Persuasion Jane Austen

Zach Metzler

Persuasion Essay Topic

Parents and the Role of Upbringing.

In her novel Persuasion, 18th century author Jane Austen provides modern-day readers with a fascinating look into the different styles of parenting she witnessed during her lifetime.

The novel follows the emotional progression and romance of Anne Elliot, the daughter of a gentleman. Though it is a love story on the surface, Austen also comments on many social issues, including parenting.

As 21st century parents, it is easy to get caught up in the latest child-rearing fades that pop up in the bookstores on a weekly basis. And sometimes in the midst of all the new ideas, parents forget what it’s all really about: the children. One of the many things Austen points out in her classic novel is the parenting faults that were rampant in her time, and still are prevalent today.

Classic Fault of Favoritism

Bad parent example A is introduced in the first paragraph of the novel. Sir Walter Elliot is a single father with three daughters. His wife, Elizabeth, died 14 years ago, and with her died all love for two of his daughters. Sir Walter displays one of the most dangerous parenting faults: favoritism. He adores his eldest daughter, Elizabeth, because she is haughty and beautiful, like him. He has no patience, however, for his less gorgeous daughter, Mary, and even less for his intelligent daughter, Anne.

Mary redeems herself slightly in her father’s eyes by marrying into a wealthy country family, though she receives no additional title in doing so. To Sir Walter, title and name is everything, and he determines all worth on that scale.

Anne is deemed a total failure because she does not take haughty pride in their family name as Sir Walter and Elizabeth do. She recognizes the absurdity of relying on titles and gravitates toward those who find deeper meaning in life.

Parenting at a Distance vs. Micromanagement Parenting

As a father, Sir Walter fails miserably at raising his two youngest...