Persuasion

One of the novel’s key themes is Constancy in True Romantic Love, and in one episode Anne and Harville debate whether men or women are more constant. What does constancy mean to the characters in the novel? How are some characters more constant than others? What are some different ways of displaying constancy?

Teaching Suggestion: This could be a good opportunity to discuss Georgian social and marital virtues, one of which was constancy. Consider encouraging students to think about how constancy is represented in the novel rather than simply superimposing their own definitions and criteria.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from assistance with abstract thinking, it might be useful to set frames or context for students to answer this question in a classroom discussion. For example, students might benefit from thinking about constancy and inconstancy on a more concrete level: What makes a person constant? What are some examples of constancy or inconstancy? Alternatively, students could enter the discussion by defining constancy before categorizing teacher-selected episodes from the novel. Graphic organizers, such as a Venn diagram or T-chart, might also be useful for a more visual approach.