4-5 pages, typed and double-spaced MLA format Jane Austen developed the English

4-5 pages, typed and double-spaced MLA format
Jane Austen developed the English novel so that it could capture consciousness more
completely than previous novelistic narratives could. In part, she captured consciousness by
showing how the mind responds to physical stimuli and how the body reacts to mental
perceptions. Often these dialogues between body and mind are startling or bewildering. Anne,
for example, is “electrified” when she hears Mrs. Croft discuss her brother’s marriage (because
she assumes she is talking about Frederick, not Edward). Similarly, the physicality of Frederick
Wentworth’s hands around her neck to release a pesky child creates a mental “agitation” that
nearly overwhelms her. Another example is Louisa Musgrove, whose high spirits and frenetic
physicality are subdued by a physical fall, after which, she becomes something of an introvert,
allergic to noise and addicted to Romantic poetry. Head and mind in Austen’s novel are in
constant dialogue, and the dialogue often produces anxiety, unrest, depression, or agitation.
Write an essay that traces this interaction between mind and body in Persuasion. Consult at
least two articles on Persuasion from juried periodicals. You need not agree with their
arguments, but you must understand them. Excellent articles include but are not limited to the
following.
Nelles. William. “Jane’s Brains: Austen and Cognitive Theory.” Interdisciplinary
Literary Studies, vol. 16, no. 1, 2014, pp. 6–29.
Pinch, Adela. “Lost in a Book: Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Studies in Romanticism, vol.
32, no. 1, 1993, pp. 97-117.
Young, Kay.“Feeling Embodied: Consciousness, Persuasion, and Jane Austen.”
Narrative, vol. 11, no. 1, 2003, pp. 78–92.
Use MLA format to document all sources and append a Works Cited list. All quotes must be
introduced and integrated gracefully in your prose. Paragraphs should have clear topic
sentences. The thesis should be focused and specific and offer insight into Austen’s craft.
Include a title.