This line was treated poorly in the new adaptation (Persuasion 2022 Netflix) veering between calling them exes and friends. The point of this line is that they cannot be friends, they are keeping a distance from each other

There are few happy couples in Austen, another example is the Gardiners in Pride and Prejudice.

This does perfectly describe Anne but he thinks in stating this he is excluding her

This is his delusional self talk. Later in the book he confesses he's always felt for her

They each have their own version of events; he thinks she did it to make others happy, she thinks she did it to free him. "it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. Had she not imagined herself consulting his good, even more than her own, she could hardly have given him up" (Persuasion Chapter 4)

This implies that he wouldn't have said anything like this if he knew it would be repeated to Anne and that he spoke without thinking - he's still hurt over their breakup and perhaps wanted to say something hurtful

But as Anne observes later in the book, her own life has not changed much, she lives in the same house with the same companions, she does not seem to travel. The only change is Uppercross becoming more part of her social life than previously now her sister lives there. If she were a modern woman she would be going to work each day, seeing different people but her society is probably very small.

You get the feeling from the way this is written that Anne is observing from some place else

I think he wants to give Anne prior warning

He could have come to her or written to her, now he had sufficient money for their marriage but he chose not to - later we learn he did think about it

True because everyone wants something from her but also "How quick come the reasons for approving what we like" (Persuasion chapter 2)

This echoes her sentiments when Anne arrives "I was very well yesterday; nothing at all the matter with me till this morning" (Persuasion chapter 5). Her illnesses and scares fluctuate from day to day depending on what good things she may miss out on

Why is this not quoted more? Austen is a genius!

Brother-in-law, this usage is normal for the time period. I think she really does view Charles as a brother though

Foreshadowing perhaps Louisa's fall, Henrietta and Mary going into hysterics and, Anne being the only useful person

This shows part of Captain Wentworth's character, his midshipmen are young and need guidance which he is providing

I'm not sure if this word had any of the same connotations during Austen's time as it does now. But Dick Musgrove does sound like a dick. It's a weird piece for such a loving close family, to have a son they didn't much care for or mourn when he died.

The 1995 movie shows how good the Admiral is with the children - pretending his lap is a rolling sea

Sir Walter and Elizabeth left much earlier than they needed to

There is a steadiness in the Musgrove parents, a constancy, real parental figures which Anne craves

The 1995 adaptation does a wonderful scene of this - each character complaining to Anne in turn with their opposite sides of the argument

Is Mary being treated/acting like a child as she's seen Sir Walter do?

This feels sad - Anne is considered nothing in her own circle, although there are different concerns at Uppercross I do believe the Musgroves really accept her. They are lovely people and I think had Anne married Charles she would have been happy in their family life

This despite just stating in the same speech that she saw her husband. Austen often pokes fun at characters inconsistencies

Is it that Mary craves attention or could it be that she's an extrovert?

What we would call French doors. It makes characters coming to the window to talk slightly less ridiculous (sadly).

This reminds me of Tom Bertram, the elder brother, responding to concern from his younger brother about the proposed amateur theatricals at Mansfield Park. "Manage your own concerns, Edmund, and I’ll take care of the rest of the family" (MP chapter 13). It feels very much like "I'm the older sibling, I know what I'm doing"

Like Sir Walter, Elizabeth cares more for appearances than substance

Sign of a people pleaser! Another thing Anne and Fanny Price have in common, they want to be useful

Another link to Fanny Price who also enjoys seeing the seasons pass in the country

Mr Shepherd is so good at what he does and plays Sir Walter who is basically a child

You can almost hear Anne "everything's fine, everything's normal"

The same distance of Netherfield from Longbourn in Pride and Prejudice but for some reason Uppercross feels much further from Kellynch Hall.

She would have waited till he had sufficient money to marry - a long engagement like Mrs Musgrove abominates in Chapter 23

This brings to mind the "domestic virtues" of the Navy (Persuasion Chapter 24) mentioned in the last line of the novel.

In Jane Austen The Secret Radical Helena Kelly posits that Anne and Captain Wentworth are not in love at the beginning of the book, but fall back in love during the course of the novel.

Consider Miss Taylor (later Mrs Weston) "who had fallen little short of a mother in affection" towards Emma (Emma Chapter 1) but unlike Lady Russell the "mildness of her temper had hardly allowed her to impose any restraint; ... and Emma [continued] doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Miss Taylor's judgment, but directed chiefly by her own." (Emma Chapter 1)

You could compare Anne's predicted fate with that of Mrs Price in Mansfield Park. She married "to disoblige her family ... a lieutenant of marines, without education, fortune, or connexions" (Chapter 1 MP) and became "worn and faded, so comfortless, so slatternly, so shabby" (Chapter 42 MP). Perhaps Lady Russell was right to be concerned.

