Degrees of Persuasion Quiz | Austen, Jane

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Lady Russell persuades Anne to break her engagement to Frederick Wentworth. "Lady Russell had little taste for wit, and of anything approaching to imprudence a horror. She deprecated the connexion in every light. Such opposition, as these feelings produced, was more than Anne could combat." "but Lady Russell, whom she had always loved and relied on, could not, with such steadiness of opinion, and such _________ of manner, be continually advising her in vain. She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it." What is the missing word, which defines Lady Russell's persuasion?

Answer: Tenderness

One of the higher degrees of Persuasion and the hardest to resist. We can give Lady Russell an 8/10 and Anne 2/10 for resistance. Anne scores 2 only as she eventually convinced herself it was for Frederick's good.
" But it was not a merely selfish caution, under which she acted, in putting an end to it. Had she not imagined herself consulting his good, even more than her own, she could hardly have given him up. The belief of being prudent, and self-denying, principally for his advantage, was her chief consolation, under the misery of a parting, a final parting; and every consolation was required, for she had to encounter all the additional pain of opinions, on his side, totally unconvinced and unbending, and of his feeling himself ill used by so forced a relinquishment. He had left the country in consequence."
Amazingly this enabled her to put up great resistance to Frederick's counter-opinions.
Frederick only scores 1 and Anne a 9/10 for resolution; only 9 as she would have been easily persuaded to re-engage after his first successes.

2. We are often persuaded in casual conversation. The easiest persuasion is when no opinion is held and no resistance is given. "What a great traveller you must have been, ma'am!" said Mrs Musgrove to Mrs Croft. "Pretty well, ma'am in the fifteen years of my marriage; though many women have done more. I have crossed the Atlantic four times, and have been once to the East Indies, and back again, and only once; besides being in different places about home: Cork, and Lisbon, and Gibraltar. But I never went beyond the Streights, and never was in the West Indies. We do not call Bermuda or Bahama, you know, the West Indies." Mrs Musgrove had not a word to say in ______; she could not accuse herself of having ever called them anything in the whole course of her life." What is the missing word, which is also missing in Mrs Musgrave? Hint: she is too agreeable.

Answer: Dissent

We can only award Mrs Croft a 2/10 for imparting knowledge so casually. Mrs Musgrove puts up no resistance to get 0/10.
We imagine that Mrs Musgrove has no idea where any of these places are. Nor does she care. The doings of Uppercross provide the limits for her interest. She is only anxious when her husband travels to the local assizes.

3. Louisa re-inforces Henrietta in her decision to go to visit the Hayters. "And so, I made her go. I could not bear that she should be frightened from the visit by such nonsense. What! would I be turned back from doing a thing that I had determined to do, and that I knew to be right, by the airs and interference of such a person, or of any person I may say? No, I have no idea of being so easily persuaded. When I have made up my mind, I have made it; and Henrietta seemed entirely to have made up hers to call at _______ to-day; and yet, she was as near giving it up, out of nonsensical complaisance!" What is the name of Charles Hayter's family farm estate.?

Answer: Winthrop

This is an easy form of persuasion when the person wants what you want, so we can only award Louisa 4/10 on this occasion. Henrietta scores 1/10 as she was willingly convinced.

Frederick: "She would have turned back then, but for you?"
Louisa: "She would indeed. I am almost ashamed to say it."
Frederick: "If you value her conduct or happiness, infuse as much
of your own spirit into her as you can. But this, no doubt, you have been always doing. It is the worst evil of too yielding and indecisive a character, that no influence over it can be depended on. You are never sure of a good impression being durable; everybody
may sway it. Let those who would be happy be firm." "Then returning to his former earnest tone: "My first wish for all whom I am interested in, is that they should be firm. If Louisa Musgrove would be beautiful and happy in her November of life, she will cherish all her present powers of mind."
Frederick was not so pleased when Louisa exhibited 10/10 for resolution when he was trying to persuade her against jumping from the Cobb at Lyme.

