All the Writings

Pride and Prejudice

May 7, 2026

In Want of a Good Book

One of the most famous opening lines of a novel is from my favorite by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.’

It’s the perfect introduction to this story. In Jane Austen’s day, most upper-class women wanted to marry someone who could take care of them financially, while the men wanted a woman who could give him heirs and run his household – Stability and progeny was the name of the game. Austen’s writing poked fun at these tropes, modeling the extremes in characters like Mrs. Bennet, who was trying to marry off 5 daughters to the wealthiest men around, and Charlotte Lucas, who took her friend Elizabeth’s castoff suitor solely for the purpose of that stability.

The humor is subtle, dry and witty, and the ending happy for most of the characters. I’ve found as I’ve read more modern novels that I like a happy ending in my stories. Too many new books don’t have that satisfying bow tying it all up.

If you’d like to read a more in-depth analysis of Pride and Prejudice check out our collaborative blog posts earlier under this page; this is only a brief overview and appreciation post.

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I Need a Cue to Queue

May 5, 2026

Pondering Grammar

There’s a joke that the word queue is just the letter Q with four silent letters queued up after it, which gives you a hint at its meaning, if you don’t know. A queue is a line, either in-person or online. We don’t use it much in the US; this is used more in British English.

It came to English from French, which explains all the silent letters, and originally meant ‘tail’. (1) It used to be used for a man’s hair tied back in a tail as well. By the way, it’s just pronounced like the letter Q.

Queue can be used as a noun: I joined the queue to buy tickets for the show.

Or as a verb: I queued up to buy tickets for the show.

Queue is often mixed up with the word cue, which is a homophone (a word that sounds the same but is spelled differently and has a different meaning). The spelling of queue can be confusing, so the difficulty is understandable.

Cue has a couple of different meanings. It can mean a hint or a signal: He cued me to start my speech.

A cue is also the stick used to play pool: I picked up my cue and prepared to take my shot.

While queue is not used often in American English, it is wise to learn the difference, so you can recognize it and use it correctly.

(1) https://www.etymonline.com/word/queue

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Amazing Grace

May 4, 2026

Words Fitly Signed

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

‘Amazing Grace’ is a timeless, beloved hymn sung in churches, at funerals and in sundry other settings. Even if you aren’t a church interpreter, you are likely to encounter this hymn at some point in your career. If you’ve never interpreted it before, or aren’t familiar with the lyrics, it could be a massive challenge.

This hymn was written by John Newton in 1772 as a poem and published in 1779 (except for the 7th verse, which has no known author and was published in 1829). It was later set to the tune with which we still sing it today. (1)

It took Newton many years to come to saving faith in Christ, years in which he faced many ‘dangers, toils, and snares’, which shaped his life and led him into the slave trade. Later, however, he spoke against the trade and worked for the abolition of slavery in England with William Wilberforce.

The first three verses of ‘Amazing Grace’ give us a brief glimpse of John Newton’s life before and through his salvation, and the rest gives us a view of the Christian life and our future after death. While the Christian life is not free from difficulties, we know that we can rely on Jesus, in whom we’ve placed our trust.

The first verse is relatively straightforward. It compares salvation to having been lost, then found or blind, but given sight. Role shifting would be appropriate here. Think about the word grace and whether or not the sign we generally use for that word is fitting. The definition Christians use for this word is something like: ‘the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.’ (2) The usual sign doesn’t really convey this concept. If you have the time and flexibility in your interpretation, I would encourage you to find another way to express this idea. This is something I’m still working on myself!

In the second verse, I would again try to think of a more meaningful way to convey the concept of ‘grace’. The word ‘fear’ is used twice within the first two lines; the first is not the idea of being afraid, but rather awe and reverence of God, while the second line is about grace calming one’s fears. For the second half of the verse, if you are a believer, think about your own salvation: how did you feel when you first recognized the wonder of God’s grace to us? Or if you came to faith very young, consider a time that you came to recognize God’s astounding grace. The sign we usually associate with the word ‘appear’ might not be appropriate for this concept.

