The Claim For Authority Of Voice In Persuasion

Among the women writers of the 19th century, Jane Austen is applauded for her indirections of narration. Austen's employment of this method is regarded as her intended as well as skilful retreat of overt authority. Emma is considered to be the most polished work of this method. However, surveying Austen's literary career, we find Austen does not adopt indirections at the very beginning. Her first novel Northanger Abby shows obvious narrative authority. In her last published novel Persuasion, she once again shows her claim for authority of voice. This paper approaches the narrative strategies of Persuasion and draws conclusion that Jane Austen claims narrative authority through three methods: non-distanced free indirect discourse, direct narrative and shift of POV. Austen's claim for authority of voice is not the only one in Persuasion. Anne, the heroine also claims for authority of voice and eventually, with the authority she successfully earns back the love of her former lover, Wentworth. The simultaneous claim for authority of voice is not a coincidence. It shows Austen's assuming of the power of voice. In the 19th the century when women were deprived of voice, Austen realized women must give out their own voice in order to show women's merits and change social misconception of women.