Chapters 5-11: Or, Anne's Pity Party

Here we are, plugging our way through Persuasion by Jane Austen. Before I begin my synopsis, I'd like to deliver my evolving opinion of the novel: the plot pretty much serves as the first "textbook" for all modern-day romance and chick-lit authors. Now, don't get me wrong here. I devour books written by Sophia Kinsella, Marian Keyes, and that author who wrote the Twilight Saga. I love me a good chick-lit book. But there is something to be said for reading a novel written by the author who, in all likelihood, created the genre. It adds a layer of excitement, an element of surprise for me, as I eagerly turn each page of the book to see where Austen will take me. Even though I think I've predicted the final outcome of the book, I'm still interested in finishing it. I think the fact that I WANT to finish the book even though I've read countless like it before, stands alone as a testament to Austen's standing as a writer whose skills transcends centuries.

SPOILER ALERT: Will continue until the end of the post.

Chapter 6 begins with the start of Anne's two-month visit at the home of her sister Mary's husband's family, Uppercross. Charles Musgrove, Mary's husband, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove, and his two younger sisters Louisa and Henrietta, are all ensconced within a huge amount of familial in-fighting. Anne put it best when she thought to herself: "...the sort of necessity which the family-habits seemed to produce, of every thing being to be communicated, and every thing being to be done together, however undesired and inconvenient." Needless to say, almost a whole chapter was dedicated to describing the intricate and annoying family dynamics of the Musgroves, including when Anne becomes a mediator between all of the family members. However, what is exciting is that the very own Captain Wentworth, the man that Anne loved passionately for a few months but was persuaded by the (evil, in my opinion) Lady Russell and her father, Sir Elliot, to reject because he was below the family's "standards," has made his entrance.

As I mentioned in my teaser yesterday, C. Wentworth is a kind, generous, and very polite man. I also envision Liam Neeson as the man who would play the C. Wentworth in the movie, but that is beside the point. Needless to say, C. Wentworth is prime property for the very eligible "Miss Musgroves" Louisa and Henrietta, and the two ladies know this very well and act accordingly.

I'd like to take some time now to address how Anne has been handling all of this. When C. Wentworth first came to Uppercross, she tried to busy herself with all manner of projects to prevent an encounter. When she finally did sit down to dinner with him and the rest of the Musgroves, he was cool and distant, whereas Anne tried everything in her power not to be noticed by him. And, since, as the reader, I am privy to Anne's prolific thoughts about how he mustn't truly love her, but how could he really forget their time together, but after the way she treated him why would he ever want to even look at her...we find out that both Anne and C. Wentworth are both still very much in love with one another, even if the plot is suggesting otherwise. And Anne is not handling this whole experience very well.

I discovered the fact that C. Wentworth still loves Anne when he showed up early to the Cottage where Anne was staying while she was at Uppercross. He was there to pick up Charles Musgrove, Mary's husband, to go for a hunting outing. Anne was babysitting her two young nephews and C. Wentworth strode into the room and Austen wrote: "The surprise of finding himself almost alone with Anne Elliot, deprived his manners of their usual composure....before he walked to the window to recollect himself, and feel how he ought to behave." Now, if the simple fact that Liam Neeson, err, C. Wentworth lost all sense of manners and how to behave at the mere sight of Anne tells me that he still loves her. And, Anne's constant quibbling tells me that she still loves him.

But here is the rub. Lousia Musgrove and Henrietta Musgrove are gunning hard for C. Wentworth. Henrietta is taken out of the game when her old suitor, Charles Hayter, came back in the picture and she realized that Louisa had a stronger hold on C. Wentworth anyway.

A final major plot development is a very long walk that happened one morning throughout the countryside surrounding Uppercross. Louisa, Henrietta, C. Wentworth, Mary and her husband Charles, Charles Hayter, and Anne all went a'strolling one fine October morning. During a brief rest, Louisa and C. Wentworth went off by themselves to stroll. Anne, wanting to go pick some nuts off of some hedgerow bushes, was minding her own business when she heard Louisa and C. Wentworth talking. Louisa was discussing the fact that Charles Musgrove had actually offered marriage to ANNE before Mary! And Anne rejected him!! C. Wentworth was very interested in the timing of this rejection and discovered from Louisa that Anne had rejected Charles M. during the exact time that C. Wentworth and Anne had been in love. Verrry interesting. And C. Wentworth's interest in this fact is all too telling about his still existent love for Anne.

Anne also overheard C. Wentworth expound upon how he finds women with characters of "decision and firmness" very attractive, and that: "It is the worst evil of too yielding and indecisive of character." Anne practically went in to convulsions over that. (Remember, she was too yielding and indecisive of character to remain with C. Wentworth in the face of pressure from her family.)

Needless to say, I'm excited to see what happens. Anne is off to Bath to reunite with her father and sister, Elizabether, soon.