Simple Summaries

Persuasion

Jane Austen

Simple Summary by Sarah Frank

Characters:

o  Elliots = high class family consisting of:

§ Sir Walter

§ 3 daughters: Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary

o  Mary is married to Charles Musgrove

o  Friendly neighbor/mentor/advisor/godmother woman named Lady Russell

Plot:

-           They are running out of money and have to basically sublet?

o  Family home: Kellynch Hall

o  Backup home: in Bath

-           Subletters: Admiral Croft (Navy) and his wife, Mrs Croft

o  Anne is in love with Mrs Croft’s brother, Captain Frederick Wentworth, but was persuaded not to go through with their marriage

§ Neither Lady Russell nor Sir Elliot thought it was a good idea because Anne had rank and title and Wentworth had no such prospects

-           Anne goes to stay with Mary at her place, Uppercross

o  Anne loves the Musgrove family

o  Anne loves that Captain Wentworth becomes friends with Mr. Musgrove and comes to visit

-           Unfortunately Captain Wentworth seems more interested in Henrietta and Louisa Musgrove

o  Louisa is characterized as having a strong resolve

-           Captain Wentworth proposes they take a trip where a man notices Anne

o  It’s Anne’s cousin LOL

-           Louisa is risky and jumps off a wall thing into Captain Wentworth’s arms then does it again and hurts herself

o  Anne takes care of her

o  Wentworth blames himself

-           Anne goes to stay with Lady Russell for a bit then goes back to Bath

o  She re-meets her good-looking cousin (Mr. Elliot) who wants to marry her

-           Anne re-befriends Mrs. Smith, an ex-classmate and new widow

o  Mrs. Smith has bad things to say about Mr. Elliot and that he wants to marry her to make sure the Kellynch home and fortune is secure

§ (If Sir Walter were to marry and have a son, the fortune would go to the son)

-           The Crofts come home with news:

o  Henrietta is marrying her cousin Charles Hayter

o  Louisa is marrying Captain Benwick, who she met on vacation

§ Anne is like YAY not Wentworth

-           Captain Wentworth, now much wealthier than he used to be, gets a reluctant invite from Sir Elliot and writes Anne a love letter

o  Basically: “it’s you. It’s always been you”