The third verse highlights God’s continuing grace in the believer’s life, whatever trials and difficulties we encounter. Some appropriate concepts could be: life experiences, struggles, challenges, sin. The second half of the verse emphasizes that it is only through God’s grace (there’s that concept again!) that we can safely come through all of the vagaries of life and find our ultimate rest in heaven.

The fourth verse seems to refer to Romans 8.28, which says: ‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose’ (ESV). This doesn’t mean that Christians will never experience difficulties! Just look at Paul’s life, who wrote the passage, and John Newton’s, who wrote the song. But we can have confidence that whatever happens to us, there is a purpose, even if we can’t see it at the time, and that God is with us and protects us and provides for us. All of these concepts should help you interpret this verse.

I had never heard the next verse before, but it contains beautiful imagery of the end of a believer’s life. That ‘yea’ at the beginning means yes, not yay. ‘Within the veil’ refers to dying and entering heaven. This verse gives the interpreter an opportunity to set up a beautiful visual representation with a good use of space. Don’t be afraid to reach above your head to reference heaven! As someone who used to greatly struggle with using more of my signing space, I understand that it can be difficult to open up more, but it is worth it and makes your interpretation so much more understandable when it’s not all crammed into a tiny box in front of you (unless there are specific restrictions needed by the person/people for whom you interpret).

The sixth verse was also less familiar to me. I believe the first time I heard it was in the modernized version of the hymn with the added chorus, which I will also address as it is so popular and used in many churches. This verse has been a struggle for me in the past, and I believe I have frequently interpreted it fairly literally, which isn’t necessarily wrong. But perhaps being a little more general would fit better – referencing the earth as it is ending, but not necessarily with ‘dissolving’, the sun ceasing to shine, etc. The latter half is a little easier – God calls us while we are here on earth and we are forever His, and He ours.

The final verse is my favorite. You don’t have to use the specific number ten thousand. It’s referencing that believers will be praising God forever from the moment we enter heaven. Make sure you don’t use the sign that indicates eternity past and future, as that should only reference God. He has always been (eternity past) and always will be (eternity future), but humans are finite while on earth and eternal only into the future. This is a mistake I’ve seen many church interpreters make, so take care.

Chris Tomlin added a chorus to the song in the early 2000s and added a new melody to some of the original verses. I enjoy both the original and modern versions, but some have a strong preference for one or the other. Still, to help interpreters in as many settings as possible, I’m including the new chorus below.

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The first two lines are fairly straightforward. In fact, I like to interpret the first line with just one sign. The last half could be a little trickier. Instead of using signs that would show an actual flood, perhaps a concept like ‘overwhelming’ or ‘powerful’ would be appropriate.

Every interpreter should have an idea of how to interpret this song as it is often used even in non-religious settings. If you don’t understand the idea of God’s grace, it is difficult to understand. Paul writes in Ephesians, ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith And this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.’ (ESV)

(1) https://www.loc.gov/collections/amazing-grace/articles-and-essays/creation-of-amazing-grace/
(2) https://www.dictionary.com/browse/grace

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Words Fitly Signed – It Is Well

April 17, 2026

Words Fitly Signed

It Is Well

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
A song in the night, oh my soul!

(This hymn is in the public domain, so I have posted it in its entirety.)

This well-known hymn has become a favorite of mine in recent years. The story behind it is tragic and uplifting at the same time, speaking of the peace we have as believers in Jesus the Messiah. He is our salvation and comfort, even in losses that we can’t comprehend here on earth.

‘It Is Well’ was written in 1873 by Horatio Spafford after he was financially ruined by the Great Chicago Fire and all of his children died when their ship sank while crossing the Atlantic; only his wife survived. As he sailed to meet his wife, his ship passed the place where his daughters’ ship had gone down, and he was inspired to write the words above. (1)

This hymn is 250 years old, so some of the concepts may be difficult for an interpreter. The slow pace of the song can also be challenging, but I think it gives interpreters an opportunity to really work with ASL. While there are actually six verses (Who knew!? Even my church, which sings every verse of every hymn, only has the four well-known verses in our hymnal.), note that there are slight differences in a couple of lines from what we’re used to singing today.

