We now come to our third place setting and ho captain Wentworth’s feelings change through Lyme. As Lyme is described as coastal town, with vast openness, the openness may actually reflect on Wentworth’s openness to his true feelings. ‘Romantic rocks and chasms’, the atmosphere may have caused Wentworth to admit and realise this.
Lyme a costal town, in which a recent widower and friend of captain Wentworth, lives. Captain Benwick and harville live. It is in lyme that Austen starts to be more and more open about Captain Wentworth’s feelings towards Anne. The tragic accident of Louisa sparks of much emotion within people. At the scene of the tragedy it is Anne whom takes the lead to conduct on what should be done, the others become hysterical. At this calmness of manner captain Wentworth is clearly impressed by this trait in Anne ’Anne will stay, no one so proper, so capable as Anne’. Captain Wentworth and Louisa Musgrove whom was involved in the unfortunate accident had many speculations form others about their relationship, but as soon as the incident takes place, captain Wentworth leaves Lyme for Bath. Leavings others wondering about what sort of love interest he is to leave the one he supposedly love behind in a critical state. On the way back to the Uppercross mansion captain Wentworth and Anne share a carriage together to tell the Musgrove’s of Louisa’s accident, the atmosphere and tone of this passage highly reflects on Wentworth’s feelings. There is almost an indescribable excitement or somewhat of an urgent need to fill the awkward silences ‘yes he had done it she was in the carriage’. Again many authorial comments made by Austen suggest that Wentworth is not entirely sure about his relationship with Louisa. There is another aspect of the novel in which captain Wentworth compares the character of a woman to a hazelnut. The nut is metaphorical of how he feels towards Anne and what irritates him in women, this comparison is clearly aimed at Anne as it is Anne whom was persuaded into braking of the relationship ‘beautiful glossy nut, blessed with original strength has outlived all the storms of autumn not a puncture or weak spot anywhere’.
The party which had done to lyme on an occasion gone down to the cob for a walk, it is at this point in which Mr William Elliot, heir to the kellynch estate appears and notices Anne, ‘Anne’s face caught his eye, he looked at her with a degree of earnest admiration’ , after this incident it is apparent that captain Wentworth sees again in Anne what he saw in her 8 years ago ‘that man is struck with you – and even I, at this moment, see something like Anne Elliot again’. Post this meeting the body language of captain Wentworth changes he constantly checks Anne’s reaction to him mentioning William Elliot’s name and if this interest her in any way, he may feel threatened that he has competition ‘ah! Cried Captain Wentworth, instantly, and with a half glance at Anne it is the very gentlemen we passed at the cob’. It is because of him that Wentworth reacts in a manor that questions if it is Louisa or Anne he is in love with. At this point in the novel it is clear that Wentworth’s feelings for Anne have not disappeared, but to tell Anne of his feelings Wentworth needs many other meetings and many other conversations with Anne.
These meetings and conversations take place at our forth and final place setting of bath. It is in bath were Captain Wentworth realises his feelings for Anne Elliot. Many conversations take place between Captain Wentworth Anne Elliot; it is clear from the novel that Captain Wentworth wants to spend more time with Anne as he rediscovers his love for her ‘he seemed in no hurry to leave’ , ‘how do you do brought him out of the straight line to stand near her’. At a certain concert it is apparent that the presence of William Elliot bothers Wentworth, he wishes to talk to Anne but the constant interruptions from mr Elliot disrupts his intentions ‘he saw her too yet he looked very irresolute’ ‘she felt something must be the matter’, it is clear that captain Wentworth is jealous ‘captain Wentworth must be jealous of mr Elliot’ and afraid of the fact that mr Elliot and Anne may get married. Mr Elliot accompanying Anne causes noticeable unrest to captain Wentworth as he opts to leave very quickly ‘captain Wentworth in a reserved yet hurried sort of farewell, he was going home as fast as he could’, a comparison from before when, even when the conversation had obviously gone astray he was in no hurry to leave Anne. When an invite is put in Captain Wentworth way, the reaction that is received from Captain Wentworth by Anne is significant of what Captain Wentworth is thinking and feeling. His body language conveys his confusion over Anne feeling has left him in limbo,’ he held the card in his hands after they were gone as if deeply considering it’ he does not know if Anne loves him or Mr Elliot. Captain Wentworth becomes extremely open towards the end of the novel; he at the end of the novel is obliged to write to Anne as a reaction to a conversation between captain harville and Anne, in which he declares his love for Anne.
To conclude, captain Wentworth feelings have developed immensely since the begging of the novel from ‘cold politeness’ to the realisation of his love for Anne Elliot.
Captain Wentworth seems to be persuaded by the settings of places, how Anne Elliot was persuaded by Lady Russell to break up the relationship. This may actually be a rather hypocritical view as captain Wentworth, declaring that to be persuaded and uncertainty are all traits he resents yet he finds them within himself. Captain Wentworth’s uncertainty has driven him to behave the way has behaved towards Anne.
