AUSTEN’S PERSUASION: MERITOCRACY,
MASCULINITY, AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE
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Harper, Haley Elizabeth
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Harper, Haley Elizabeth. (2018). AUSTEN’S PERSUASION:
MERITOCRACY, MASCULINITY, AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE
(Bachelor's thesis, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA).
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AUSTEN’S PERSUASION: MERITOCRACY, MASCULINITY, AND POLITICAL
DISCOURSE
By
HALEY ELIZABETH HARPER
A Thesis Submitted to The Honors College
In Partial Fulfillment of the Bachelor’s degree
With Honors in
English
THE UNIVERISTY OF ARIZONA
MAY 2018
Approved by:
_______________________________
Dr. Paul Hurh
Department of English
Abstract
This essay analyzes the pieces of Jane Austen’s Persuasion in which the author compares
the aristocracy and the meritocracy through various interactions and portrayals of values in order
to illustrate the moral superiority of the returned sailors. The meritocracy, social success through
hard work and amiability, contrasts starkly with the established aristocracy, who only recognize
those with noble bloodlines. Through analysis of the aristocracy and meritocracy’s relationships
to community, possessions, and women, her political message becomes clear: the lifestyle and
values of the meritocracy is more desirable than that of the aged aristocracy. Persuasion
contrasts the masculinity of each system, favoring the meritocracy, marked by manners and
morals tested in action, over the inheritance of the aristocracy. Informed by her personal
experiences with the Navy, the political climate, and her nation’s international history, Austen
subtly participates in the political dialogue through her work Persuasion to advocate for the new
masculinity promoted through the meritocracy.
Introduction
The relationship between women and politics was concealed and unknown for much of
recorded history. Women did not have the right to vote until the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries, and this remained limited to certain industrialized nations. Despite the
limitations imposed on them prior to suffrage, women still engaged in politics through indirect
mediums such as political organizing and attending rallies. Some women convinced their
husbands to vote in line with their interests, but open endorsement from female activists was
restricted due to social and legal boundaries. One powerful vehicle for political involvement was
writing, and some women utilized this tool to advocate or dissent. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, for example, humanized slaves and fueled anti-slavery sentiments before the
Harper 3
American Civil War (Lee). While other renowned historical women writers were recognized for
their political narratives or undertones, Jane Austen was not. Scholars regard Austen’s works,
recognized for their cultural significance and internationally esteemed, as apolitical. According
to many literary critics and historians, Austen’s works “were not thought to have any politics,”
considering this omission a parallel to her physical absence from the political scene during her
lifetime (Butler 190). A closer analysis of the dynamics between the returned sailors and the
aristocracy in Austen’s last novel, Persuasion, illustrates her willingness to engage in political
dialogue. Through the reintegration of returned sailors, Austen illustrates the creation of a new
socio-economic class, namely the meritocracy, to challenge the aristocracy during a time of
momentous social change. Austen’s inclusion and focus on this element of contemporary British
society in Persuasion provides a new sense of Austen’s political engagement, exercised through
her writing. Ultimately, Austen used Persuasion as a political mouthpiece to advocate for the
new gentlemanly masculinity, characterized by openness, practicality, and equality, of the
meritocracy in opposition to the retired and self-obsessed aristocracy.
Historical Context
Austen permeates Persuasion with the social order, a war, and the presence of naval
officers who embody refreshing values. Austen utilized her personal experience of wartime in
Persuasion, and showed how war affects society and its concerns, brings out certain values, and
speaks to the nation’s political and economic thought (Watson 5). Austen understood war as a
positive force in the rebirth of social order and values, evident in the positive characterizations of
many of her characters, to include the modest and constant Captain Wentworth and the honesty
of Admiral Croft. The social, political, and economic dynamics of the era in which Austen wrote
is critical in understanding her relationship to war and the Navy.
