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Silence in "Persuasion"

 In many of Jane Austen's novels, silence creates or at least perpetuates many conflicts between characters. In Persuasion, this is undeniably true. Sir Walter Elliot does not disclose his excessive spending until his family is forced to rent out Kellynch Hall. Had he been forthcoming with his lack of funds, changes could've been made to avoid that. Everyone is silent about how much they dislike Mary, which allows her to continue her insufferable behavior without a second thought. If Anne had not been silent about her strong feelings for Wentworth, they could have been together sooner. Each character is affected by what the others do or don't say, and only the reader can understand what those choices lead to.

If Mrs. Smith had stayed silent, Anne could have lost everything to Mr. Elliot. But, she eventually spoke up. Wentworth eventually spoke up about his feelings for Anne. If he hadn't, he could have ended up with Louisa or someone that wasn't even part of the story. There were so many opportunities for Wentworth and Anne to miss each other, especially after their initial breakup. Somehow, they find each other again and make it all right. But that's the magic of Austen. She shows you how many directions events could take depending on who decides to speak up or stand back. She emulates life in its perfect imperfection where the unpredictable nature of humanity constantly foils itself. Austen manipulates silence to show how powerful it can be even when it isn't acknowledged by the people it's affecting. 

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