4. Louisa describes Mary to Frederick Wentworth: "Mary is good-natured enough in many respects," said she; "but she does sometimes provoke me excessively, by her nonsense and pride--the Elliot pride. We do so wish that Charles had married Anne instead. I suppose you know he wanted to marry Anne?" After a moment's pause, Captain Wentworth said-- "Do you mean that she refused him?" "Oh! yes; certainly. I wish she had accepted him. We should all have liked her a great deal better; and papa and mamma always think it was her great friend Lady Russell's doing, that she did not. They think Charles might not be learned and _______ enough to please Lady Russell, and that therefore, she persuaded Anne to refuse him." What is Charles certainly not?

Answer: Bookish

This imagined persuasion is probably accurate conjecture on Louisa's part. However Anne would have had no trouble in being unpersuadable (5/10 for Lady Russell's wise persuasion, 10/10 for Anne's firm resolve) as she could not love Charles.

5. Admiral Croft and Mrs Croft offer a lift back to Uppercross: The walking party had crossed the lane, and were surmounting an opposite stile, and the Admiral was putting his horse in motion again, when ____________ cleared the hedge in a moment to say something to his sister. The something might be guessed by its effects. "Miss Elliot, I am sure you are tired," cried Mrs Croft. "Do let us have the pleasure of taking you home. Here is excellent room for three, I assure you. If we were all like you, I believe we might sit four. You must, indeed, you must." Who instigated that Anne should have the lift?

Answer: Frederick Wentworth

Here is another example of re-inforcing persuasion. Anne is very glad for the lift and being overborne, particularly by Frederick (5/10 all round for easy persuasion). "Anne was still in the lane; and though instinctively beginning to decline, she was not allowed to proceed.

The Admiral's kind urgency came in support of his wife's; they would not be refused; they compressed themselves into the smallest possible space to leave her a corner, and Captain Wentworth, without saying a word, turned to her, and quietly obliged her to be assisted into the carriage. Yes; he had done it.

She was in the carriage, and felt that he had placed her there, that his will and his hands had done it, that she owed it to his perception of her fatigue, and his resolution to give her rest."

6. Admiral and Mrs Croft had a very short courtship. "We had better not talk about it, my dear," replied Mrs Croft, pleasantly; "for if Miss Elliot were to hear how soon we came to an understanding, she would never be persuaded that we could be happy together. I had known you by character, however, long before." "Well, and I had heard of you as a very pretty girl, and what were we to wait for besides? I do not like having such things so long in hand. I wish Frederick would spread a little more ________, and bring us home one of these young ladies to Kellynch. Then there would always be company for them. And very nice young ladies they both are; I hardly know one from the other." What is the missing word? Hint: Ask for an opinion.

Answer: Canvass

Mrs Croft was predisposed to like the Admiral (only Captain Croft then) so needed little persuasion (3/10's all round, no opposition).
Mrs Croft considers the Musgrove girls:
' "Very good humoured, unaffected girls, indeed," said Mrs Croft, in a tone of calmer praise, such as made Anne suspect that her keener powers might not consider either of them as quite worthy of her brother; "and a very respectable family. One could not be connected with better people. My dear Admiral, that post! we shall certainly take that post." But by coolly giving the reins a better direction herself they happily passed the danger; '

7. Frederick will not be persuaded by his sister, Mrs Croft, that women have a place on board ship. "My dear Frederick, you are talking quite idly. Pray, what would become of us poor sailors' wives, who often want to be conveyed to one port or another, after our husbands, if everybody had your feelings?" "My feelings, you see, did not prevent my taking ________ and all her family to Plymouth." "But I hate to hear you talking so like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures." Who did Frederick take to Plymouth?

