Questions for Chapters 9-16 of “Persuasion”

1)This section opens with Louisa and Henrietta vying for the eye of Captain Wentworth.  What does their maneuvering and the Captain’s reaction say about marriage, romance, and status? Did you feel that this contrasted with the Crofts’ marriage?

2) Did you think that Austen effectively told the back-story of Anne’s relationship with Charles, and what did you think of Anne eavesdropping?


3) Chapter 11 ends with, “When the evening was over, Anne could not but be amused at the idea of her coming to Lyme to preach patience and resignation to a young man whom she had never seen before; nor could she help fearing, on more serious reflection, that, like many other great moralists and preachers, she had been eloquent on a point in which her own conduct would ill bear examination.” What did you think of her interaction with Captain Benwick?


4) When the novel was originally published, it was in two sections.  Section I ended with Louisa’s injury and was considered to be a “cliffhanger” (source, Sparknotes online) would it have enticed you to buy the second section? What did you think of Mary’s reaction to Louisa’s injury?


5) Austen uses the imagery of autumn several times in this section.  Why?


6) What do you think of the return of Mr. Elliot, his motives, and of a potential match with Elizabeth?


7) This was quite a meaty section. What did I miss?