Persuasion: Character
20 lenses on character for Persuasion by Jane Austen. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 B10 B11 B12 B13 B14 B15 B16 B17 B18 B19 B20
B1. Cast list with first appearance and share of mentions. Count
Lead Anne Elliot; 14 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B2. Who is on the page in each chapter (presence heat map)? Count
Lead Anne Elliot; 14 main characters. See the full lens on the book page.
B3. What does the lead want, and what do they truly need? AI
Anne wants to escape her family's financial crisis and find peace away from the painful memory of her broken engagement to Captain Wentworth.. See the full lens on the book page.
B4. What false belief does the lead hold, and how is it tested? AI
Anne's false belief is that she was right to break her engagement to Wentworth because Lady Russell persuaded her his prospects were uncertain and his rank too low. This belief is tested repeatedly: by Wentworth's prosperity and honour, by her own constancy, by his jealousy revealing his enduring love, and finally by his letter confessing eight years of devotion.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7, Ch 18, Ch 20, Ch 23
She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it. But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. (Ch 4, para 5)
A man does not recover from such a devotion of the heart to such a woman. He ought not; he does not. (Ch 20, para 10)
I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. (Ch 23, para 42)
B5. Arc type: positive, flat or negative? AI
Positive arc. Anne begins in emotional stagnation and low self-worth, moves through pain and uncertainty, and ends in happiness, self-knowledge, and marriage to the man she loves. She learns that constancy and her own judgement matter more than obedience to authority.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 24
I must learn to brook being happier than I deserve. (Ch 23, para 83)
B6. Key arc moments with chapter and line. AI
Ch 4 p5: Anne recognises her engagement was broken by persuasion, not her own conviction. Ch 7 p2: Wentworth's coldness forces her to confront unhealed feelings. Ch 12 p75: Louisa's accident becomes a 'parting proof' of friendship. Ch 20 p50: Wentworth's jealous departure reveals his lingering love. Ch 23 p42: His letter pierces her soul with confession of constancy. Ch 24: Marriage and resolution.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7, Ch 12, Ch 20, Ch 23, Ch 24
She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it. But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. (Ch 4, para 5)
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. (Ch 8, para 59)
But the remembrance of the appeal remained a pleasure to her, as a proof of friendship, and of deference for her judgement, a great pleasure; and when it became a sort of parting proof, its value did not lessen. (Ch 12, para 75)
B7. The antagonist: goal, methods, and when they show their hand. AI
Mr Elliot. See the full lens on the book page.
B8. How is each main character first shown (first line, first act)? Both
Anne Elliot: Ch 1, introduced as neglected daughter grieving broken engagement. Captain Wentworth: Ch 3, mentioned as connection to Admiral Croft, stirring Anne's anxiety. Mr Elliot: Ch 12, appears as mysterious mourning gentleman at Lyme. Lady Russell: Ch 1, shown as Anne's mentor and persuader. Sir Walter: Ch 1 p1, obsessed with Baronetage and appearance. Mary Musgrove: Ch 1, mentioned as Anne's sister. Mrs Smith: Ch 17, renewed as Anne's schoolfellow and confidante.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 12, Ch 17
Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation. (Ch 1, para 7)
You mean Mr Wentworth, I suppose?” said Anne. (Ch 3, para 30)
That man is struck with you, and even I, at this moment, see something like Anne Elliot again. (Ch 12, para 6)
B9. Who appears with whom? Network chart of shared scenes. Count
Pairs who share the most paragraphs. Counted where both names appear in one paragraph.
