Persuasion quotes, explained for kids
Persuasion is Jane Austen’s quietest and most heartfelt book, and its famous lines are about family, second chances and staying true. Some are funny, like the description of vain Sir Walter, and some are tender, like Captain Wentworth’s famous letter. With a 6–9 year old, they are a lovely way to talk about listening to people who are overlooked, being patient, and how feelings can last a long time. Read a line aloud and ask who feels what, and why.
Every line is quoted word for word from the original 1817 novel by Jane Austen.
Quote 1: “Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character; vanity of person and of situation.”
Narrator, the opening chapter introduces Anne’s father, Sir Walter What it means: Sir Walter cares more than anything about his good looks and his important position. It is a funny way of saying he is very vain.
Ask your child: Why might it be a problem to care too much about how you look?
Quote 2: “was nobody with either father or sister; her word had no weight, her convenience was always to give way”
Narrator, the narrator explains how Anne is treated by her father and older sister What it means: Anne is kind and clever, but her family ignores her. Nobody listens to what she says, and she always has to fit in with everyone else’s plans.
Ask your child: How do you think it feels when nobody listens to you? How can we make sure everyone is heard?
Quote 3: “She had been forced into prudence in her youth, she learned romance as she grew older: the natural sequel of an unnatural beginning.”
Narrator, the narrator looks back at the choice Anne made eight years earlier What it means: When she was young, Anne was talked into being very careful. As she grew older, she came to believe in following her heart.
Ask your child: Can you think of a time when being careful was right, and a time when it wasn’t?
Quote 4: “You were so altered he should not have known you again.”
Captain Wentworth (as told by Mary), anne’s sister Mary passes on what Captain Wentworth said after meeting Anne again What it means: Wentworth said Anne had changed so much he would not have recognized her. Mary repeats it without thinking about how much it hurts Anne.
Ask your child: Why is it important to think before we repeat what someone else said?
Quote 5: “I hate to hear you talking so like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatures.”
Mrs. Croft, mrs. Croft tells her brother, Captain Wentworth, that women can handle life at sea What it means: Mrs. Croft says women are sensible people who can cope with hard things, not delicate dolls to be protected.
Ask your child: What are some brave or hard things that girls and women do?
Quote 6: “My idea of good company, Mr Elliot, is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.”
Anne Elliot, in Bath, Anne talks with her cousin Mr Elliot about the fancy people her family wants to impress What it means: Anne likes being with people who are interesting and have things to say, not just people with fancy titles.
Ask your child: Who is your idea of good company? Why?
Quote 7: “when pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.”
Anne Elliot, anne remembers the frightening accident at Lyme with Captain Wentworth What it means: Anne means that once a hard time is over, we can look back on it and even find good memories in it.
Ask your child: Can you remember something hard that turned into a good story later?
Quote 8: “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story.”
Anne Elliot, anne talks with Captain Harville about whether men or women love more faithfully What it means: Anne says most books were written by men, so they have told the story from their side. Women have not had the same chance.
Ask your child: Why does it matter who gets to tell a story?
Quote 9: “All the privilege I claim for my own sex (it is not a very enviable one; you need not covet it), is that of loving longest, when existence or when hope is gone.”
Anne Elliot, anne finishes her talk with Captain Harville while Captain Wentworth sits nearby What it means: Anne says women can keep on loving someone for a very long time, even when there seems to be no hope.
Ask your child: What does it mean to stay loyal to someone you love?
Quote 10: “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.”
Captain Wentworth, captain Wentworth writes a letter after overhearing Anne’s words What it means: He is saying his feelings are so strong they hurt, and he is half sad and half hopeful at the same time.
Ask your child: Have you ever felt two big feelings at once? What were they?
Questions about Persuasion quotes
- What is the most famous quote from Persuasion?
- Captain Wentworth’s letter, which begins “I can listen no longer in silence” and includes “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope,” is the best known.
- Who wrote “I am half agony, half hope”?
- Captain Frederick Wentworth writes it in a letter to Anne Elliot near the end of the book, after overhearing her talk about love.
- Who said “Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story”?
- Anne Elliot says it to Captain Harville in Bath, during their talk about whether men or women love more faithfully.
- What does “her word had no weight” mean?
- It means nobody in Anne’s family listens to her or takes her opinions seriously, even though she is sensible and kind.