The gist of the hymn is that in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we can trust in the promises God gives in the Scriptures. (2) He is sovereign and He is with us. (3) Using this as our foundation, we can make interpretive choices that make sense and convey the meaning of the hymn.

In verse one, a useful strategy might be to employ poetic devices from ASL, such as using the same handshapes throughout. PEACE/RIVER and SORROW/SEA, along with facial expression and other non-manual markers would express this verse beautifully and clearly. Perhaps the most difficult phrase, and of course the one used throughout the hymn, is the titular ‘It is well with my soul.’ I’m sure many of us have fallen into the trap of simply signing it exactly as it appears, using the sign GOOD. But does this really convey the intent of the hymn writer? It needs deeper thought. A couple of ideas: our souls are content with God, we trust/hold onto Him.

I’ll skip the chorus for now, because that can be resolved by repeating the phrasing of the same lines from the verses.

The second verse is relatively straightforward: a contrast between the first and second lines, and then emphasis on God sending Christ to shed His blood for our souls. It’s an assurance of our salvation, even through trials. (4)

The third verse makes me tear up every single time. Talk about assurance! This verse is so joyful, and perfectly set up to use contrast in ASL. Lean into it, and PRAISE THE LORD at the end.

I won’t spend much time on the next two verses as they aren’t typically included in our hymnals (tragic!), but I think having a look at them can help the interpreter carry the thought from the third to the final verse as the fourth and fifth build on the third and continue the idea of trusting in and depending on Christ for our peace and finally our salvation. We live for Christ, depending on Him through whatever trials we experience as we look forward to our ‘blessed rest’. This life is only a shadow of our eternal life with Christ. (5) One note if you do happen to interpret the fifth verse, the ‘trump of the angel’ would not be a modern trumpet, but rather the shofar, a ram’s horn, so use appropriate classifiers for that description.

The final verse gives us comfort that we will see our believing loved ones in heaven when we join them. It should also be a call to all believers to make sure that their loved ones know the gospel. For interpretation purposes, again, the trump should look like a shofar, not a modern trumpet. This verse has vivid imagery and lends itself well to the use of classifiers to describe the scene. The last line, sadly, has been changed to ‘Even so, it is well with my soul,’ so we lose the imagery of Christ’s coming in the night.

Last, but not least, is the chorus. Most churches sing it after each verse, even repeating it again at the end sometimes. Psalm 18.16-19 conveys the idea that the chorus expresses:

He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me. (ESV)

There is debate about whether an interpreter should interpret the words of a song exactly as they are or convey the meaning, as they understand it. I don’t come down hard and fast on either side because I’ve heard arguments from Deaf people on both sides, so it really depends on the people for whom you interpret. If they want you to render ‘It is well with my soul’ in exactly those words, do it. If you have a little more flexibility, use some of the concepts from other parts of the song, perhaps even calling on imagery from the passage above.

Above all, ‘…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God’ (1 Cor 10.31).

References:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul
(2) https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2020/what-does-it-is-well-with-my-soul-mean
(3) https://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/reasons-why-the-classic-hymn-it-is-well-with-my-soul-still-hits-home-today.html
(4) https://anglicancompass.com/behind-the-hymn-it-is-well/
(5) https://www.crosswalk.com/church/worship/reasons-why-the-classic-hymn-it-is-well-with-my-soul-still-hits-home-today.html

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The Chronicles of Narnia

April 8, 2026

In Want of a Good Book

After Jane Austen, my next favorite author is C.S. Lewis. I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis’ 7-book fantasy series with beautiful Christian imagery and allegory, which makes them a joy to read even as an adult.

