Weekly Journal #14 (December 1, 2016)

     The power of persuasion is a theme in Persuasion (as subtly hinted at by the title), specifically in regards to how Anne is persuaded by different characters, such as Lady Russell's effect on her decision to reject Captain Wentworth years before the novel opens. Persuasion continues to be a central issue in society today, although in many ways that Austen couldn't have anticipated. Social media, the internet, television, and other competing forms of technology in our globalized culture expose us to constant attempts at persuasion, whether it be political persuasion by a party candidate, or the work of telemarketers intent on selling a product. Robert Levine's book The Power of Persuasion addresses the psychological power of persuasion and the way it affects our society today.

Weekly Journal #13 (November 24, 2016)

     This article by The Atlantic discusses research which shows a lack of social mobility in the United States. One of the main themes in Austen's Persuasion is an increased level of social mobility within English society, which had a traditionally rigid class system. as demonstrated by Captain Wentworth and the Crofts, that concerns the generations of landowners that Sir Walter represents. While social mobility is one of the celebrated hallmarks of modern society, the truth is that there is not as much social mobility today as some might think.

Weekly Journal #12 (November 17, 2016)

     
     While not as severe, Fanny's small room in the attic at Mansfield mirrors Harry Potter's confinement to the cupboard under the stairs (or rather, Harry Potter's confinement mirrors that of Fanny Price's). In both stories, these living conditions reflect the characters' diminished statuses within their respective families, and are a form of abuse. This sort of abuse reinforces Fanny's lack of self-confidence, and also to behaviors  associated with anxiety, such as obsessing and worrying about social interaction, something she thinks about and gets distressed about throughout the novel. While Fanny may not have realized that she was experiencing neglect and emotional abuse, it did affect her. This sort of abuse continues to be a problem today and its effects are well documented.

Weekly Journal #11 (November 10, 2016)

    
     Austen's novels focus on the lives of a small percentage of the English population: rich landowners. These people held the most wealth in that society, and the wealth inequality between this class and the working and lower classes was an extraordinary one. Unfortunately, 200 years later we continue to live in a society with massive wealth inequality. The problems that the working and lower classes faced mirror those of today, and the disconnect between these and the top 1% is similar to that of Austen's time. Bernie Sanders made this the focus of his campaign in the Democratic Primary and touches upon it in his reaction to the results of the general election.