A Sentimental Journey and Persuasion

A Sentimental Journey by Laurence Sterne uses a first-person narrator through its protagonist Yorick who is critical of his opinion of others and often voices them ruthfully. While in Jane Austen’s Persuasion the main character Anne Elliot does not voice her opinions as highly and usually keeps her thoughts to herself all the while letting others create an opinion for her and choose for her since she is easily persuaded into things. Free indirect discourse is third-person narration that can also be deciphered as first-person narration as it is difficult at times to comprehend which characters thoughts are being voiced because it never uses she said or he said, instead a characters thoughts are dominant in the passage and it is up to the reader to decide which character it is who’s doing the narrating. First-person narration is used through a character and it is clear for the reader on what that certain character feels towards others and situations throughout a novel because “I” is voiced straight from the character. First-person narration doesn't create critical distance between the reader and Yorick in A Sentimental Journey because we know exactly what his thoughts are whereas with free indirect discourse it is harder upon the reader to decide whose thoughts are dominant in the passage and whether or not it is a character narrating the passage or the narrator itself whose gender is never revealed in Persuasion, thus why it creates critical distance for the readers and its characters especially its main character Anne Elliot.

Free Indirect Discourse vs. First Person Narration

Persuasion by Jane Austen and A Sentimental Journey by Lawrence Sterne differ when they question their motives for interacting with another character in the novel. Anne questions her motives for wanting to check if the rain has stopped when in reality she really wants to be seen by Wentworth. Yorick in a sentimental journey questions his motives as to why he should or should not invite Madame de L on his journey. This confusion leads to a difference in the way they are presented. Anne Elliot uses free indirect discourse while Yorick is in first person narration. 

In Persuasion Anne Elliot puts herself in a situation where she is forced to find asylum inside a store because of the rain, knowing that Wentworth is outside, while he doesn't know of her close presence. Her concerns for the rain try to overshadow her real reason as to why she wants to go out and check if the rain has stopped when in reality she wants to be seen by Wentworth. For instance, “She now felt a great inclination to go to the outer door; she wanted to see if it rained. Why was she to suspect herself another motive(165)?” Anne takes herself through complex excuses because she subconsciously wants to be noticed so that he will approach her. She uses persuasion to her advantage this time then when it was used against her when she did not marry him eight years ago. 

Unlike Anne, Yorick in A Sentimental Journey doesn’t hide his feeling towards wanting to invite Madame de L with him to Paris. He doesn’t try to overshadow his motives like Anne attempts to do. Because first person narration is used, the reader can easily identify how mush he trusts his instincts and doesn't doubts his feeling towards others whereas in Persuasion free indirect discourse makes that harder to do because the reader has to interpret through analyzation if Anne's thoughts are being voiced or if it is just the narrator's. Yorick faces his dilemma by consulting imaginary people: Avarice, Caution, Cowardice, Discretion, Hypocrisy, Madness and Pride. He comes up with the pros and cons of inviting her on his journey but trust his instinct and comes to terms with his true motives and decides to inviter her, “–and as I generally act from first impulse and therefore seldom listen to these cabals, which serve no purpose, that I know of, but to encompass the heart with adamant– i turn’d instantly about to the lady– (19).” First person narration makes a character's true motives clear, while free indirect discourse makes it harder upon the reader to decipher a character's true feelings. 

Counter argument to Weissman's essay

In Cheryl Anne Weissman’s essay she basis her entire argument on a passage found in page 160 where she proclaims that a conflict between renewing the past violates the present when regarding Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth’s relationship. I, however, beg to differ. Not only is Weissman’s lack of analyzing the poem contribute to the misrepresentation she is sending to her audience, but never does she mention the narrator while analyzing the certain passage she focuses on. The narrator is the key part in the novel because it’s through the narrator’s eyes that the story is being told and through that paragraph no free indirect discourse is used so it is evident that the narrator is the one actually telling the story.        

