Persuasion Chapter 21

WE HAVE A VILLAIN! Today, we learn the identity of Mr. Elliot's mysterious old friend, Molly makes some incorrect predictions, and Mrs. Smith does an absolute takedown of Mr. Elliot. Plus, we delve into why Elliot is anti-Mrs. Clay.

Topics discussed include ignoring texts, ghost wives and faked deaths, yet another Charles, the circumstances of Mr. Elliot's marriage, the overindulgences of the gentry, Elliot's insatiability, and Mrs. Clay's elastic mind.

Glossary of Terms and Phrases:

officious (adj): intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering.

reversion (n): the right, especially of the original owner or their heirs, to possess or succeed to property on the death of the present possessor or at the end of a lease.

Glossary of People, Places, and Things: Satisfied (Hamilton), Thank Goodness (Wicked), Ralph Fiennes, Bradley Cooper, Theo James, Andrew Garfield, Laura Carmichael, Viola Davis, Alison Brie, Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Carey Mulligan

Patron Study Questions:

Avi: What does the revelations about Mr. Elliot say about Anne's judge of character, and how does that change what you think about other characters in the book?  

Ghenet: 1. How do you think Sir Walter, Elizabeth and Lady Russell will each react to this character reveal of the real Mr. Elliot (outside of what Anne speculates)? / 2. Let’s discuss Mrs. Smith’s dilemma for a moment. From the moment we meet her, she has this information about Mr. Elliot. What do you think her feelings or thoughts were in telling/not telling Anne the truth every time they were together, given her financial situation versus her caring for Anne.

Emily: It is revealed that young Mr Elliot and Sir Walter sit on a spectrum of how the baronet title vs the money and land attached to it is valued. What does this add to the view of the upper classes shown in the book?

Sarah: In your minds, who plays Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Smith? Who would you cast as Lady Russell (or any of the characters you haven't already discussed)?

Lauren: Hilarious misunderstandings and incorrect romantic assumptions are abundant in Austen, and throughout romantic comedy history. But in this book, and especially in this chapter, Anne has no trouble recognizing what Wentworth is feeling. Do you think he feels the same way about her?

Becca's Study Questions: Topics discussed include the morals of Mrs. Smith, where Elliot falls on the villain scale, what Austen is telling us about marriage, and what kind of social climbing is deemed appropriate.

Funniest Quote: “But I ought to have looked about me more,” said Anne, conscious while she spoke that there had in fact been no want of looking about, that the object only had been deficient.

Questions Moving Forward: What's Anne going to do with this information?

Who wins the chapters? Nurse Rooke

Next Episode: Volume 2 Chapter 10

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