I think this says something about the Mr Wentworth's character. He is aware that people don't steal apples for fun but out of necessity. Mr Shepherd obviously thinks the person should be punished

Sir Walter bases peoples worth on their lineage, not their actions or character - he mocks Lord St Ives for his father being a poor curate like this somehow makes him less of a person. Titles aren't worth anything to him if they are earned. Which is funny because Baronet is a title that could be bought or "earned" (gifted for performing some duty for royalty), it is the lowest ranked title that can be inherited. For all his airs Sir Walter isn't even part of the nobility.

Sir Walter is asking for the ridiculous - that people can stay in his home but not be allowed in the grounds. Mr Shepherd is very diplomatically stating that there is a standard set of usage for tenants (kinda like tenants rights).

Sounds like father and daughter are working together on her plot to seduce Sir Walter

This quote should be more popular. It's very true

Lady Russell is minimising Anne's heartbreak - she whisked Anne away to Bath to get her mind off Wentworth unsuccessfully. Anne's aversion to Bath is probably why she doesn't visit with Lady Russell each winter (it seems odd for Lady R to leave her behind)

It's very hard to not eye roll at their entitlement

A similar sentiment is expressed by Fanny Price in Mansfield Park: "her wishes were overthrown ... she was so totally unused to have her pleasure consulted, or to have anything take place at all in the way she could desire" (chapter 28 MP)

I take this to mean that he wants to get paid too and he's probably being chased by Sir Walters creditors

In this time period "debts of honour" ie. gambling debts were considered more important/more shameful to wriggle out of than debts to tradespeople. This probably has some classism attached to it - you were in debt to someone of your rank rather than someone beneath you.

This is really hard for a modern reader to understand. Austen has just said how sensible Lady Russell is but she too panders to Sir Walter. This may be part of the reason she rejects Wentworth for Anne; true, he didn't have money but he also wasn't important enough - were he a penniless titled person I bet she would have supported the match. Austen excels at writing well rounded complex characters, she often pokes fun at their inconsistencies.

He's a master manipulator, you can see where his daughter Mrs Clay learnt it - good for them, they have no power in this situation. Sir Walter requires expert handling and he is handled by everyone around him almost like a child

This shows that Elizabeth is cruel. It makes her happy to be denying her sister, who has already been denied by not being included in these trips to London

This is the only Austen novel (I think! please correct me) set in a definite stated time. It's because there's a lull in the war which readers know will impact the Navy after the events of the novel conclude. (Do check out Synchronous *Emma* a project tracking the events of the novel in real time)

A popular horse auction (and place to be seen) - which still exists today!

This sounds so important! There is a family rumour/myth/tradition that Austen had intended to title this book The Elliot's, an interesting choice as this is almost chronicling the downfall of a once great family.

We are hearing the echo of Sir Walter and Elizabeth's opinions/words. This is a strange introduction for the main character, she is ignored and secondary. Chapter 1 focuses on Sir Walter and then the family context, Chapters 2 and 3 are a group setting (and people finally speak). A first time reader may not identify Anne as the main character till chapter 4 when the text pivots to focus on her. In chapter 1 we hear of Elizabeth's disappointment with Mr Elliot but the history with Wentworth is hidden till Anne is alone. Modern texts tend to have more active, vibrant main characters (like Lizzy Bennet) who have agency and push the story forward through their choices and actions. Fanny Price in Mansfield Park is another good example of the sort of main character modern readers struggle with.

This was common at the time - someone had to step up to play mother / become the lady of the house. Fanny Knight (Austen's niece) did it. This would be considered parentification now. (Definition "the assumption of a parentlike (or adult) role by a child.")

Potential parallels to Mr Bennet's feelings for Mrs Bennett in Pride and Prejudice. Mr Bennet had been "captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good-humour which youth and beauty generally give, [and] had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her." (P&P Chapter 42) Perhaps this also parallels Sir Thomas Bertram's feelings for Lady Bertram in Mansfield Park. It's never stated that Sir Thomas regrets his match but she "captivated" him (chapter 1 MP) and became a "woman who spent her days in sitting, nicely dressed, on a sofa, doing some long piece of needlework, of little use and no beauty, thinking more of her pug than her children" (chapter 2 MP). It seems more fitting somehow that it was the men making choices led my their hormones more than the women (though you must consider Lydia Bennet). Austen points out constantly how women had few choices in life and marriage, they had to make good ones as they would be trapped, they did not have the same freedoms as men.