Abstract

Persuasion is the last completed work by Jane Austen. The heroine Anne Elliot faced a marriage proposal by Captain Wentworth at the age of nineteen, but under her godmother Lady Russell’s persuasion, she chose to refuse it. Eight years later, they are reunited and end with a happy marriage. Thinking over her past moral judgment, Anne concludes that it was perfectly right in being guided by the friend since Lady Russell was “in the place of a parent” and it was “one of those cases in which advice is good or bad only as the event decides (Persuasion, p.264).”

The thesis aims to illustrate the protagonist Anne Elliot’s moral standard by analyzing her reflection upon the past refusal of Captain Wentworth’s proposal and to demonstrate how she came to such a moral judgment. From a perspective of moral beliefs, it attempts to explain why eight years later when Captain Wentworth proposes again, Anne accepts instantly, and the underlying changes that have happened to her. An analysis of Anne Elliot’s character is presented, respectively from her role as a family member, a companion and a romantic figure. Moreover, comparisons with Jane Austen’s former works and characters are constantly made in this paper.

Key words: moral judgment, Anne Elliot, Persuasion, Jane Austen

摘        要

简•奥斯丁在其最后一部完成的作品——《劝导》中抒发了与之前作品不一样的情感与观点。八年前，面对爱人的求婚，年轻的安妮无法摆脱来自家庭，拉塞尔夫人和自己良心这三方力量的牵制，尤其是她的道德导师拉塞尔夫人的意见，听从劝告，放弃了这段感情。八年后的重逢使安妮旧情复燃，最终和所爱之人走向了婚姻的殿堂。对于过去的反思与省视，安妮认为自己当时听从拉塞尔夫人的劝告是正确的，因为“这也许就属于这样一种情况：劝告是好是坏只能由事情本身来决定。”（劝导，1984） 本论文正是以安妮对八年前的行为的反思来挖掘她的道德标准，以及这样的道德判断背后深层次的原因与动机。
本论文从道德层面来分析安妮八年前后做出不同选择的动机及其带来的不同结果，进一步探讨作者简•奥斯丁对安妮•艾略特这一人物的性格塑造以及在安妮在处理爱情、亲情、友情时所做出的不同选择与判断，在与其前期作品的对比中，结合奥斯丁的人生经历和她所处的社会环境来综合找出安妮•艾略特这一人物的独特性与创新性。

关键词：道德选择，安妮•艾略特，《劝导》，简•奥斯丁