnessis even more acute. In
a scene reminiscentof the memorable greetingon the stairwayat
Lyme, FrederickwatchesMr. Elliot as thelatterwatchesAnne. This
time, however,Mr. Elliot does not merelywatch; offeringhis arm,
he gallantlyescortsAnne fromthe square, leaving her littletime
to show Frederick an explanatory sign:
He came in witheagerness,appearedtosee and thinkonlyofher,apologisedforhisstay,wasgrievedtohavekeptherwaiting,and anxioustoget
herawaywithoutfurther
lossoftime,and beforetherainincreased;and
herarmunderhis,a gentle
in anothermomenttheywalkedofftogether,
and embarrassed
glance,and a "goodmorningtoyou,"beingall thatshe
had timefor,as she passed away.
(PP. 385-86)
Jane Austen'sexplicitstage directions,her meticulousblocking
of individualpositionsand movements,her configurationof groups
of charactersare renderedwithcomic skilland seriousconsequence
in all the novels. The stagingof the scene at the concerthall in Persuasion is a matterof great significance,fromthe momentCaptain
Wentworthenters- alone. His very arrival is no small thrillfor
Anne. For the firsttime,he seemsrelativelycomposed: "Aftertalking howeverof the weather and Bath and the concert, theirconversationbegan to flag, and so littlewas said at last, that she was
expecting him to go everymoment; but he did not; he seemed in
no hurryto leave her" (pp. 389-go).
In thisscene, each character is more sensitivethan ever to the
glances and blushesof the other,and both Frederickand Anne are
equally consciousof theirown internalstates.He pauses in the middle of a substantial speech, arrested by her telling blush: "He
stopped. A sudden recollectionseemed to occur, and to give him
some tasteof that emotionwhichwas reddeningAnne's cheeksand
fixingher eyeson the ground." His impassioned monologue on the
subject of Benwick'sdevotion causes Anne "to breathe veryquick,
and feel an hundred thingsin a moment" (pp. 390, 39g). Oblivious
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FICTION
to the surrounding noises of the public hall, Anne suffersand
delights in her own physical response, her "exquisite, though
agitated sensations" and "delightfulemotions" (p. 392). She feels
regretwhen he disappears, but takes time to review the minute
details of the encounter:
Shewasthinking
onlyofthelasthalfhour,and as theypassedtotheirseats,
hermindtooka hastyrangeoverit.His choiceofsubjects,hisexpressions,
and stillmorehismannerand look,had beensuchas shecouldseein only
an opinionwhich
one light.His opinionofLouisa Musgrove's
inferiority,
he had seemedsolicitoustogive,hiswonderat CaptainBenwick,hisfeelingsas to a first,
strongattachment,
-sentencesbegunwhichhe couldnot
finish
-his halfavertedeyes,and morethanhalfexpressive
glance,-all,
to herat least.
all declaredthathe had a heartreturning
(p. 393)
During the remainderof the evening,Anne's eyetriesto "reach"
him, beyond the crowd, and particularlybeyond the ill-timedadvances of Mr. Elliot. As Mr. Elliot draws too near, Anne detects a
change in Captain Wentworth'smood: "As her eyesfellon him, his
seemed to be withdrawn from her. It had that appearance. It
seemed as ifshe had been one moment too late; and as long as she
dared observe,he did not look again." Recordingeverymovement,
she strugglesin vain to meet his eye: "When she could give another
glance, he had moved away. He could not have come nearer to her
ifhe would; she was so surroundedand shutin: but she would rather
have caught his eye" (p. 396).18 Against the busy backdrop of a
crowdedhall,Jane AustenbringsAnne's physicallongingsand emotional uncertaintiesinto dramatic relief:"She could not quit that
room in peace without seeing Captain Wentworth once more,
withouttheinterchangeof one friendlylook." When he comes "only
byveryslowdegrees . . . at last near enough to speak to her,"showing "almost a smile," the forthcomingreconciliation is disrupted
once more by theinterference
of Mr. Elliot,who touchesher: "They
talked for a few minutes more; the improvementheld; he even
looked down towardsthe bench, as ifhe saw a place on it wellworth
occupying;when, at thatmoment,a touch on her shoulderobliged
18This scene is comparable to the London partysettingin Sense and Sensibility
in which Marianne is snubbed by Willoughby: Marianne blushes crimson, while
Elinor and Willoughby strugglefor composure. Tanner observes, "They are all
in a sense trapped and immobilized and as a result all the activitygoes into the
eyes"; and, according to Tanner, the blush exhibits "passion under pressure"
(introd., Sense and Sensibility,Penguin ed., pp. 20-2I).
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
Persuasion
59
Anne to turn round. -It came from Mr. Elliot." Consequently,
Captain Wentworthleaves the room with a "reservedyet hurried
sortoffarewell"and thebitterstatementthat"thereis nothingworth
my stayingfor" (pp. 397, 398).
As thenarratorhas describedthe tentativeyeturgentmovement
between unavowed lovers, Anne Elliot and FrederickWentworth
come near each other "only by veryslow degrees." The culmination of theiranxious effortsis delayed onlyby an awkward tension
in whichFrederickdoes not seem to want to be near her; at the same
time, however,he offersher a glowingcheek and a conscious look.
