Anne’s and the Elliot Family’s Ideals of Marriage in Persuasion — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Anne’s and the Elliot Family’s Ideals of Marriage in Persuasion

Name: Ashley Gorman
Major: Data Science
Hometown: Mount Pleasant, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Paul Ulrich
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Course project

Abstract

This work presents an analysis of two contrasting value systems depicted in Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, exploring the characters’ differing attitudes regarding love and marriage. The paper ultimately posits that Anne Elliot prioritizes genuine love over an elevated social standing in her relationships, while her family largely believes in using marriage as an institution to improve their reputation. In this work, I first examine Anne’s short-lived engagement to Captain Frederick Wentworth by drawing on textual evidence to illustrate her reasons for ending their relationship. I then analyze Anne’s character growth over the course of the novel and discuss her decision to reconnect with Wentworth. Finally, I highlight multiple members of the Elliot family and discuss how each character’s view of Anne has changed by the novel’s conclusion. The paper incorporates quotations directly from Persuasion as well as close readings of relevant evidence, which I use to assert that Anne finds happiness by pursuing her own desires instead of acquiescing to her family’s wishes.

Poster file