There is a great deal of debate about which order to read the books in: publication order or chronological order. I used to be entirely on Team Chronological because I just prefer to read things chronologically, but over the last several years of listening to the Lamp-post Listener podcast going through the books in publication order, I’ve changed my mind.

For the first reading, it’s best to start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, because this is how C.S. Lewis introduced the world to Narnia and the great lion Aslan. Then the publication order is Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (my favorite!), The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, and The Last Battle.

This order makes sense as an introduction because it follows the same characters initially, the four Pevensie children, then slowly phases them out while adding others. Then Horse and His Boy goes back to the time the Pevensies spent in Narnia, then The Magician’s Nephew gives us Narnia’s creation story, and The Last Battle narrates Narnia’s end.

After reading the entire series in publication order, then I think chronological order makes the most sense: The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Last Battle.

This order gives Narnia’s history from creation to end and the visits from the children from our world.

One of my favorite passages is from the last chapter of Dawn Treader, which gives one of the clearest examples of Christianity and faith in the stories:

‘Please, Lamb,’ said Lucy, ‘is this the way to Aslan’s country?’
‘Not for you,’ said the Lamb. ‘For you the door into Aslan’s country is from your own world.’
‘What!’ said Edmund. ‘Is there a way into Aslan’s country from our world too?’
‘There is a way into my country from all the worlds,’ said the Lamb; but as he spoke, his snowy white flushed into tawny gold and his size changed and he was Aslan himself, towering above them and scattering light from his mane.
‘Oh, Aslan,’ said Lucy. ‘Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?’
‘I shall be telling you all the time,’ said Aslan. ‘But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder…’
‘Please, Aslan,’ said Lucy. ‘Before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again?…’
‘Dearest,’ said Aslan very gently, ‘you and your brother will never come back to Narnia.’
‘Oh, Aslan!!’ said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices.
‘You are too old, children,’ said Aslan, ‘and you must begin to come close to your own world now.’
‘It isn’t Narnia, you know,’ sobbed Lucy. ‘It’s you. We shan’t meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?’
‘But you shall meet me, dear one,’ said Aslan.
‘Are—are you there too, Sir?’ said Edmund.
‘I am,’ said Aslan. ‘But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.’

That was a long chunk, but I couldn’t cut much without losing the context. It gives me chills every time. The Chronicles of Narnia is such a beautiful picture of Jesus’ death and resurrection and Jesus as our Savior.

If you’ve never read The Chronicles of Narnia, I highly recommend reading the whole series. Start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and let Narnia and the allegory of Christianity unfold before you.

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I Wonder as I Wander

April 1, 2026

Pondering Grammar

I have had this particular mix-up in mind for some time. When I typed the title, I realized that it sounded familiar, so I looked it up. Lo and behold: it’s a song!

By the way, it is ‘lo and behold’ not ‘low and behold’. Lo is an archaic interjection, and the phrase as a whole expresses surprise or wonder according to merriam-webster.com.

Which brings us back to the title of this post. ‘Wonder’ has a couple of different meanings: to be awed by something, as above, or to be curious about something. This is the meaning that I find often confused with ‘wander,’ which means to ramble or take a walk.

The main reason these seem to get mixed up is that they are nearly homophones, and in some accents and dialects they may be more or less similar, but they have distinct meanings, as expressed in the title of the song ‘I Wonder as I Wander.’

This is one of those English word pairs that we must learn to differentiate and be careful in usage. I know that I’ve accidentally typed one when I meant the other, so I’m certain that that sometimes happens to others. I will beat this dead horse into the ground: proofread, proofread, proofread!

That is all.

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Be Thou My Vision

March 23, 2026

Words Fitly Signed

Proverbs 29.11: A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.

‘But what does it mean?’ has been the litany of every church interpreter who has ever had to decipher the archaic language of some of the most popular hymns sung throughout the world. Many of these hymns were written hundreds of years ago, and many struggle to understand what they mean.

