I Speak, Therefore I Am: Anne Elliot’s Voice in Persuasion

In Persuasion, Jane Austen’s last published novel, the heroine surprises her readers with her changeable voice. Anne Elliot’s strengths are unveiled gradually through oblique and often ironic methods such as silence and free indirect discourse. In this thesis I will argue that Anne’s voice develops intermittently; at times a clear progression towards confident articulation becomes apparent and yet at others, her voice seems to lapse. For this study, the term “voice” encompasses far more than simply the speech that Anne Elliot articulates in conversation and instead extends to her figurative and literal presence in company and discourse. Initially a rather silent character, Anne’s part in conversation alters drastically depending on social context, thwarting linear development. Through experiencing the novel’s plot, the reader learns to tune in to Anne Elliot’s voice as the main signifier of an exceptional inner worth.