Harper 4
Austen’s challenge of the aristocracy is emblematic of a push away from the rigid elite
and towards more social mobility and freedom that coursed through England for decades, but
primarily following the French Revolution beginning in 1789. Persuasion takes place during the
Napoleonic Wars, but most of the leaders of Napoleon’s army had no claim to land or ancient
lineage as is characteristic of the aristocracy. Instead, these leaders rose to prominence following
the French Revolution due to their own efforts and merits (Colley 150). In the eyes of the British,
these French officers were representative of the meritocracy, and served as politically subversive,
illustrating that men who inherited wealth and status were not inherently more adept in
exercising authority over any other group of people. The recent loss in America, the French
Revolution, and the wars with both nations strained the British aristocracy and challenged their
authority to dominate society. Beginning in the 1780s, criticism of the legitimacy of the ruling
elite entered mainstream political discourse through the works and writings of individuals like
Thomas Paine, Thomas Spence, and William Cobbett (Colley 152). The critiques they produced
illustrated the ruling elite as separate from the people and interests of England. Often, these
arguments portrayed a parasitic relationship between the people and their rulers, as the elite only
intended to benefit themselves by inflating taxes, manipulating policy, or serving some other
selfish end at the detriment of the average citizen. Gradually, this criticism grew beyond these
thinkers into conservative middle-class newspapers and journals. Dissent against the distinct and
rigid social hierarchy grew and remained prominent during the time in which Austen wrote
Persuasion.
In the wake of war, the Royal Navy grew in prominence and respectability in British
society. Although associated with the protection of freedom and religion, as well as with national
prosperity, naval officers elicited lesser social standing than army officers (Lincoln 2). The
Harper 5
prominence of the Navy in Austen’s Persuasion, and several of her other works, likely lies in her
familial relations instead of a national preference for that military branch. Austen’s brothers
Francis and Charles fought through the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars as sailors in the
Royal Navy (Southam 3). The Navy served as an attractive career for aspiring officers, and
instilled different values in its men than other branches. Throughout the eighteenth century, the
command of the Navy mirrored the increasing belief in British society that professionals “were
becoming the repositories of social virtues” (Lincoln 4). The Navy was an appealing career
choice for men of the middle and low social classes, as upward mobility was achievable during
wartime as officers died in battle. In addition to sizable pay, sailors earned prize money if enemy
ships were captured, contributing to their acclimation of wealth. After the American Revolution
and into the beginnings of the Napoleonic Wars, more men were needed to join the Navy than
who volunteered. Thus, the government instituted press-gangs to pull men from lower class
neighborhoods and towns into obligatory national service. This brought even more men from
lower social statuses upward after their service concluded. The Royal Navy served as a vehicle
of upward social mobility due to the pay, but also due to the values instilled through naval
discipline. Values such as cleanliness, brotherhood, respect, and integrity, among others, were
highly esteemed within the Royal Navy, as it ensured the cooperation of scores of men aboard a
ship for weeks at a time. Characters in Austen’s Persuasion embody these values, as the returned
sailors carry these instilled values into their homes and interactions with others in their social
circle and beyond.
Despite this time of tremendous and rapid social change in England, Austen was not
outwardly or openly politically active throughout her life. While her female peers hosted salons
and shared their perspectives with others, Austen remained reserved and silent amidst the
Harper 6
political dialogue that surrounded her. No public records or publishing bluntly illuminate
Austen’s political leanings, and many of her letters and personal paper were burned after her
death in 1817. Due to the lack of accessible and conclusive information regarding her politics,
many scholars concluded that Austen “transcended the political; she was ‘eternal’ precisely
because her concerns were” (Neill 205). This opinion has shielded much analysis of Austen’s
works from a political perspective, despite her international recognition as one of the most
esteemed female writers of all time.
Influenced and shaped by her familial background and the social climate of the time,
Persuasion presents many social and political elements that represented Austen’s daily reality.
As Austen wrote this novel, the Napoleonic Wars ended, resulting in her brothers’ homecoming
and the reintegration of thousands of other sailors and soldiers returning to England. The values
of these men, shaped by their time and experiences in the Navy, clash with that of the
aristocracy. At this critical point in English history, Austen chose to write about the divergence
in social values and the emergence of a new masculinity defined not by property and wealth, but
by merit and action. Persuasion serves as a commentary on these social changes following the
conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, and Austen’s preference for the meritocracy surfaces as her
positive representation of returned sailors illuminates the pitfalls of the aristocracy.
