The Importance Of Place And Family In Jane Austen's Persuasion

In Austen’s novel Persuasion, she raises the issue of class distinction and the connection it has to place and space in the novel. Kellynch is the grandest house in the area and belongs to the highest ranked family in the area, which is the Elliot’s. The only other person who lives on the property is Lady Russell, which represents how Austen ties together the importance of ownership of Kellynch and social ranking in society. Austen presents the different relationships that members of the Elliot family have with the Kellynch estate. When the Elliot family is unable to financially afford the upkeep at Kellynch, Sir Walter agrees to “retrench”, in which the family lives a less ostentatious lifestyle in order to get out of debt. He refuses to sell

Anne’s mother had ensured the stability and upkeep of the estate before she passed away, and she also kept track of the finances. When the idea of marriage arises with Mr. Elliot, Anne is captivated with taking the place of her mother at Kellynch. Austen states “The idea of becoming what her mother had been; of having the precious name of “Lady Elliot” first revived in herself; of being restored to Kellynch, calling it her home again, her home for ever, was a charm which she could not immediately resist”(Austen 130). When Anne realizes that Mr. Elliot plans to sell off the estate when he does inherit it, she quickly resists the idea of marriage with him. Austen uses Anne as a character who of the traditional aristocratic society but is open and encouraging towards the navy and the social shift they have started. Anne visits Kellynch while the Croft’s inhabit it and at first she has bitter feelings towards them in her home. However Austen writes of her change of opinion, “for she had in fact so high an opinion of the crofts, and considered her father so very fortunate in his tenants, felt the parish to be so sure of a good example, and the poor of the best attention and relief, that however sorry and shamed for the necessity of the removal, 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 102). Anne is well aware of the social shift happening, and Austen uses Kellynch to represent the internal change of inhabitants with the social change happening externally. Although Sir Walter still feels as though he owns Kellynch legally, the Croft’s seem to embody the idea and persona that comes with living in a grand estate such as Kellynch, Anne remarks how they have earned the right to live in that house and set a good example for society because of