Answer: Mrs Harville

Frederick is not to be persuaded. 0/10 for Admiral Croft, 10/10 for Frederick for obstinacy.
"Ah! my dear," said the Admiral, "when he had got a wife,
he will sing a different tune. When he is married, if we have
the good luck to live to another war, we shall see him do as you and I, and a great many others, have done. We shall have him very thankful to anybody that will bring him his wife."
"Ay, that we shall."
"Now I have done," cried Captain Wentworth. "When once married
people begin to attack me with,--`Oh! you will think very differently,
when you are married.' I can only say, `No, I shall not;' and then
they say again, `Yes, you will,' and there is an end of it."

8. After listening to the full description of Mr Elliot's conduct, Anne expressed surprise at Mrs Smith's having spoken of him so favourably "She had seemed to recommend and praise him!" Mrs Smith: "My heart bled for you, as I talked of happiness; and yet he is sensible, he is agreeable, and with such a woman as you, it was not absolutely hopeless. He was very unkind to his first wife. They were _________ together. But she was too ignorant and giddy for respect, and he had never loved her. I was willing to hope that you must fare better." What is the missing word? Hint: Made sick in married life.

Answer: wretched

Hint was cryptic for w(retch)ed.
This is really inappropriate persuasion as Mrs Smith did not believe what she advised. She was a stupid and dangerous woman.
Certainly Anne would have been wretched as she did not love Mr Elliot, finding him too cool after the enthusiastic Wentworth.
"Anne could just acknowledge within herself such a possibility
of having been induced to marry him, as made her shudder at the idea
of the misery which must have followed. It was just possible that
she might have been persuaded by Lady Russell! And under such
a supposition, which would have been most miserable, when time had
disclosed all, too late?"

9. Captain Wentworth is talking to Anne when Mr Elliot demands her attention. "They talked for a few minutes more; the improvement held; he even looked down towards the bench, as if he saw a place on it well worth occupying; when at that moment a touch on her shoulder obliged Anne to turn round. It came from Mr Elliot. He begged her pardon, but she must be applied to, to explain Italian again. ________ was very anxious to have a general idea of what was next to be sung. Anne could not refuse; but never had she sacrificed to politeness with a more suffering spirit." Who was anxious?

Answer: Miss Carteret

Miss Carteret, who unlike Anne is not proficient in Italian.
Politeness is the persuasion of tradition and good manners. Anne could not refuse because she was too well brought up.
"A few minutes, though as few as possible, were inevitably consumed;
and when her own mistress again, when able to turn and look
as she had done before, she found herself accosted by Captain Wentworth, in a reserved yet hurried sort of farewell. "He must wish her good night; he was going; he should get home as fast as he could."
"Is not this song worth staying for?" said Anne, suddenly struck
by an idea which made her yet more anxious to be encouraging.
"No!" he replied impressively, "there is nothing worth my staying for;" and he was gone directly.
Jealousy of Mr Elliot! It was the only intelligible motive.
Captain Wentworth jealous of her affection!"

10. Anne is talking to Captain Harville, as Captain Wentworth organises that Bewick's portrait be framed for Louisa Musgrove. Harville: "Poor Fanny! she would not have forgotten him so soon!" "No," replied Anne, in a low, feeling voice. "That I can easily believe." "It was not in her nature. She doted on him." "It would not be the nature of any woman who truly loved." Captain Harville smiled, as much as to say, "Do you claim that for your sex?" and she answered the question, smiling also, "Yes. We certainly do not forget you as soon as you forget us. It is, perhaps, our fate rather than our merit. You are forced on exertion. You have always a _____, pursuits, business of some sort or other, to take you back into the world immediately" What word is missing?

Answer: profession

Benwick is easily persuaded that he is in love (1/10).
Anne: "She was persuaded that any tolerably pleasing
young woman who had listened and seemed to feel for him would have
received the same compliment. He had an affectionate heart.
He must love somebody."
This is unlike Anne and Frederick who in their different ways have never really considered anyone else (10/10 to each).

Source: Author jeremyb

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Degrees of Persuasion Trivia Quiz

Persuasion ranges from tyrannical through bullying, tender, wise, and re-inforcing down to casual and inadvertent. It is met with equal degrees of resistance. Jane Austen's "Persuasion" gives us many examples of both.

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