Opened and Closed: Relationships to Others
Throughout Persuasion, the aristocracy, primarily represented by Sir Walter Elliot,
differs significantly from the returned sailors in its relationship to others in the community. Elliot
conveys a high sense of superiority due to his noble lineage, and disdains those who intend to
achieve a lifestyle comparable to him through other means. Conversely, Austen portrays the
returned sailors as community-centered, as their nondiscriminatory friendliness and brotherhood
Harper 7
are two of their most defining qualities. Through the representations of the aristocracy as closedoff and self-centered opposed to the meritocracy as open and accepting of all, Austen shows the
advantages and appeal of the latter, advocating a shift away from the detrimentally and rigidly
stratified aristocracy.
Austen immediately portrays Sir Walter Elliot as status obsessed and selfish, and
establishes him as the figurehead of the aristocracy in the novel. She begins her novel with a
blatant distaste towards the aristocracy, evident through her initial description of Elliot and his
habits as a member of the aristocracy. She describes him:
Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own
amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an
idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused into
admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents; there
any unwelcome sensations, arising from domestic affairs, changed naturally into pity and
contempt. … If every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with an
interest which never failed. (Austen 5)
The Baronetage, the only book Elliot reads, is a comprehensive reference book of the noble
families in England. This text dictated, to all members of an aristocratic society, which people
belonged to the British nobility and inherently achieved more social esteem, wealth, and power.
Elliot’s preoccupation with this, and only this, text indicates his obsession with his social status.
Through examining his own entry, Elliot feels secure and “consolation” when “domestic affairs”
challenge his position. Elliot’s self-worth derives from his inclusion in the Baronetage, and he
uses it as a tool to claim legitimacy and entitlement. Austen provides no indication that he
deserves any degree of social respect, aside from his inclusion in this text, as she notes that he is
Harper 8
not well-read, nor presumably well-educated, as he “never took up any book” aside from this
one. His fixation with his inclusion of the text, aligning himself with others who hold power in
nineteenth century Britain, indicates he has done nothing remarkable to warrant elevated social
status. Elliot does not have a successful enterprise or notable political influence. Instead, he has a
singular text that validates his importance in society, which he desperately clings to maintain.
Austen’s diction in this beginning passage is noteworthy, as it immediately creates a
negative association with the aristocracy. Austen utilizes words with negative implications, such
as “powerless,” “remnant,” and “failed” to color the reader’s perception of the aristocracy as frail
and weak. The Baronetage is immediately understood as a form of validation in times of
questioning. Without legitimate reasons for power and elevated social status, the aristocracy
resort to this text in order to dispel fears and insecurities.
Austen continues to portray Elliot as a man absorbed by his social position as he
disagrees with the desirability of a naval couple occupying Kellynch Hall. Despite the insistence
of both Anne and Mr. Shepherd that sailors of the Navy “are as likely to make desirable tenants
as any set of people one should meet with,” Elliot scorns the notion of someone beneath his
status residing in his home (Austen 18). Elliot claims that the profession “has its utility” and
place within the social order, but that he would be embarrassed to see a comrade associate
himself with the institution of military service (Austen 20). Furthermore, Elliot illuminates his
disdain for the profession, saying, “‘Yes; it is in two points offensive to me; I have two strong
grounds of objection to it. First, as being the means of bringing persons of obscure birth into
undue distinction, and raising men to honors which their fathers and grandfathers never dreamt
of…’” (Austen 20). His primary rationale for disliking men of the Navy is that they threaten his
own social status. He objects to the rise of the returned sailors because it deviates from the social
Harper 9
norm of generational inheritance, as in the case of Elliot and his family. He indicates that these
men of “obscure birth” gain “undue distinction,” and surpass the respectability of their ancestors.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “obscure,” in relation to a person or group of
people, means “not illustrious or famous; humble” (“obscure, adj. 6”). This humbleness directly
juxtaposes the character of Sir Walter Elliot at the novel’s beginning, as his defining
characteristic is his vanity. Elliot’s “vanity of person and of situation” influence his opinions and
actions throughout the novel, as nothing bears more relevance to him than his own beauty and
baronetcy (Austen 6). This vanity, however, does not increase the likeability or respectability of
Elliot throughout the novel. Instead, it underlies his actions and serves as the source of his
mounting debts, borne of his own unwillingness in fear of “compromising [his] dignity” (Austen
11). Austen contrasts Elliot’s vanity with the sailor’s humbleness to demonstrate that the
distinction, namely the wealth and status they gain, is rightfully earned.
