S05E03 Persuasion, Chapters 7 and 8

In this episode, we talk about how how Jane Austen tells us about the feelings of Anne and Captain Wentworth, and how the narrator captures Anne’s emotions; the building up of the relationship between Charles and Mary, and their reaction to Little Charles’ accident; Mrs Musgrove’s feelings about her son; and Mrs Croft’s travels.

The character we discuss is Captain Wentworth. In the historical section, Harriet’s partner Michael talks about the Navy, and for popular culture both Harriet and Michael discuss 1995 BBC film adaptation of Persuasion.

Things we mention:

General discussion:

• Janet Todd and Antje Blank [Editors], The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Persuasion (2006)
• Google map of locations in Persuasion

Character discussion:

• First Impressions podcast, ‘Ep 17: Persuading Kristin to Like Persuasion‘, 22 January 2017.

Historical discussion:

• The Aubrey & Maturin novels of Patrick O’Brien
• The Hornblower novels of C.S. Forester
• Admiral Thomas Cochrane (1775-1860)
• Security to Merchant Ships Act 1707 (6 Ann. c. 65), generally known as the Cruisers and Convoys Act 1708
• Distribution of prize money: see table on our website

Popular culture discussion:

• BBC Film, Persuasion (1995) – starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds
  • Watch on YouTube
  • Stairs on the Cobb (photo)
  • Louisa’s fall (this YouTube video shows the same scene from four different adaptations of Persuasion)
• The Bounty (1984)

Creative commons music used:

• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 12 in F Major, ii. Adagio.
• Extract from Joseph Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 38. Performance by Ivan Ilić, recorded in Manchester in December, 2006. File originally from IMSLP.
• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 13 in B-Flat Major, iii. Allegretto Grazioso. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from George Frideric Handel, Suite I, No. 2 in F Major, ii. Allegro. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from Christoph Willibald Gluck, Orfeo ed Euridice. File from IMSLP.
• Extract from