Adelaide Wrote:
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>
>
> Austen writes of Anne's ability to withstand Lady
> Russell's opinions three years later and to reject
> Charles without a doubt, unaided by anyone's
> counsel.
But Lady Russell would not have wanted Charles to marry Anne if Charles had proposed when Anne was 19 instead of 22, she would have wanted something more for Anne. The Musgroves did not know that Lady R had changed her mind by the time Anne was 22, and thought Anne was influenced by Lady R because Charles was not intellectual or "bookish" enough. When Anne was 22, Fred had quite recently been promoted and she knew about it from the newspapers. Very possible she was hoping he would write to her (and he almost did, but didn't. and if he had -- I think while Sir Walter would still disapprove, I think Lady R would have changed her mind, she might still prefer a better match for Anne, but would no longer oppose it, since Fred had proved that his hope of promotion was not empty boasting ). So if after not hearing from Fred again for a year, and if Charles had continued to court her -- it's possible that she would be touched by Charles' constancy. And the fact that Fred and Charles are different could even be in Charles' favour -- he is not an inferior version of Fred, but someone nice who's quite different. I feel that for Anne to marry Benwick would be to get an inferior version of Fred. But of course all this is my personal opinion, and we are all entitled to our own opinions. And about Charles marrying a woman of real understanding, it is not only Lady R's view, the text says that it is a view shared by Anne.
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>
>
> Austen writes of Anne's ability to withstand Lady
> Russell's opinions three years later and to reject
> Charles without a doubt, unaided by anyone's
> counsel.
But Lady Russell would not have wanted Charles to marry Anne if Charles had proposed when Anne was 19 instead of 22, she would have wanted something more for Anne. The Musgroves did not know that Lady R had changed her mind by the time Anne was 22, and thought Anne was influenced by Lady R because Charles was not intellectual or "bookish" enough. When Anne was 22, Fred had quite recently been promoted and she knew about it from the newspapers. Very possible she was hoping he would write to her (and he almost did, but didn't. and if he had -- I think while Sir Walter would still disapprove, I think Lady R would have changed her mind, she might still prefer a better match for Anne, but would no longer oppose it, since Fred had proved that his hope of promotion was not empty boasting ). So if after not hearing from Fred again for a year, and if Charles had continued to court her -- it's possible that she would be touched by Charles' constancy. And the fact that Fred and Charles are different could even be in Charles' favour -- he is not an inferior version of Fred, but someone nice who's quite different. I feel that for Anne to marry Benwick would be to get an inferior version of Fred. But of course all this is my personal opinion, and we are all entitled to our own opinions. And about Charles marrying a woman of real understanding, it is not only Lady R's view, the text says that it is a view shared by Anne.