While Elliot, representative of the aristocracy, lacks a desirable relationship with his
society and community, other characters in Persuasion overflow with compliments for the
returned sailors who connect easily and quickly with their new community. Louisa, after a visit
to the residence of Captains Harville and Benwick, adores “the character of the navy – their
friendliness, their brotherliness, their openness, their uprightness; protesting that she was
convinced of sailors having more worth and warmth than any other set of men in England; that
they only knew how to live, and they only deserved to be respected and loved” (Austen 92-3).
Louisa’s description illustrates the amicability and respectability of the returned sailors.
Throughout the novel, the aristocracy, particularly Sir Walter Elliot, embodies selfishness and
prejudice. This contrast illuminates the differing values and character of the new meritocracy and
the aristocracy. Louisa’s descriptions do not deviate greatly from the sentiments of many other
Harper 10
characters regarding the returned sailors, who find the qualities of these men to be not only
pleasant, but more so than most other people. Her admiration, in addition to that of Anne Elliot
and numerous other characters, shows the desirability of the qualities and values found within
these men.
Several of Louisa’s descriptors bear particular relevance to these men’s relationship to
community, namely “friendliness” and “brotherliness” and “openness.” The brotherhood fostered
through the shared experiences in the Navy enables these sailors to acquire values more sincerely
than others would in traditional society. Their time in the Navy relied upon teamwork, and
fostering relationships was essential to success in their assignments. Spending extensive amounts
of time on warships isolated from society, these men “formed their own rigid communities
subject to naval discipline” (Lincoln 5). This time created tremendous bonds between sailors,
and these types of relationships extended when the men returned to England. Austen’s use of
“openness” draws attention to the rigidity of the current social structure. Only those included in
Elliot’s book are allowed and welcomed to share in prestige and honor. The Navy men,
conversely, uphold a more accessible system in which the sailor who works hard and follows
orders can rise through the ranks. There are no limitations placed on the sailor that are beyond
his control. Instead, he is in charge of determining his success and promotion through his own
merits. This open system allows any man to become an Admiral if he puts in the appropriate
effort and time. This system of elevation contrasts drastically with that imposed by the
aristocracy, one that Elliot clings to desperately as he has no honors to justify his position in
society.
These returned sailors who achieved wealth and honor through the Navy exude their
status differently from Elliot. Early in the novel, Austen writes, “Vanity was the beginning and
Harper 11
the end of Sir Walter Elliot's character; vanity of person and of situation. ... Few women could
think more of their personal appearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lord be
more delighted with the place he held in society. He considered the blessing of beauty as inferior
only to the blessing of a baronetcy…” (Austen 6). Austen immediately highlights the artificiality
of the aristocracy as she describes Elliot’s infatuation with his appearance and status. She also
connects Elliot to the institution of aristocracy, showing his relationship to others of his status
through the “valet of any new made lord.” This maintains his lack of a relationship with those
beneath him. The novel lacks a redeeming description of Elliot, illustrating Austen’s negative
perception of the aristocracy and their undeserved wealth and power. Austen consistently
portrays him as self-interested and intentionally ignorant of others, closed off to any who did not
achieve his level of prosperity without inheriting it through this system. While Elliot claims that
the honors now granted are “undue,” each returned sailor exhibits extraordinary moral character,
definitively superior to that of Elliot, to implicitly advocate for the creation of the meritocracy
and subvert the aristocracy’s primary argument against it. Despite this lacking justification for
his status, Elliot clings to his title and nobility, claiming superiority and dismissing those beneath
him in the rigid social structure of the aristocracy. Throughout Persuasion, Austen demonstrates
the value in the sailors’ “obscure birth,” and shows how their humbleness and community-centric
attitudes makes them preferable to Elliot and his vanity.
