Stay Classy, Sir Walter

            The old saying “Money can’t buy happiness” is used to remind people that being rich isn’t the only thing in life that matters. But in the society depicted in Jane Austen’s Persuasion, that saying definitely doesn’t ring true—it’s generally understood that, if you’re wealthy, you’ve pretty much got it all. You’ve set yourself up for a lifetime of parties, suitors, extravagant lifestyles, and, perhaps arguably, happiness. In Persuasion, Austen focuses on the relationship between the social classes in early eighteenth century England, not only to describe what life was like for different kinds of people, but also to make fun of the ridiculous attitudes that some members of society had towards social distinction and class.

            Jane Austen uses Sir Walter Elliot and Lady Russell to introduce the concept of social class tensions. Sir Walter takes great pride in his high birth; his favorite book is the Baronetage, in which all the wealthy people in England are recognized (including himself), he doesn’t care to associate with most people who are below him in social rank, and places a high value on becoming better acquainted to people who are wealthy and well known, evidenced by when he shifts his focus to becoming closer to Lady Dalrymple. Sir Walter’s most prominent personality trait is his vanity—he is obsessed with himself and his great fortune. Similarly, Lady Russell, the Elliot family advisor, isn’t afraid to voice her opinions on class superiority. She has many discussions with Anne about how she should only marry someone who is of equal or superior rank. Lady Russell’s and Sir Walter’s opinions on Anne’s marriage and strong beliefs regarding associating only with those who are equal to you were the very basis of Persuasion: the tragic love affair of Captain Wentworth and Anne was broken apart seven years prior because of the urging to call off the engagement from Sir Walter and Lady Russell. Neither of them approved of the relationship; Sir Walter hated the Navy, because it provided the “…means of bringing persons of obscure birth into undue distinction, and raising men to honours which their fathers and grandfathers never dreamt of’ (Austen 35), and Lady Russell didn’t want Anne to marry someone who wasn’t rich. These were the types of characters that Austen pokes fun at; the rich, vain people that only care about money and social standing. She uses Anne’s character to portray her own opinions regarding these members of society, writing, “[Anne] considered it as an act of indispensable duty to clear away the claims of creditors with all the expedition which the most comprehensive retrenchments could secure, and saw no dignity in anything short of it” (Austen 22), showing how Anne considered her father’s unwillingness to give up his lavish lifestyle to be absolutely ridiculous.

            But while Austen portrays the rich and powerful characters in Persuasion in a mostly negative light, ridiculing them for their self-absorbed natures and shallow tendencies, she shows more kindness towards the people who had to work their way up to the top, and people who had misfortunes along the way. Austen depicts Captain Wentworth as a foil to Sir Walter. Captain Wentworth is described as “a remarkably fine young man, with a great deal of intelligence, spirit, and brilliancy” (Austen 47) and someone “full of life and ardour, he knew that he should soon have a ship, and soon be on a station that would lead to everything he wanted” (Austen 49). Captain Wentworth’s major flaw, the one that prevents him from being the ideal man that Anne is supposed to be interested in marrying, is his severe lack of money, and no social distinction whatsoever. He was a member of the Navy, a nobody; and in the eyes of the Elliots, Anne was certainly not going to marry a nobody. From Austen’s depiction of kinder, more well rounded man, we can see that she valued hard work, depth in a personality, and overall being a decent human being. Captain Wentworth’s care for others is what sets him apart from characters like Sir Walter. We see these personality traits in other characters as well. Admiral Croft, who was a “very hale, hearty, well-looking man, a little weather-beaten, to be sure, but not much, and quite the gentleman in all his notions and behaviour” (Austen 40), was also a member of the Navy, and didn’t have a high social status. However, despite them having to work for their wealth, Admiral and Mrs. Croft are both depicted as polite, hospitable, and agreeable people, who Anne admires and enjoys being around.

            The painting of vivid pictures of the two separate ends of the social class spectrum, describing and developing how they operate with one another, and what Austen’s opinions were on the members of each played a vital role in the plot development of Persuasion. But while Austen clearly sees the importance of social classes, that doesn’t stop her from also seeing the importance of kindness, respect, and, as evidenced by the “happily ever after” ending, love being more important than any social status or bank account figure. After all, isn’t that why money can’t buy happiness?

Works Cited

Austen, Jane. Persuasion. New York City: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2005. Print.

He's So Bad, But He Does It So Well!!!!

            Every girl loves a bad boy. It’s an archetype that’s been present in literature for ages. From Jason “J.D.” in Heathers and Danny Zuko in Grease, to Clarence Worley from True Romance and Wade Walker from Cry-Baby, the attraction of a misguided girl in need of rescuing from her boring life by a self-proclaimed rebellious male, typically depicted in a black leather jacket, sunglasses, and riding a motorcycle, has been the basis of too many stories to count. Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” could certainly qualify as one of those stories; but it’s the other aspects of the story combined with the fatal attraction that make it unique.

          

In “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” Connie is the misguided girl in need of rescuing from her boring life, and Arnold Friend is the self-proclaimed bad boy. However, the roles of each of these characters are altered slightly, and the personalities of Connie and Arnold aren’t quite as archetypal as typical of a “good girl meets bad guy” story. Oates depicts Connie as a young, susceptible teenager who’s been ridiculed and put down by her mother, criticized and compared to her perfect model of an older sister, and altogether been deprived of the love and guidance that teenage girls need while growing up. Arnold Friend is depicted as a predator, who comes to Connie and preys on her impressionable nature. His stalkerish knowledge of her family and friends makes her the prime candidate for his seduction. According to Joyce M. Wegs, “Since her elders do not bother about her, Connie is left defenseless against the temptations represented by Arnold Friend” (Wegs 101). 

While Connie was no doubt misguided, her actions aren’t exactly representative of someone who was helpless or in need of saving. She went out every night with her friends by herself, and wanted nothing more than to attract the attention of older boys. In fact, when Arnold Friend first came to Connie’s door, she continuously tried to attract his attention, as she “smirked and let her hair fall loose over one shoulder” (Oates 3). Even before she saw Arnold, “her heart began to pound and her fingers snatched at her hair, checking it, and she whispered, “Christ. Christ,” wondering how bad she looked” (Oates 3). 

The claim could be made that Connie’s superficiality and obsession with her appearance could come from her mother’s disapproval and neglect. However, in my opinion, Connie’s actions are a direct result of her wanting to oppose her mother. Oates writes, “everything about [Connie] had two sides to it, one for home and one for anywhere that was not home” (Oates 1). To me, that doesn’t sound like a damsel in distress. Connie sounds like someone who actively wants to become someone entirely different than who her family believes she is. Although Arnold Friend was clearly a depraved human being, perhaps Connie isn’t as much of a victim as Oates makes her out to be. In all honesty, if Connie had just gotten over herself and gone to the barbecue with her family like her mother asked her to, none of this would’ve happened. But she chose to disregard her mother’s wishes. Connie’s mother may not have been the kind, endearing mom that she always wanted, but she wouldn’t have shown concern for Connie’s actions if she didn’t care. Connie was just too caught up in trying to go against her to realize this.