Love In Ernest Hemingway's The Awakening

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At the end of Persuasion the evil intentions of Mr. Elliot are shed to light and the reconciliation of Wentworth and Anne finally happens after eight years of distance from each other. Wentworth's profession of love and their engagement are unbroken and despite what Lady Russell may have felt for their engagement at first, she finally accepts it and, to Anne’s surprise, her father and sisters as well ending all barriers at last. Wentworth after eight excruciating years of not being able to let go of the past has finally learned to let go of his angry pride and hostility by the end of the book. His resentment towards Anne was a fuel of anger and hurt and it is only after hearing Anne talk about how women never stop loving even after losing …show more content…

I mean with regard to myself; and I must believe that I was right, much as I suffered from it that I was perfectly right in being guided by the friend whom you will love better than you do now.” Knowing how much Anne suffered herself after breaking off the engagement to the only person whom she only really loved, and the resentment she received from Wentworth, one would think that she must have in some measure felt guilt for being guided by Lady Russell’s judgements and advice, or at least felt as though she herself could have been wiser and spared their suffering. But she doesn’t. She accepts that although she suffered greatly, she does not regret the choices she made. Could it be that she’s content with her choices because deep down she wouldn’t have become wiser from the mistakes she’s done? It’d be reasonable to think this, because if not persuaded she wouldn’t have been able to realize that Lady Russell’s advice are not always best and how easily Anne herself can be persuaded. Even so, living in a society where rank and class is far regarded than the character of an individual, not only would she have her family opposing her engagement but of society as well by marrying someone of a lesser rank than …show more content…

The author’s portrayal of Anne’s society specifically Sir Walter and Elizabeth conveys the haughtiness of the upper class. This depiction of Anne’s father and sister was probably a way of ironically portraying the ridiculous vanity of those of higher rank which Sir Walter and Elizabeth represent with their narcissistic attitudes and their habit of looking down on people which in itself is ironic because they had to move due to money problems. Austen’s often usage of the words “persuaded” was probably also intentional to signify the importance of persuasion as a theme in the book and the impact on the characters’ lives seeing as persuasion was what led to Anne’s painful

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