Persuasion: Setting and world
13 lenses on setting and world 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: I1 I2 I3 I4 I5 I6 I7 I8 I9 I10 I11 I12 I13
I1. Places named and how often each appears. Count
Bath is the place named most, 101 times.
| Place | Mentions | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | 101 | 17 |
| Lyme | 67 | 12 |
| Camden Place | 29 | 11 |
| Kellynch Hall | 25 | 10 |
| the Cobb | 12 | 4 |
| Winthrop | 11 | 4 |
| Uppercross Cottage | 5 | 2 |
| Somersetshire | 4 | 4 |
| the White Hart | 3 | 2 |
I2. Setting by chapter, as a map. Both
The place named most in each chapter. A rough setting map. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Chapter | Place named most |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kellynch Hall |
| 2 | Bath |
| 3 | Kellynch Hall |
| 4 | Kellynch Hall |
| 5 | Bath |
| 6 | Bath |
| 7 | |
| 8 | Kellynch Hall |
| 9 | Winthrop |
| 10 | Winthrop |
| 11 | Lyme |
| 12 | Lyme |
| 13 | Lyme |
| 14 | Lyme |
Kellynch Hall (chapters 1 to 5) gives way to Uppercross Cottage and Great House (6 to 13), then Bath (14 to 22), with a final walk in Bath (23) and summary resolution (24). The journey from country to city mirrors Anne's emotional arc from hope to despair to joy.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 6, Ch 14, Ch 23, Ch 24
I3. Setting shown in blocks or woven into action? AI
Settings are woven into action. Austen reveals rooms and landscapes through characters' movements and observations rather than static description. The Cobb at Lyme, the concert hall, and Bath streets emerge as scenes unfold.
Chapters: Ch 6, Ch 12, Ch 20
she was too precipitate by half a second, she fell on the pavement on the Lower Cobb, and was taken up lifeless! (Ch 12, para 33)
I4. Weather and light used for mood. Both
Weather and light words: 0.36 per 1,000 words.
Weather and light words, chapter by chapter
Weather and light are used sparingly but meaningfully. The accident at Lyme occurs in daylight on the Cobb, creating visual drama. Bath's indoor settings reflect Anne's emotional confinement. Outdoor walks signal moments of clarity and connection.
Chapters: Ch 12, Ch 19, Ch 23
I5. The social world: class, money, rules. AI
Class and money structure the entire plot. Sir Walter's financial crisis forces the family to retrench. Naval officers like Wentworth represent merit-based advancement against landed gentry's inherited status. Marriage prospects depend on rank, fortune, and connections throughout.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 5, Ch 21
Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation. (Ch 1, para 7)
Her father was growing distressed for money. She knew, that when he now took up the Baronetage, it was to drive the heavy bills of his tradespeople, and the unwelcome hints of Mr Shepherd, his agent, from his thoughts. (Ch 1, para 21)
The profession has its utility, but I should be sorry to see any friend of mine belonging to it. (Ch 3, para 14)
I6. Rules of the world (magic, science) and when each is shown. AI
Not a feature of this book. Austen works entirely within the rules of Regency England: social hierarchy, marriage law, property entail, and naval rank. No magical or scientific systems govern the world.
I7. Lore: dripped in or dumped? AI
Naval lore is dripped in gradually. Austen mentions ranks, ships, and the profession's risks through dialogue and character background. The reader learns about naval life through Wentworth's experience and his friends' circumstances rather than exposition.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 6, Ch 11, Ch 12
It was you, and not your sister, I find, that my brother had the pleasure of being acquainted with, when he was in this country. (Ch 6, para 19)
A letter from his friend, Captain Harville, having found him out at last, had brought intelligence of Captain Harville’s being settled with his family at Lyme for the winter (Ch 11, para 6)
I8. Real history used, and how. AI
The Napoleonic Wars form the historical backdrop. Naval officers like Wentworth gained wealth and status through active service. The timeline references 'the year six' (1806) and spans eight years, grounding the story in real historical period.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 11, Ch 23
That was in the year six;” “That happened before I went to sea in the year six (Ch 8, para 2)
It is a period, indeed! Eight years and a half is a period. (Ch 22, para 59)
I9. Journeys: distance and time taken. Both
Journeys are modest in distance but significant in time. Uppercross to Lyme takes a day. Bath is reached after weeks at Uppercross. The final walk in Bath is brief but emotionally vast. Travel marks emotional transitions rather than adventure.
Chapters: Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 23
I10. Objects that matter, where they appear. Both
the concert is the object named most.
| Object | Mentions | Chapters |
|---|---|---|
| the concert | 15 | 5 |
| the carriage | 12 | 6 |
| the letter | 9 | 4 |
| the street | 6 | 3 |
| the drawing-room | 5 | 5 |
| the sofa | 5 | 3 |
| the Baronetage | 2 | 1 |
The Baronetage obsesses Sir Walter in chapter 1. Letters carry emotional weight, especially Wentworth's confession in chapter 23. The Cobb at Lyme becomes a symbol of danger and separation. Bath's social spaces constrain and reveal character.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 12, Ch 20, 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)
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)
I11. Density of period detail. AI
Period detail is moderate and functional. Austen mentions drawing rooms, carriages, concerts, and social calls but avoids excessive description. Details of dress, rank, and social protocol emerge naturally through action rather than inventory.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 15, Ch 20
I12. Setting as an enemy. AI
Bath becomes an enemy to Anne's happiness, confining her to her family's social ambitions and Mr Elliot's schemes. Kellynch's loss represents her displacement. Uppercross offers refuge but also proximity to Wentworth's apparent attachment to Louisa.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15
Anne entered it with a sinking heart, anticipating an imprisonment of many months (Ch 15, para 2)
I13. Indoors against outdoors. Both
Indoor words outnumber outdoor words 281 to 82. (rough estimate from word lists)
Indoor share %, chapter by chapter
Indoor scenes dominate: drawing rooms, parlours, and concert halls where social performance occurs. Outdoor walks at Uppercross and Lyme allow private feeling and honest conversation. The final reunion happens on a quiet walk, away from society's gaze.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 10, Ch 12, Ch 23
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)
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