Volume I Chapter IV

Summary

Captain Wentworth and Anne meet and fall in love in 1806. They hope to marry eachother, but Lady Russell persuades Anne not to marry beneath her social class because Captain Wentworth lacks fortune and high birth. Anne is persuaded to believe that her marriage to Wentworth would be impractical, so she ends their blossoming relationship.

Anne is heartbroken from having to end her relationship with Captain Wentworth, but she did not blame Lady Russell for persuading her to do so. Anne does not feel affection for any other man throughout the seven years of her not seeing Captain Wentworth, except for a rejected proposal from Charles Musgrove. Anne's father allows Charles Musgrove to propose to her, but she rejects him and he marries her sister, Mary.

During the seven years of separation from Captain Wentworth, Anne matures and has a greater understanding of love, which makes her excited to hear that Captain Wentworth's sister rents Kellylnch Hall.

Family in I. 4
This chapter brings up the idea of marriage and class. On page 26-28, the beginning of the chapter, Jane Austen explains that Anne was a rich daughter of a Baronet, and Fredrick Wentworth was had nothing to his name, and, since their marriege would not have Anna's family's approval, they were forced to separate. Sir. Walter and Lady Russell refurred refurred to the pairing as a "degrading" and "unfortunate," alliance (26).

Male and female dynamics also come into play in this chapter. At first, Anna was the more wealthy partner, so she was not encouraged to marry. On page 29 chapter 4, we learn that Fredrick Wentworth becomes more successful than Anne's familly predicted he would be. This situation reverses the romance between the two, "the natural sequal of an unnatural beginning"(29), because now Anne could marry Wentworth now that he has more power in the situation. They were already in love, but now he would have to fall in love with her all over again for Anna's sake.