Practical and Superficial: Relationships to Possessions
In addition to Austen’s depiction of the aristocracy and meritocracy in regards to their
relationships to others and their communities, Austen argues the meritocracy’s superiority based
on the sailors’ degrees of responsibility. Through a comparison of the Crofts’ treatment of
Kellynch Hall and that of Sir Elliot, Austen portrays the meritocracy as more self-sustaining and
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capable of functioning within society. Despite Elliot’s obsession with appearances, he exerts no
effort in maintaining his own estate or finances, resulting in his removal from the home and
replacement by the Crofts. Austen recognizes other sailors throughout the text for their initiative
and capability in ensuring their own accommodations. While Austen illustrates that the
meritocracy is more open and community-centered, she compounds this preference over the
aristocracy by demonstrating their practical relationship with their homes and belongings. The
masculinity embodied by the meritocracy appreciates possessions for their utility, not
appearance. This relationship echoes that studied in the previous section, as the meritocracy
values people and possessions for what they provide, not for the status or wealth they indicate to
others. This new gentlemanly masculinity of the meritocracy values usefulness instead of
appearances. The analysis of Elliot’s relationship to possessions and that of the returned sailors
indicates another platform through which Austen advocates the superiority of the meritocracy.
Elliot’s relationship to his, and others’, possessions is interesting in that he uses them as a
measure of success and takes pride in his estate, but also invests no effort in maintaining them.
At the beginning of the novel, readers learn of Elliot’s poor relationship with money, as his
irresponsibility led to his removal from his own estate in order to get out of debt. Not only did
his lavish lifestyle put him in a compromised financial situation, Lady Russell suggests, “If he
will adopt these regulations, in seven years he will be clear” (Austen 13). Elliot’s irresponsibility
requires seven years to rectify, illustrating the extremity of his disregard for his own finances.
Once Elliot accepts that Kellynch Hall must be rented out in order to eliminate his debt, he
speaks to the prestige and pride in his estate, saying, “‘[An Admiral] would be a very lucky man,
Shepherd,’ replied Sir Walter, ‘that’s all I have to remark. A prize indeed would Kellynch Hall
be to him; rather the greatest prize of all, let him have taken ever so many before’” (Austen 18).
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While Elliot’s vanity is a strong driver in his valuation of his home, his estate is significantly
valuable, indicated by his status and the estate’s worth in reducing Elliot’s debt. Despite the
hall’s value, the Crofts made many repairs and adjustments upon their residence that indicate the
limited effort Elliot invested in his home. Several improvements were made, which Admiral
Croft regards, saying:
‘We told you about the laundry-door, at Uppercross. That has been a very great
improvement. The wonder was how any family upon earth could bear with the
inconvenience of its opening as it did, so long! You will tell Sir Walter what we have
done, and that Mr. Shepherd thinks it the greatest improvement the house ever had.
Indeed, I must do ourselves the justice to say, that the few alterations we have made have
been all very much for the better.’ (Austen 119).
While Elliot holds his estate in such high esteem, he neglects to fix several issues that the Crofts
repair immediately upon their arrival. Under the supervision and attention of the Crofts, the
quality of Kellynch Hall has improved since Elliot left. Despite Elliot’s long residence on the
estate, he does not value his home enough to make necessary repairs. Anne recognizes this, and
even admits that “she could not but in conscience feel that they were gone who deserved not to
stay, and that Kellynch Hall had passed into better hands than its owners” (Austen 117). Austen
contrasts the Crofts and Elliot in this way in order to illustrate the differences in appreciation of
possessions. While Elliot has a surface and appearance related appreciation of his possessions,
the Crofts focus on practicality instead, and are comfortable working when necessary to achieve
that end.
Through Persuasion, Elliot considers the material possessions of others extensively to
maintain his security in his own wealth and position. Upon Mary’s arrival, all Elliot wishes to
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know is “whether the Crofts travelled with four horses, and whether they were likely to be
situated in such a part of Bath as it might suit Miss Elliot and himself to visit in; but had little
curiosity beyond” (Austen 156). Insecure in his position, particularly as the Crofts now maintain
his residence, ensuring that he is still superior to them financially in other ways remains
important to Elliot. When he learns that the Crofts are travelling and staying in the less affluent
“Gay Street” as opposed to “Camden Place,” Elliot is highly pleased (Austen 158). Upon his
knowledge that they are staying in a place inferior to his own, he feels more comfortable
indicating his acquaintance with the couple, satisfied in his knowledge that he is still
unquestionably their social superior. His dependence upon their financial inferiority is ironic, as
his relationship to them began due to his financial irresponsibility and debts.
