Another Jane Austen riddle
for you today.
What is the single,
famous, hidden allusive source which unites all of the following, seemingly
mostly unrelated FIFTEEN story elements in Persuasion?:
In Chapter 15, the clock
with its "silver sounds" which alerts that Cousin Elliot has been
visiting a long while
Mr. Shepherd as advisor to
Sir Walter
All the pens (Sir
Walter’s, Wentworth’s and Anne’s)
David Lodge's character
Morris Zipp and his famous opinion about Anne’s intense experience when
Wentworth pulls the nephew from Anne’s back.
Louisa Musgrove’s
near-death experience
Benwick’s extreme grief
for Fanny Hargrove followed by his inconstant over-rapid shift of affection to
Louisa
Benwick being called just
the right one to fetch the surgeon for Louisa
Nurse Rooke, Mrs. Smith’s
(imaginary) friend
The apothecary Mr.
Robinson who treats Anne’s nephew’s shoulder
Mrs. Croft being a long
while with the mantuamaker in the cancelled chapters, as a key part of Admiral
Croft and Sophy acting as secret matchmakers for Anne and Wentworth
Anne’s family and Lady
Russell discouraging her from marrying Wentworth 8 years earlier.
Anne’s secret pining for
Wentworth not recognized by her family, feelings she tried to banish but failed
when she saw him again
Harville’s and Anne’s
debate re inconstancy in real life & as depicted in literature
The answer that unites the
above 13 story points also reveals the more obscurely coded meaning in these
two excerpts in Persuasion:
“…[Mary] was not easy till
she had talked Charles into driving her over on an early day…”.
“This was the letter,
directed to "Charles Smith, Esq. Tunbridge Wells," and dated from
London, as far back as July, 1803…”
I will reveal the answer
by tomorrow (Friday) morning EST, or sooner if anyone guesses the answer.
When you guess (or hear)
it, you will say "Of course!", because this source shares with
Persuasion a uniquely strong reputation as being intensely romantic.
Cheers, ARNIE
@JaneAustenCode on Twitter
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