My goal is to research the origins and meanings of the lyrics of hymns and attempt to provide church interpreters with some background and suggestions for concepts that might help them render a meaningful interpretation. It’s not enough to just throw out words when interpreting music (unless the Deaf for whom you interpret prefer a word-for-word transliteration, which is their decision; it’s important to ask). We should always strive to interpret the meaning of songs when appropriate.

I’m starting with my favorite hymn ‘Be Thou My Vision’, which contains a number of phrases and concepts that can be challenging for an interpreter.

(The hymn is in the public domain, so I have the entirety of the lyrics below.)

Be Thou My Vision

1. Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2. Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3. Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

4. Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, be first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5. High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heav’n’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Words: Attr. Dallan Forgaill, 8th Century. Translated by Mary Byrne, 1905 and Eleanor Hull, 1912. (1)

There is some debate over the origins of this hymn, but the consensus seems to be that the words were originally written in Irish as a poem over a thousand years ago.

The entire hymn speaks of God’s sufficiency for all of our needs and desires, (2) that He is to be our focus, and that He gives us wisdom and defends us.

A couple of possible meanings for the first line of the hymn are: asking for God to be visible, or asking God to be our way of seeing the world. (3) Either makes sense and could be a valid choice for your interpretation. Another possibility that is woven throughout this first verse is that of vision and light as understanding. (4)

The second verse gives us a hint of the trinity: God gives us wisdom through His Word (Jesus) and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Thou in me dwelling…).

Most have never heard of the third verse as shown above. This oft-skipped verse gives a hint of the Irish nature of the hymn, describing God as the ‘chieftain’ or ‘high king’ protecting His people. (5) It’s my favorite verse of the song, but it definitely can be a challenge to interpret without being extremely literal. Using comparisons between God and the various elements mentioned would be a good strategy – a great place to use classifiers!

The next verse is a little more straightforward, stressing the idea that we value God above material things, or above the praise and pleasures of the world. Note that in the last line, some versions change ‘High King of Heaven’ to ‘Great God of Heaven’, perhaps to eliminate repetition as that phrase is used in the first line of the next verse.

The final verse speaks to believers’ blessed hope for an eternity spent in joy, where we will see God, with ‘bright heaven’s Sun’ bringing it back around to the concepts in the first verse. It ends with a final prayer that God would continue to give us understanding, or be the filter through which we see the world.

I hope this explanation is useful. You will still have to do some of your own legwork! This is by no means a fully-fleshed interpretation of the song, but I hope it will help clarify concepts and make it easier for you to come up with your own interpretation of this beautiful, ancient hymn.

(1) http://openhymnal.org/Lyrics/Be_Thou_My_Vision-Slane.html#:~:text=Translated%20by%20Mary%20Byrne%2C%201905,copyright%3A%20public%20domain.
(2) https://hereadstruth.com/2018/07/24/be-thou-my-vision/
(3) https://michaelentz.medium.com/be-thou-my-vision-three-linguistic-readings-of-a-hymn-b3dc1291388d
(4) https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/heart-of-my-own-heart
(5) https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-be-thou-my-vision

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Persuasion Movie Discussion

July 12, 2025

In Want of a Good Book

S: I saw the 1995 adaptation last year, and I recently watched the 2007 adaptation. Honestly, I think both are well done! I do like that there are some familiar faces in the 1995 one from some of my favourite movies: Fiona Shaw, who played Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter movies, is Mrs. Croft, Victoria Hamilton, who played Mrs. Forster in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation, is Henrietta Musgrove, and (this is my favourite) Samuel West, who played King Caspian in 1989’s adaptation of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, is Mr. Elliot! Oh, and we mustn’t forget that Ciaran Hinds, the indomitable Captain Wentworth, played Aberforth Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2! (Side note – Aberforth Dumbledore is one of my favourite characters in the Harry Potter universe.)

