Heroines in "Persuasion"

Paper Summary:

This paper responds to the given statement that: 'In contrast to Emma Woodhouse and Elizabeth Bennet, Anne Elliot is an unlikely heroine', by stressing that most of Austen's heroines do not obediently conform to the conventional heroine. It looks at how Anne Elliot, the protagonist of "Persuasion", is, like most Austen heroines, witty, clever and considerate and how compared to Austen's other female characters Emma and Elizabeth is the unlikely heroine.

From the Paper:

"We can see that Anne Elliot was certainly not the chief female character in the novel at least not in the beginning. Her point of view of the story only begins after a couple of chapters into the novel. At first we see her as father, Mr. Elliot sees her insignificant. Anne is treated as the heroine of the novel; however, a heroine is a woman who takes risks and makes decisions in order to control her life's destiny, not one who passively waits for her fate. In the book, Anne is depicted as the novel's admirable protagonist. This only seems so because she is surrounded by confused, bitter and conniving characters. She seems to be the only sensible character in the novel."

More papers on Heroines in "Persuasion":

• Comparison Essay # 109770 : "Letters in Two of Jane Austen's Novels"
• Comparison Essay # 3927 : "The Romantic Fates of Jane Austen and Anne Elliot"
• Book Review # 23823 : "Female Heroines in Victorian Novels"

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