Beforetheyfindthemselvescompletelysolitaryand intimatein the
certaintyof love revealed, theycommunicate once more through
a third party, Captain Harville. Uncertaintyand suspense cause
acute sensations and abrupt movements:
[Anne]felt. .. a nervousthrillall overher,and at thesamemomentthat
glancedtowardsthedistanttable, Captain Wenthereyesinstinctively
worth'spen ceased tomove,hishead was raised,pausing,listening,and
he turnedroundthenextinstanttogivea look-one quick,consciouslook
at her.
(pp. 435-36)
Mutual desireis realized in a penetratingglance betweenthe sexes;
moreover,Anne's passion is manifestednot only in her eyes-she
feels the somatic thrill"all over."
The epistolaryconventionas a means of communicationat the
crucial moment offersa few comic effectswhich ease the tedium
of debate between Anne and Harville and relievethe nervoustension between Frederick and Anne. Captain Wentworth,who has
been mute throughoutthe scene, takes his leave witha speech that
is barelycoherent:"'Yes,' said he, 'verytrue; herewe separate, but
Harville and I shall soon be afteryou, that is, Harville, if you are
ready, I am in half a minute. I knowyou will not be sorryto be off.
I shall be at your service in half a minute' " (p. 440). Like Mr.
Knightley,Captain Wentworthmight be able to speak more eloquently if he loved Anne less passionately. Frederick'sdesperate,
precious"halfa minute"determinesa lifetimeofhappiness.Leaving
the room in a "hurried, agitated air, which shewed impatience to
be gone," and passing out "without a look," Frederickreappears
gloves.
withinmoments,witha feeble,funnyexcuse about forgotten
He offersa letterto Anne, with "eyes of glowingentreatyfixedon
60
NINETEENTH-CENTURY
FICTION
her fora moment." It is a letterwhich Anne "devour[s]" (pp.
440,
44').
The postscriptattached to Frederick'swrittenproposal sumsup
the nature of this passionately earnest, sensible attachment: "A
word, a look will be enough" (p. 442). Indeed, as if fulfillinghis
prophecy,Anne accepts Captain Wentworth'sproposal withbut a
look, receivinghis warm glow and accepting his active movement
in her direction:
Theywerein Union-street,
whena quickerstepbehind,a somethingof
familiarsound,gavehertwomomentspreparationforthesightofCapHe joined them;but, as ifirresolute
whethertojoin or
tainWentworth.
to pass on, said nothing-onlylooked. Anne could commandherself
The cheekswhichhad
enoughto receivethatlook,and notrepulsively.
been pale now glowed,and the movementswhichhad hesitatedwere
decided. He walkedbyherside.
(p. 444)
Althoughseveralpages offriendlyconversationensue, Austen'swork
is virtuallydone the moment FrederickWentworthwalks by Anne
Elliot's side. A look, a gestureare enough. As Captain Harville has
said, there is "a true analogy between our bodily framesand our
mental." He is Austen's spokesman in Persuasion: "As our bodies
are the strongest,so are our feelings"(p.437).
Persuasion isJane Austen'smostunreservedlyphysicalnovel. In
all her works,she is deeply interestedin dramatizing the circumstances and motivesthat cause charactersto walk arm in arm, ride
in appointed carriages, group themselveson specificsofas. In her
final novel, however,physical contact is seldom merelycomic or
threatening.This is a novel in which a youngwoman leaps offa sea
wall because the sensationof being in a man's arms is delightfulto
her. A husband and wifeeagerlyaccompanyeach othereverywhere,
happilycompressthemselvesinto a carriage,because theyenjoybeing physically close. As Louisa Musgrove contemplates the
matrimonial state, she thinksnot in abstract termsof felicityand
harmonybut in anticipationof sexual intimacy:"If I loved a man,
as she loves the Admiral, I would be always with him, nothing
should everseparate us, and I would ratherbe overturnedby him,
than driven safelyby anybody else" (p. 30I).
In the case of Anne and Frederick,the physicalmanifestations
of love are hardly so obvious as those of the devoted and demonstrative Crofts. Nonetheless, the real power of the novel
LEARNING
ROMANCE
IN
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61
residesin Austen'ssuccessin sustainingthe credibilityof a renewed
emotional attachment throughphysical signs. A.lthoughtheyare
seeminglydistant,Anne and Wentworthbecome increasinglymore
intimatethroughseductivehalf-glances,consciousgazes, and slight
bodily contact. Slowlytheycome to know each otherin a togetherness that is at once physicallygratifying
and emotionallysatisfying.
While Jane Austen's language forsensual pleasure is reservedand
decorous, Persuasion is more than a slightacknowledgmentthat
men and women have physicalneeds and desiresforclosenessand
contact. By the slightestof degrees,Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworthcome nearer each other to rediscovera period of "exquisite
felicity,"having experiencedpainful sensationsand delightfulvexations,in anticipationof a lifetimeof deep intimacyand intelligent
love.
The Spence School, New York City