Persuasion, its more than just a term used to define a process aimed at changing a person’s attitude or behavior toward something, it is a book set in 19th century England one our main character, Anne, who is the middle child of the Elliot’s, a very prominent family during the time. Although Anne is the main character of this story, the plot thrives off a hidden element that was a major factor during the 19th century. This hidden element is the classism that thrived amongst the population of England. In Dracula we saw the beast to be Dracula himself, and everyone in his evil presence changed in some way for the worst just by being around his evil aura. In Persuasion classism acts as this evil aura that twists people into becoming someone they are not and makes them do anything for an ounce of more power. Jane Austen uses classism to also reveal how women were subject to these maniacal games played by men for power and money. This ideal that one person is above another merely for the fact that he/she has a title or more money provides Anne with many difficult situations As we follow Anne through this story we see through her eyes the many people she comes across and how they interact with people based on class.

The most upfront of these examples in this book is Anne’s encounter with Mr. Elliot, her cousin. Mr. Elliot is a character that seems to come out of no where towards the end of the book. At first he is just a random passerby that admires Anne’s beauty, but as we delve deeper into these chapters we see that it was not admiration of Anne that was in Mr. Elliot’s eyes, but the gears of maniacal planning at work towards his new goal for power. Through Mrs. Smith, Anne’s close friend and an extreme gossip, we find out that Mr. Elliot has had plans to claim the title of baronet from Anne’s father and sell Kellynch hall, acquiring him not only his beloved title but also a sizable wealth. Mrs. Smith boldly explains to Anne in this powerful description of Mr. Elliot saying “Mr. Elliot is a man without heart or conscience; a designing, wary, cold-blooded being, who thinks only of himself; whom for his own interest or ease, would be guilty of any cruelty, or any treachery, that could be perpetrated without risk of his general character. He has no feeling for others. Those whom he has been the chief cause of leading into ruin, he can neglect and desert without the smallest compunction. He is totally beyond the reach of any sentiment of justice or compassion. Oh! he is black at heart, hollow and black!” (Author PG). From this description of Mr. Elliot we see what classism does to a man and how it turns him into this emotionless being thirsty for power. There is no remorse when climbing the ladder of prestige because classism allows for none. To think that someone would betray and plot behind the backs of their own family is what this ideal of classism spawns. This is what Austen wanted to reveal through her text. She wanted to reveal the evils of the class system and how women were subject to men proposing not for love or want of each other, but for titles, money, and power.