Levels of Equality: Relationships to Women
One final major point of divergence Austen accentuates is the treatment and regard of
women in the aristocracy and meritocracy. Throughout the novel, Austen highlights the role of
powerful and intelligent women, as Mrs. Croft and Anne are responsible for much of the
financial success of both families. This portrayal of thriving women “casts doubt on the benefits
to be derived from male lines of descent. Anne Elliot may not even be Sir Walter’s eldest
daughter and yet she demonstrates throughout the novel that she possesses exactly the right
qualities to ensure both the survival and prosperity of Kellynch” (Sales 172). The portrayals of
Mrs. Croft and Anne serve to demonstrate the importance of a social structure that does not limit
women, one embodied by the meritocracy. While the aristocracy kept women out of influential
and powerful roles, the meritocracy valued women more for the skills and abilities they
contributed, elevating them sometimes to places that society deemed only fit for men. The new
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masculinity of the meritocracy embraced the expertise brought by women, and encouraged them
to use their skills in order to benefit all.
In traditional English society, men are responsible for the finances and women are not
heavily involved in matters involving money. This, however, does not pertain to the relationship
of the Admiral and Mrs. Croft. When they are looking to rent Kellynch Hall, Mr. Shepherd
indicates that Mrs. Croft “asked more questions about the house, and terms, and taxes, than the
Admiral himself” (Austen 17). Mrs. Croft’s involvement in the procurement of the hall,
particularly more than her husband, subverts the traditional and expected gender roles upheld
under the aristocracy. While Elliot exudes the desire to maintain authority in all respects,
Admiral Croft is comfortable and secure in his wife’s dominance in various aspects of their
marriage. When driving Anne to the Cottage, Mrs. Croft takes over driving the carriage for her
husband, “by coolly giving the reins a better direction herself they happily passed the danger;
and by once afterwards judiciously putting out her hand they neither fell into a rut, nor ran foul
of a dung-cart; and Anne, with some amusement at their style of driving, which she imagined no
bad representation of the general guidance of their affairs, found herself safely deposited by them
at the Cottage” (Austen 85-6). Anne’s reaction indicates the unusual nature of the Croft’s shared
responsibilities and roles, but does not portray them negatively. Instead, their more equitable
style of delegation is perceived in a jovial manner “with some amusement.” Through this
positive depiction of the Crofts’ marriage, readers obtain insight into Austen’s own perspective,
who sees “the proper marriage [as] one in which the two parties operate on a basis of mutual
respect” (Monaghan 108). This equality was not attainable under the aristocracy due to the
importance placed upon male lineage. Through the meritocracy, relationships in which women
were valued for their intelligence and skill were more attainable.
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Beyond their shown relationship throughout the novel, Admiral and Mrs. Croft spent
extensive time together at sea. Mrs. Croft has stayed with her husband for the fifteen years of
their marriage, and has travelled large expanses, from the East Indies to Cork, Gibraltar, Lisbon,
and several times across the Atlantic. While women were not allowed in any branch of military
service at this point in history, Mrs. Croft demonstrated profound ability to overcome any
challenge, saying:
‘I can safely say, that the happiest part of my life has been spent on board a ship. While
we were together, you know, there was nothing to be feared. Thank God! I have always
been blessed with excellent health, and no climate disagrees with me. A little disordered
always the first twenty-four hours of going to sea, but never knew what sickness was
afterwards. The only time I ever really suffered in body or mind, the only time that I ever
fancied myself unwell, or had any ideas of danger, was the winter that I passed by myself
at Deal, when the Admiral (Captain Croft then) was in the North Seas. I lived in perpetual
fright at that time, and had all manner of imaginary complaints from not knowing what to
do with myself, or when I should hear from him next; but as long as we could be
together, nothing ever ailed me, and I never met with the smallest inconvenience.’
