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.