In Persuasion, Jane Austen uses both individuals and circumstances to bring together the two main lovers of her story, Anne Elliott and Frederick Wentworth. One character in particular is used to bring them to their grand reunion and this character is Louisa Musgrove. Louisa is not a major character in the novel, but she is still very influential in reuniting Anne and Frederick. She is a simple, pretty country girl, who unwittingly gives both Anne and Wentworth the confidence to recognize their feelings for each other. There are three way Louisa brings about their reunion, and they are her serving as both a distraction for Wentworth and competition for Anne, she leaks important information Wentworth, and finally, the unusual circumstances of her marriage allow Wentworth and Anne to dwell on the true nature of the love they have for each other.
Louisa's first function in the novel is as competition for Anne. When Anne hears of Captain Wentworth visiting the Crofts, she is nervous about seeing him again after breaking off their engagement seven years before. She knows he thinks nothing more of her beauty and she notices more the amount of attention he pays to her pretty teenage cousins. Anne puts off meeting Captain Wentworth as long as possible. Louisa and Henrietta finally instigate the first meeting between them and bring them together again many times after. Anne is reasonable in her expectation that Wentworth could fall for one of the Musgrove girls. They are around him very often, and they are the type of young girls men typically are attached to. In the novel they are described in the following manner, "Their dress had every advantage, their faces were rather pretty, their spirits extremely good, their manners unembarrassed and pleasant; they were of consequence at home, and favorites abroad" (41). Mary and her husband talk of it as a certainty that he will marry one of the girls as do the Crofts. The entire countryside expects it, so it cannot be surprising that Anne does also. They are young, pretty, and flirty - everything Anne thinks she is not. Wentworth, contrary to his family and friends, views the attraction between him and the Musgroves as innocent. At that time, he would give any young lady interest as long as she isn't Anne. He proclaims that he wants the exact opposite of Anne, so these young, frivolous ladies are exactly the sort to distract him from what he really desires. Later, when confronted with Louisa's fall, he realizes how mistaken he is in showing interest in her. He is considered engaged to her by the whole countryside, when he really had no intention of marrying her. He would have married her if more fortunate events hadn't taken place. Louisa provides an excellent obstacle for Anne and Wentworth's reunion. Anne does not have enough self-esteem upon Wentworth's arrival to believe that he still might care for her, and when she witnesses the way he behaves towards Louisa, she lets her hope desert her. Louisa is her complete opposite in personality, manner, and in looks. If a man is attracted to Louisa it is reasonable for Anne to assume that he could not still be attracted to her. Anne's loss of hope and self-confidence do not help Wentworth recognize his feelings for her. Wentworth needs Anne's hints to give him the confidence to reveal his feelings. While Louisa Musgrove us in the way neither of them have the confidence to acknowledge their feelings for the other.
In addition to competing with Anne, Louisa Musgrove has another duty in the novel. Her second purpose is to both purposefully and non-purposefully give information to Wentworth concerning Anne. While Charles Musgrove and Henrietta visit Charles Hayter, Louisa exhibits her excellent character to Captain Wentworth. She explains how if she wanted to visit Charles Hayter, she would not be persuaded otherwise. Frederick speaks about the excellence of having such a decided mind, and she tries to live up to his ideal. During this conversation, she also complains about her sister-in-law Mary, who she wishes hadn't married her brother. Louisa tells Wentworth they all wished Anne had married him instead. Wentworth is surprised by this information and asks if Anne refused her brother. Louisa confirms it and tells him all the particulars. She includes her suspicion that the failure of the proposal was because Lady Russell didn't think her brother was bookish enough for Anne. Anne overhears this and is frightened that Wentworth will get a worse view of her, but what truly strikes Wentworth about the conversation is that another man proposed to Anne, and she refused him (87-9). Not only does he finally have to come to the realization that Anne might not always be around, but also there is the chance that she might have refused Charles because she still had feelings for himself. Louisa's information causes Wentworth to confront that he might already be too late to win back Anne, and even more importantly that he may still want her. After this point, Wentworth also becomes more sensitive to Anne and her possible admirers.
Louisa's marriage to Benwick is one of the final shoves that Anne and Wentworth need to finally confess their love for each other. This is Louisa’s most important role in reuniting them. Louisa's engagement forces both characters dwell on their love for each other. After Louisa' fall at the Cob, she is cared for at the Harville's. She becomes acquainted during this time with their other invalid, Captain Benwick. Benwick is living with them during his grieving period for the fiancée, who died while he was at sea. News soon comes to the Musgrove's and the Elliott's of Louisa's engagement to Benwick. All parties are shocked, especially Anne, Wentworth, and his friends. It is shocking to them that Benwick so soon forgot his fiancée and fell for Louisa. This circumstance brings an occasion for Anne to express her feelings about the engagement and love in front of Wentworth. By this time, she is already fairly certain of his regard for her. Her chance has now come with Louisa's engagement to make a declaration that otherwise she would never have the chance to say. She speaks of the strange and sudden engagement to Captain Harville, the brother Benwick's dead fiancée. Anne is very aware of Captain Wentworth's presence and his ability to overhear them. They talk of love and the difference of love between the sexes. The words Anne speaks in defense for the longsuffering love of her own sex strike Captain Wentworth enough to venture his claim again. He leaves her a letter, fulfilling the hopes of both parties (228-32). Before her exclamation, he would not venture to purpose to her again. At this point in the story, he is still uncertain whether or not she will marry her cousin. He believes he is too late and is ready to leave her presence forever. Their chance would have been lost if Anne had not been given the opportunity to express her mind. Anne shows that although Captain Benwick might forget his love and marry Louisa, she would never forget her love for Wentworth and marry another. Louisa's circumstance was the perfect catalyst for the conclusion, and without her unusual engagement, Wentworth might never have had the confidence to propose to Anne once more.
Louisa Musgrove, although a minor character, was amazingly central to the reunion of Anne and Wentworth. She accomplished many functions in the novel, whether it was passing information between the leader, acting as competition for Anne, or even giving Anne her moment to indirectly proclaim her love for Wentworth. Louisa did not have to be present, or clever, or even correct in assumptions to be of assistance. Jane Austen used her flighty, flirty character to reunited the primary lovers, it was simply her flirting and romantic nature which lead the way from the main lovers. Throughout Persuasion, Louisa, the sweet, pretty girl of twenty, was able to be strong in her own character and the heroine of her own side story, while influencing Anne and Wentworth's happy ending.
Work Cited
Austen, Jane. Persuasion. Barnes and Noble Books: New York, 1999.