(Austen 66).
In reaction to Captain Wentworth’s insistence that women could not fare well at sea, Mrs. Croft
implicitly illustrates her tenacity over fifteen years by enduring similar conditions to her
husband. While women were typically barred from joining their husbands at sea, “the wives of
officers and petty officers were often carried to sea and usually did a specific job, such as
looking after the sick and wounded” (Southam 276-7). This further exemplifies Mrs. Croft’s
Harper 17
utility and willingness to subvert the expectations of her gender imposed by the society in
England.
Austen also consistently portrays Anne Elliot as a strong woman, and this is most evident
towards the conclusion of the novel. Following Louisa’s fall, the men, Wentworth and
Musgrove, lose the ability to function and create order amongst the chaos. This role then shifts to
Anne, who supervises the resuscitation of Louisa and helps Wentworth in his distress. Anne’s
behavior and composure greatly exceeds that of her male counterparts, and “she appears as an
adult amongst helpless children” (Monaghan 107). This depiction explicitly illustrates the
capabilities of women that strictly patriarchal structures sideline and omit from the public view,
restricting most women to domestic tasks. The aristocracy leaves little room for women to thrive,
but the attractive alternative presented through the meritocracy serves as another compelling
reason Austen supports the shift towards meritocracy.
Austen concludes the novel with consideration of Anne’s future as the wife of a sailor.
Throughout the novel, Wentworth’s relationship with Anne is an embodiment of the values of
“faithfulness, courtesy, duty, and loyalty which have emerged from a long and arduous war”
(Watson 4). Austen highlights the domestic virtues of naval officers, saying:
Anne was tenderness itself, and she had the full worth of it in Captain Wentworth’s
affection. His profession was all that could ever make her friends wish that tenderness
less; the dread of a future war all that could dim her sunshine. She gloried in being a
sailor’s wife, but she must pay tax of quick alarm for belonging to that profession which
is, if possible, more distinguished in its domestic virtues than in its national importance.
(Austen 236).
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Austen defies traditional stereotypes of men, particularly members of the military, and argues
that these men make better husbands than fighters. Through war, desirable qualities in men are
brought out, such as brotherhood, friendliness, amicability, and openness, which the returned
sailors embody and continue to utilize throughout their lives returned to England. This final
depiction of the roles of men and women in a marriage illustrates Austen’s progressive view
towards the institution of gender roles in the aristocracy, and shows how the returned sailors
challenge that tradition.
Conclusion
Throughout her life, Jane Austen remained largely silent from public discussions or
political discourse. Her physical absence led many to dismiss a political presence within her
works, but a closer consideration of Persuasion provides a greater sense of Austen’s progressive
political views. Throughout the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, dissent against the
aristocracy grew among the British. Only men of noble lineage had access to prestige, wealth,
and power, which ostracized most members of society. Through the positive portrayal of
returned sailors following the Napoleonic Wars, Austen illustrates the values of the meritocracy,
namely their openness, practicality, and greater equality for women. A system based on an
individual’s work ethic, determination, and social cooperation, Austen advocates for the
institution of a meritocracy in Persuasion through repeated negative depictions of the
aristocracy, embodied by the vain Sir Walter Elliot. Meritocracy gives more access and
opportunity to all, including women, which she highlights throughout her novel. The meritocracy
is a system based upon utility, whether it be that of a man, woman, or object. Throughout
Persuasion, Austen demonstrates why this is preferable, as this new masculinity promoted by the
meritocracy increases opportunities for everyone, including women who were historically
Harper 19
marginalized and reduced to the domestic sphere. This new masculinity embraces the value of
utility, demonstrated through the meritocracy’s openness, practicality, and great equality,
surpassing the outdated and artificial aristocracy. Using her talents as a writer, Austen did
participate in the political dialogue of the time and contributed a work to the literary cannon that
promoted a society based on ability instead of one dictated by predetermined hierarchies.
Harper 20
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Colley, Linda. Britons: Forging the Nation 1707-1837. Yale University Press, 1992.
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Emsley, Clive. Hard Men: Violence in England since 1750. Hambledon and London Ltd, 2005.
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