Puget Sound Region: Persuasion—The Canceled Chapters

Close Reading of the Ending of Persuasion

We know that on July 8, 1816, Jane Austen began what she called Chapter 10 of the second volume of Persuasion. On the last page of Chapter 11 she wrote “Finish July 18 1816.” The original ending was first published by Austen's nephew and biographer, J. Edward Austen-Leigh, in his A Memoir of Jane Austen. The canceled chapters are the only manuscript from any of the six novels that we have in original form—crossings-out, emendations and all. The fragment is now in the British Museum.

We will discuss the canceled Chapter 10 as well as Chapters 10 through 12 as published.