Restored hope for Fredrick
In the novel Persuasion, Jane Austen attempt to consider the various aspects of influence that family and friends might pressure an individual into making decisions that are not good for him or her. This is exactly what happens in the novel, where Anne is persuaded by her friend, Lady Russell, her father, and the older sister to break off her engagement to Frederick, who is a clever and ambitious young man, but with no personal fortune. As a result of this, the two go their separate ways and it is only after some eight years that the two meet again (Austen, 12). The fact that neither of them is married is a testament of the love that they share; despite the fact that circumstances have changed for Frederick, who is now an eligible bachelor with plenty of wealth. While Anne regrets her decision to break off their engagement, Frederick, on the other hand, still hurting from her rejection, does his best to ignore her through his not allowing any personal contact with Anne (Fitzpatrick Hanly, 1001). The return of Frederick into her life seems to secretly restore Anne’s hope that they would get back together and she often feels hurt from the way he treats her as well as his attention towards other younger women of her social circle.
Determined to move on and make a new life
When the Crofts rent out her family home because of the debts that Walter, Anne’s father, sustains due to his lavish lifestyle, Anne chooses to live with her own life and completely ignore Frederick’s cold treatment of her. She avoids Frederick as much as possible determined that it is best for her to do so as she has no further hope of having him as a husband; not after her rejection (Austen, 24). This creates a situation where, despite the pain that she is feeling, she keeps on living her own life, even going to the extent of joining her father and her older sister in Bath, despite their low opinion of her. Her determination to move on and make a new life for herself is rewarded through her making the acquaintance of her estranged cousin, William, who develops an interest in her not just as family, but also as a woman (Vandersluis, 88). This helps Anne to come out of her shell and enables her to regain her pride not only in her womanhood, but also in her beauty, of which until William came into her life, she had not been confident.
Making her own decisions
The fact that she chooses to avoid any association with Frederick is the first important decision that she makes on her own as this enables her to think clearly about her life and future. Because of her consequent choices, she is able to regain some pride in herself, which she had lost during her period of separation from Frederick. Since she is able to make her own decision, her life opens up to new possibilities, and not dominated by her feelings of regret concerning her rejection of Frederick through breaking of their engagement. This circumstance enables her to begin her association with her cousin, William, but while the two of them would have made a perfect couple, she chooses not to accept his suit, because she has no feelings for him.