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Captain Wentworth’s Umbrella
When Anne and Wentworth are in Bath, Wentworth steps into the same store where Anne shelters from the rain and offers her his umbrella. It is a small gesture, but it gives significant insight into Wentworth’s character and marks a climactic moment in the novel. Prior to this exchange, Anne had just learned that Wentworth is unattached from Louisa and therefore single, and it would make sense that he hoped to run into Anne in Bath. Indeed, Wentworth most likely has an umbrella handy because he not only expected to see her, but he intends to pursue a relationship with Anne again. The umbrella symbolizes Wentworth’s investment in Anne’s well-being and the way he wants to care for her. Wentworth has an uncanny ability to intuit Anne’s distress, and his offering of the umbrella demonstrates his commitment to both protecting and pursuing her.
Mirrors
Sir Walter’s driving characteristic throughout Persuasion is his vanity. When the Crofts move into Kellynch Hall, Admiral Croft tells Anne that he packed away all of Sir Walter’s mirrors except for one that was too large to move, which he covered with a sheet. Mirrors, particularly large ones, would have been an extravagant expense in Austen’s time. The fact that Sir Walter purchased these mirrors in the first place, and that he does not sell them when money becomes tight, underscores the symbolic value his mirrors have with respect to his vanity. While mirrors may be used as a means of self-examination, Sir Walter isn’t invested in reflecting on his flaws. Instead, he’s only interested in amplifying his sense of self-importance. Austen generally portrays Sir Walter’s self-obsession as a laughable matter. However, his vanity also causes harm when it leads his family to the brink of bankruptcy, or else causes him to burn bridges.
Kellynch Hall
The opening struggle of Persuasion centers on how the Elliots will deal with their dwindling funds. Sir Walter is a baronet, and he is proud of his family’s historical claim on the estate. He could sell off pieces of the estate, but diminishing his land would weaken his social reputation. More than anything else, Kellynch Hall symbolizes Sir Walter’s status as a gentleman and member of the aristocracy. Ultimately, he decides to rent the estate rather than sell. Renting is still a social disgrace, but Sir Walter can at least maintain the illusion of his wealth. Sir Walter rents Kellynch Hall to the Crofts, who in many ways are the opposite of the Elliots, as they are a naval couple and not landed gentry. The Crofts’ placement in Kellynch Hall suggests that, in Austen’s time, wealth gained through hard work also allows for social mobility and may eventually challenge the aristocracy.
