Persuasion - Chapter 01

Persuasion

This episode introduces Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall, a man defined by his vanity and obsession with his family's historical lineage.

Key takeaways

• Sir Walter Elliot uses the baronetage as his primary source of entertainment and self-reflection.
• The death of Lady Elliot marked the end of financial moderation and the beginning of Sir Walter's debt.

Main topics

• The character of Sir Walter Elliot
• The history of the Elliot family

Notable quotes

Vanity was the beginning and the end of sir walter elliot's character.

Conclusion

The chapter establishes a portrait of a family clinging to social pres

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Persuasion by Jane Austen Chapter 1 Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Barentage. There he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one. There his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents, There, any unwelcome sensations arising from domestic affairs changed naturally into pity and contempt, as he turned over the almost endless creations of the last century. And there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could read his own history with an interest which never failed. This was the page at which the favourite volume always opened. Elliot of Kellynch Hall. Walter Elliot. Born March 1, 1760. Married July 15, 1784, Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esquire of South Park, in the county of Gloucester, by which lady, who died 1800, he has issue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785, Anne, born August 9, 1787, a still-born son, November 5, 1789, Mary, born November 20, 1791. precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from the printer's hands but sir walter had improved it by adding for the information of himself and his family these words after the date of mary's birth married december sixteenth eighteen ten charles son and heir of charles musgrove esq of uppercross in the county of somerset and by inserting most accurately the day of the month on which he had lost his wife then followed the history and rise of the ancient and respectable family in the usual terms how it had been first settled in cheshire how mentioned in dugdale serving the office of high sheriff representing a borough in three successive parliaments exertions of loyalty and dignity of baronet in the first year of charles the second with all the marys and elizabeths they had married forming altogether two handsome duodecimo pages and concluding with the alms and motto principal seat kellynch hall in the county of somerset and sir walter's handwriting again in this finale heir presumptive william walter elliot esq great grandson of the second sir walter vanity was the beginning and the end of sir walter elliot's character vanity of person and of situation he had been remarkably handsome in his youth and at fifty-four was still a very fine man few women could think more of their personal appearance than he did nor could the valet of any new-made lord be more delighted with the place he held in society he considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of a barren and the Sir Walter Elliot, who united these gifts, was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion. his good looks and his rank had one fair claim on his attachment since to them he must have owed a wife of very superior character to anything deserved by his own lady elliot had been an excellent woman sensible and amiable whose judgment and conduct if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which made her lady elliot had never required indulgence afterwards she had humoured or softened or concealed his failings and promoted his real respectability for seventeen years and though not the very happiest being in the world herself had found enough in her duties her friends and her children to attach her to life and make it no matter of indifference to her when she was called on to quit them three girls the two eldest sixteen and fourteen was an awful legacy for a mother to bequeath an awful charge rather to confide to the authority and guidance of a conceited silly father she had however one very intimate friend a sensible deserving woman who had been brought by strong attachment to herself to settle close by her in the village of kellynch and on her kindness and advice lady