Everything Happens for a Reason

At the end of the novel Persuasion by Jane Austen there is a passage in which the main characters, Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth, are reunited and exchange their true feelings of love for each other after withholding these feelings the whole story thus far (160). There are no direct quotations in this passage, so we, as the reader, do not know exactly what the characters are thinking or saying, but rather the narrator relates what is going on from an obscure, third-person point of view.  In her paper, Weissman argues that this interaction is bittersweet, because Anne makes excuses: she says that she was right to listen to Lady Russell eight years ago and break off the engagement, even though she loved Wentworth and now they are together once again (90). However, I do not think this is an excuse.  By starting the sentence with “Anne’s defense of her terrible error”, Weissman is making a pointed accusation – one that I do not deem appropriate (90). Anne was right to listen to her older, wiser friend/mentor when making such a big decision as marriage at such a young age. Although Lady Russell was clearly wrong in her advice, and Anne and Wentworth are meant to be together, this time apart has done much good for all involved. As the passage from the novel states, the two are now “more exquisitely happy”, “more tender, more tried” and “more fixed in a knowledge of each other’s character” (160). All of these things have come up now because the couple has had time apart, leading them to value each other’s presence and nature more than ever before. A saying that I live my life by is everything happens for a reason, and I find this can be directly applied to Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth’s relationship – by breaking off the engagement and then realizing their love for each other is still so strong eight years later, the two receive the blessing of Lady Russell, and also are thoroughly convinced that the other’s love is sincere, which will help to build a lasting relationship.