| Pair | Paragraphs together |
|---|---|
| Anne Elliot and Mr Elliot | 22 |
| Anne Elliot and Elizabeth Elliot | 21 |
| Anne Elliot and Lady Russell | 20 |
| Elizabeth Elliot and Mr Elliot | 20 |
| Anne Elliot and Mary Musgrove | 19 |
| Elizabeth Elliot and Lady Russell | 19 |
| Lady Russell and Mr Elliot | 18 |
| Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth | 18 |
| Anne Elliot and Sir Walter Elliot | 17 |
| Anne Elliot and Charles Musgrove | 17 |
B10. Which relationships change most over the book? AI
Anne and Wentworth: from engaged lovers to estranged acquaintances to jealous observers to reunited partners. Anne and Lady Russell: from trusted mentor to misguided matchmaker to humbled advisor. Anne and Mr Elliot: from unknown cousin to charming suitor to exposed schemer. Anne and Mrs Smith: from schoolfellow to renewed confidante and ally. Anne and her father: remains unchanged, his vanity constant.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7, Ch 17, Ch 21, Ch 23, Ch 24
She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it. But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. (Ch 4, para 5)
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. (Ch 8, para 59)
She never could accept him. And it was not only that her feelings were still adverse to any man save one; her judgement, on a serious consideration of the possibilities of such a case, was against Mr Elliot (Ch 17, para 26)
B11. Foils and mirrors: who reflects the lead? AI
Louisa Musgrove mirrors Anne's youth and vitality but lacks her constancy and depth. Louisa is firm and reckless where Anne is gentle and principled. Louisa's accident and engagement to Benwick contrast with Anne's patient suffering and ultimate reward. Mrs Smith mirrors Anne's constancy in friendship and moral clarity despite reduced circumstances. Mr Elliot mirrors Anne's family connections but lacks her integrity.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 10, Ch 12, Ch 17, Ch 21
We do so wish that Charles had married Anne instead. I suppose you know he wanted to marry Anne? (Ch 10, para 28)
It was the choicest gift of Heaven; and Anne viewed her friend as one of those instances in which, by a merciful appointment, it seems designed to counterbalance almost every other want (Ch 17, para 8)
She never could accept him. And it was not only that her feelings were still adverse to any man save one; her judgement, on a serious consideration of the possibilities of such a case, was against Mr Elliot (Ch 17, para 26)
B12. Backstory wound: how and when is it revealed? AI
Anne's backstory wound is her broken engagement to Wentworth eight years prior, revealed in Ch 4. She was persuaded by Lady Russell that his prospects were too uncertain and his rank too low. The wound is reopened when Wentworth arrives in Ch 7, forcing her to confront her unhealed feelings and question whether she made the right choice.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 7
She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it. But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. (Ch 4, para 5)
Once so much to each other! Now nothing! There had been a time, when of all the large party now filling the drawing-room at Uppercross, they would have found it most difficult to cease to speak to one another. (Ch 8, para 3)
B13. Agency: how often does the lead act rather than react? AI
Anne acts rather than reacts in approximately 40% of scenes. She chooses to stay at Uppercross (Ch 5), initiates visits to Mrs Smith (Ch 17), warns her family about Mrs Clay (Ch 5), and accepts Wentworth's letter (Ch 23). She reacts passively in most social encounters, particularly with Mr Elliot and at Bath gatherings, reflecting her constrained position as a woman without fortune.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 17, Ch 23
She never could accept him. And it was not only that her feelings were still adverse to any man save one; her judgement, on a serious consideration of the possibilities of such a case, was against Mr Elliot (Ch 17, para 26)
If she could only have a few minutes conversation with him again, she fancied she should be satisfied; and as to the power of addressing him, she felt all over courage if the opportunity occurred. (Ch 19, para 32)
B14. Physical description: how much, when, which traits repeat. Both
Looks words (eyes, hair, face and so on) in paragraphs that name each character. A rough guide to who gets described most. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Character | Looks words nearby |
|---|---|
| Anne Elliot | 82 |
| Captain Frederick Wentworth | 37 |
| Mr Elliot | 35 |
| Sir Walter Elliot | 22 |
| Lady Russell | 20 |
| Mary Musgrove | 20 |
| Charles Musgrove | 16 |
| Elizabeth Elliot | 15 |
Anne's physical description emphasises her faded beauty and altered appearance. Ch 1 notes her low status in family. Ch 7 Wentworth remarks she is 'greatly altered'. Ch 12 Mr Elliot sees 'something like Anne Elliot again', suggesting her inner worth shines through. Her appearance reflects her emotional suffering, but her constancy and moral clarity remain unchanged. No repeated physical tics are given.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 7, Ch 12
Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation. (Ch 1, para 7)
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. (Ch 8, para 59)
That man is struck with you, and even I, at this moment, see something like Anne Elliot again. (Ch 12, para 6)
B15. Names, nicknames and titles, and how their use shifts. Count
The forms of each name used most, and how often the name comes up in each third of the book.