The passage with all the attention goes as follows: “ They returned into the past, more exquisitely happy perhaps, in their re-union, than when it had been first projected; more tender, more tried, more fixed in a knowledge of each other’s character...(160).”  The past versus the present does create conflict in the story but it does not ultimately ruin the ending, nor does it disrupt it either. The narrator in Persuasion takes the reader into the past as a reminisce of what Anne and Wentworth’s future will ultimately behold. Doing so, brings nostalgia for the past as Anne and Wentworth yearn for the years they spent apart to be given back, thus why they reminisce on it throughout the passage. Regretting all of those years that they spent in estrangement from one another will be made up in the preceding years as they are now set to marry. With that thought in mind the ending in not disrupted nor does it disappoint like Weissman claims it does. Instead the reader is taken into the felicity of Anne and Wentworth’s love for one another and the same is to say when they marry. As the narrator bring the audience into the past, never does it violate the present of Anne and Wentworth’s relationship and feeling that they hold for one another and the audience is left satisfied not disappointed as Weissman falsely claims in her essay. 

Free Indirect Discourse

In Jane Austen’s Persuasion, free indirect discourse is used throughout the entire novel. Doing so, the reader is left to decipher who’s thoughts it is that are being narrated. There is a certain passage, like many others, where Austen uses free indirect discourse. It can be found on page 7 the second paragraph. In this particular passage free indirect discourse can be found through the narrator and Sir Walter.  

The beginning of the passage starts off with the explanation of Sir Walter’s current circumstances and his overall impression of his favorite daughter, the eldest, and the feelings he holds towards others. For instance, “–Be it known then, that Sir Walter, like a good father, (having met with one or two private disappointments in very unreasonable applications) prided himself on remaining single for his dear daughter’s sake.” This sentence starts off with the narrator explaining his reason behind never remarrying but shifts point of view to Sir Walter when it is said because of his, “dear daughter’s sake.” Daughter’s is singular even though he has two more whom he never pays attention to. Also considering that the narrator is more sympathetic towards Anne, one of the other daughters, he/she wouldn’t refer to the eldest daughter as, “dear.” It is evident that the narrator begins the sentence because he/she associates Sir Walter as a prideful man. Sir Walter himself would never admit to his own pride in such a straightforward way. The narrator forms this opinion based on it’s point of view. 

The narration is continued to be focalized through Sir Walter when he states, “ For one daughter, his eldest, he would really have given up anything, which, he had not been very much tempted to do.” This sentence is through the emotions of Sir Walter himself . Being that Elizabeth is his favorite, he is willing to sacrifice anything for her, and being that she is just like him-perfect in her every respect- he has not had the necessity to do so. He believes her wise, just like himself; therefore, her decision-making skills are satisfactory. He continues his praise for her with, “ Elizabeth had succeeded, at sixteen, to all that was possible, of her mother’s rights and consequence; and being handsome, and very like himself, her influence had always been great, and they had gone on together most happily.” It is apparent the narrator would never make a comment this great about Elizabeth because of the similarities she shares with her father. The narrator is always mocking Sir Walter and when speaking about Elizabeth, which is not often done, an opinion of her would not be said in such a positive tone. In addition, Sir Walter is constantly concerned with looks and his opinion of others is always based upon them. Likewise, he is always giving himself compliments on his features that have stayed consistent throughout the years, so comparing his daughter's beauty to his, it’s distinct that he has narrated the part. The similarities they share allow them to get along really well, thus why she has always been his favorite.

However, ending the paragraph the original narrator is present in opinion again. Anne is admired with, “....but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister: her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give way; ––she was only Anne.” It is clearly seen how present the narrator’s thoughts are. Anne is the narrator’s favorite with, “her sweetness of character,” which is admired by the narrator and  which consequently, “placed her high with any people of real understanding.” Anne is highly esteemed by the narrator, who’s annoyed that her father doesn’t value her as much as she should because of his arrogance toward beauty which is what he always bases value of worth on.