Love, marriage, and the impact of gender are themes that Jane Austen often addresses, but it can be difficult to find her position on these topics, given the variability perspectives of his characters. Even though we as readers are often aligned with the heroine of the story, this doesn't always mean that she is the person we should believe. Austen presents a multiplicity of voices, giving more weight to some than others, to demonstrate that love has no right and wrong. In the case of the conversation between Anne Elliot and Captain Harville in Persuasion, I don't think Austen necessarily agrees with any of their arguments. As the debate over which gender shows more consistency in love does not take into account the complex circumstances of each situation. Each character is steadfast in their point of view, but Austen undermines both with the events of the novel. Persuasion shows that love is a matter of individuals and their emotional capacity, rather than a topic about which gender generalizations can be made. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Captain Harville argues that Captain Benwick is an exception to the rule that men love longer and stronger, emphasizing the connection between their physical and emotional selves. Harville relies on socially accepted (at the time) generalizations about physical differences between the sexes and uses them to support his thesis about the strength of male love: “I believe in a true analogy between our bodily and mental structure; and that since our bodies are the strongest, so are our feelings; capable of withstanding the harshest use and facing the most adverse weather conditions” (187). This argument is based on the belief that the mind and body reflect each other, ignoring the strength of women's bodies (particularly during pregnancy) and the existence of physically weak men with robust intellectual and emotional minds. Harville's conception of men as generally strong in body and mind most likely stems from his experience in the Navy. As Austen knew from her brothers, being a sailor subjects men to many physical and emotional challenges, which would be Captain Harville's life experience and that of his closest friends. Harville making his arguments from his personal point of view is quite natural, but there is a certain self-indulgence in it. When he laments the pain of leaving on a ship and not knowing when he will see his family again, he fails to acknowledge in the slightest that it might also be difficult for the sailor's wife and children. This lack of awareness weakens his thesis. In fact, it reveals a selfish kind of love. Harville speaks of “all a man can bear and do,” positioning men as the only ones to suffer in cases of separation, demonstrating that he thinks only of his own pain, sparing no thought about how his family might cope without him . Harville deviates from the original topic of the conversation, about the constancy of love, and instead argues for the strength of love and who can best overcome difficulties. Anne and Harville end their conversation amicably, agreeing to disagree, but if this were a formal debate, Anne would come out on top. Anne accepts Harville's points, then deftly counters each of them, while acknowledging the impact of gender roles on this topic. . While Harville is firm in his beliefs, Anne never tries to deny that men love strongly and deeply. Anne's concluding statement of the conversation provides a clear summary: “All privileges I claim for my ownsex. . . it is to love longer, when existence or when hope has disappeared” (189). He shows that he understands Harville's arguments and responds to each of them. His statements about the bodily connection with the emotional mind are taken up by Anne and used to her advantage: "man is more robust than woman, but he does not live longer". He takes his tangential argument and adapts it to address the question at hand: who is more consistent? Anne also discusses the difference between men's and women's daily occupations and how this might impact recovery times from a broken heart. This point centers on the fact that women are confined to the domestic sphere, while men have external affairs to keep their minds occupied. Throughout the novel, Anne is a constrained and repressed character. She functions primarily as a passive listener, observing the events of the novel happen to others. Through third-person omniscient narration, we understand that Anne has a large number of thoughts and feelings about these events, but rarely expresses them to others. Anne, as she is with much of Persuasion, is evidence of this suppression of women's voices and how that means their thoughts and feelings grow in silence. Since upper-class women did not have the opportunity to go to work, they were forced to spend most of their time at home. Not having business or studies to occupy their minds gives them plenty of time to dwell on matters of the heart. However, this conversation marks a turning point. Anne speaks openly and makes her opinion heard. While she still has to operate within the social constraints of her gender, she is becoming more empowered by voicing her thoughts. We appreciate this change for Anne, because it can be frustrating to read Persuasion and constantly wish Anne had some agency. His intelligence and autonomy come to the fore in this conversation, which is why his argument seems stronger. Anne disagreeing with Harville proves her point in another way, which is through the subtext of her speech. All the time Anne talks about constancy, she is referring to her unwavering affection for Wentworth. This has a particularly powerful effect because Wentworth is sitting just a few feet away from the couple as they argue, and perhaps even within earshot (as evidenced by the fact that he dropped his pen). Her speech marks her transition from a passive woman who craves affection to an active character who is taking steps to secure the love she desires. He knows Wentworth is eavesdropping and wants him to hear (Mooneyham 179). Although his discussion with Harville is a generalization, he understands that it will have specific meaning for Wentworth. Similar to Harville, Anne argues from her own lived experience. However, this does not make her ignore the experiences of others. He wholeheartedly acknowledges that men can love and can be steadfast in love, but he is persistent in his claims that women can love longer, even when hope is lost, because of his intimate knowledge of that exact situation. We also appreciate the nuance of Anne's understanding of the issue and the concessions she makes to Harville, because she exemplifies a mature and rational approach to an immensely emotional topic. As readers, our understanding of the subtext of Anne's argument makes us more sympathetic to her side and less likely to agree with Harville's bold claims. While both characters make robust arguments, I don't think Austen completely agrees with either of them. As an author, she aligns us more with Anne, which makes us more likely to be on her side than hers, 1997.