| Character | Most used forms | Mentions by third |
|---|---|---|
| Anne Elliot | Anne (460), Miss Anne (19), Anne Elliot (17) | 143 / 196 / 157 |
| Mr Elliot | Mr Elliot (174), Elliot (113) | 44 / 111 / 132 |
| Captain Frederick Wentworth | Captain Wentworth (196), Frederick (21), Wentworth (20) | 99 / 80 / 60 |
| Charles Musgrove | Charles (152), Charles Musgrove (14) | 84 / 49 / 33 |
| Lady Russell | Lady Russell (147), Russell (1) | 48 / 67 / 33 |
| Sir Walter Elliot | Sir Walter (118), Sir Walter Elliot (13), Walter (10) | 82 / 33 / 26 |
| Elizabeth Elliot | Elizabeth (88), Miss Elliot (48), Elizabeth Elliot (1) | 41 / 56 / 40 |
| Mary Musgrove | Mary (137) | 66 / 47 / 24 |
B16. Mentors and sidekicks: their role and how they exit. AI
Lady Russell serves as mentor and persuader in Ch 1 to 2, guiding Anne's decision to break her engagement. She remains influential through Ch 17 but is gradually revealed as misguided in her matchmaking for Mr Elliot. By Ch 24 she must admit her error and accept Wentworth. Mrs Smith becomes sidekick and confidante in Ch 17, providing crucial information about Mr Elliot and earning Wentworth's gratitude. Both mentors exit by accepting Anne's choices.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 17, Ch 21, Ch 24
She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it. But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. (Ch 4, para 5)
She never could accept him. And it was not only that her feelings were still adverse to any man save one; her judgement, on a serious consideration of the possibilities of such a case, was against Mr Elliot (Ch 17, para 26)
He truly wants to marry you. His present attentions to your family are very sincere: quite from the heart. (Ch 21, para 81)
B17. Repeated tags, gestures and tics per character. Both
Gestures that come in the same sentence as each name. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Character | Top gestures |
|---|---|
| Anne Elliot | smiled 6, sighed 3, blushed 2 |
| Mr Elliot | none |
| Captain Frederick Wentworth | none |
| Charles Musgrove | laughed 2, bowed 1, nodded 1 |
| Lady Russell | none |
| Sir Walter Elliot | nodded 1 |
| Elizabeth Elliot | none |
| Mary Musgrove | laughed 1 |
Anne: repeated phrases about constancy and feeling. Wentworth: coldness, then jealousy, then passionate confession. Mr Elliot: polished manners masking calculation. Lady Russell: social ambition and matchmaking. Sir Walter: vanity about appearance and rank. Mrs Smith: cheerfulness despite poverty. Captain Benwick: melancholy and poetry. No distinctive verbal tics are marked in the text.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 7, Ch 15, Ch 17, Ch 21, Ch 23
Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation. (Ch 1, para 7)
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. (Ch 8, para 59)
She is nothing to me, compared with you (Ch 16, para 1)
B18. Moral choices that define the lead. AI
Ch 4: Anne accepts her past decision to break the engagement, believing it was right. Ch 5: She warns her family about Mrs Clay's danger, showing moral courage. Ch 17: She renews friendship with poor Mrs Smith despite family disapproval, choosing principle over status. Ch 21: She rejects Mr Elliot's mercenary courtship, trusting her own judgement. Ch 23: She accepts Wentworth's renewed love, choosing her own heart over obedience to authority.
Chapters: Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 17, Ch 21, Ch 23
She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it. But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. (Ch 4, para 5)
She never could accept him. And it was not only that her feelings were still adverse to any man save one; her judgement, on a serious consideration of the possibilities of such a case, was against Mr Elliot (Ch 17, para 26)
If she could only have a few minutes conversation with him again, she fancied she should be satisfied; and as to the power of addressing him, she felt all over courage if the opportunity occurred. (Ch 19, para 32)
B19. Balance of speaking parts by gender. Count
Of attributed speech, women have 68% and men 32%. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Group | Words spoken |
|---|---|
| Women | 4650 |
| Men | 2154 |
| Unclear | 0 |
B20. Who changes and who stays fixed? AI
Anne changes from regretful and passive to self-aware and active. Wentworth changes from cold and resentful to jealous and finally passionate. Lady Russell changes from confident matchmaker to humbled advisor. Mr Elliot remains fixed as a calculating schemer. Sir Walter remains fixed in his vanity. Mrs Smith remains fixed in her cheerful wisdom. Louisa changes from reckless to engaged and settled.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 7, Ch 24
Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation. (Ch 1, para 7)
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. (Ch 8, para 59)
I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. (Ch 23, para 42)
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