Illness in Persuasion, a Historical Context

Jane Austen\u27s novel Persuasion features characters suffering from various ailments, including depression, head and bone trauma, and hypochondria. The focus of research for this analysis is how Anne responds to such infirmities and the contemporary context of the illnesses in the novel. Research performed includes analysis of the original text and secondary research in the form of literary articles and books. Findings suggest that Annes actions reflect the severity of the illnesses in the rural nineteenth-century setting, and her care for the ill throughout the novel reflects her own recovery from depression