R: It’s always fun to see familiar actors in these movies! The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is my favorite Narnia book and my favorite of the BBC adaptations, partly because of Samuel West! They chose great actors to play Anne’s family. I was infuriated with them within the first few minutes of the movie! One of the actor choices that surprised me was Ciarán Hinds (Captain Wentworth). I felt he was far too old to be Frederick. I know there is several years’ age difference between Frederick and Anne, but I had a hard time feeling sympathetic toward him, or believing Louisa’s interest in him, as much as they tried to build it up.

Even with all of that, the scene when Anne and Frederick meet again after Anne reads his letter just about brought me to tears.

S: I agree with you that I had not pictured him as quite that old when I read the book. Oh, I loved when they were reunited!

This version shows well how her father and sisters take advantage of her, but it also shows that she is, by others, very loved and respected. This adaptation is interesting because her sisters act as though they are jealous of her, whereas when I read the book, I saw them as more self-absorbed and just didn’t give a thought to her.

R: Agreed! I enjoyed how they quickly established how Anne is treated by each of the other characters.

S: I also like how the actress portrays her: although it may take her a while, she is still able to speak her mind, it’s just that no one really listens.

One of the funniest scenes is when she visits the Musgroves and everyone, save Mr. Musgrove, confides in her – I rewound it and watched it again, it made me smile so much.

R: That was a great scene! It went a long way toward establishing Anne’s place in the family and how they all view her.

S: It does surprise me that in the movie more people remember Frederick and Anne’s interaction years before, but in the book, as I mention in our first discussion over it, it appears that no one remembers they were at all acquainted. I don’t mind it so much that the movie added this in, but it did throw me a bit and had me wonder if I was remembering the story correctly.

I also enjoy the congeniality of the Crofts between each other, Anne, and Frederick; the interactions the larger Musgrove family has are very fitting! Their family does not seem stilted or as though they are pretending to like one another; they’re very loving.

R: I loved that as well! Other than Anne, the Crofts were probably my favorite characters, in both the book and movie. It was nice to see a portrayal of a couple that actually love and respect one another.

S: Agreed!

Something that drew me into this movie is that the viewer gets a very good idea of the beauty of the English countryside; the scenery shots are lovely. And the music! So beautiful.

R: The costumes and scenery are excellent, as are all the Jane Austen adaptations of that era, though the British navy hats are somewhat ridiculous-looking, as are some of Sir Walter’s clothes. I assume those were some of the fashions of the times, however.

I loved the candlelit and firelit scenes! Many historical movies are lit as if there is modern lighting, but the candlelight and firelight lent to the melancholy or intimate moods of many of the scenes.

S: Yes! The lighting choices are lovely.

Oh, when Frederick helps Anne up for the Crofts to take her home after their walk – all the feels!

R: Ah, the delightfully awkward meeting in Bath between Anne and Frederick! That was probably one of my favourite scenes.

S: Yes! It was so sweet and funny and heartwrenching!

Frederick’s letter scene, the circus scene, and the ship scene at the end are so beautiful and endearing.

Even though I said in our last post that this wasn’t one of my favourites of her novels, the movie has made me want to reread the book! Well, let’s be honest – I just want to reread all the things I’ve read by her!

R: As with all movie adaptations of Jane Austen’s works, events had to be compressed or left out, but overall, they did the story justice. I didn’t feel too much of a lack. I wish they hadn’t skipped over Mrs. Smith’s history with Mr. Elliot. It made the conveyance of his true character much more gossipy than as a true desire to save Anne from a disastrous marriage. Other than this, though, I thought the movie was quite well done and enjoyable.

S: I quite agree! We really didn’t get that much of his sneakiness. Still, there is just so much to enjoy about this movie!

We are planning on a wrap-up post over the last few years of our journey through Jane Austen’s prayers and major works; our goal is to have it out in August.
Persuasion Chapters 20-24: The Truth is Known

June 14, 2025

In Want of a Good Book

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters.)

R: Well, my flabbers were gasted by Chapter 21! At the beginning, I thought that while Mr. Elliot was definitely set up as a rival for Captain Wentworth, he wasn’t actually a bad guy. But then the revelation from Mrs. Smith! I have to say, I think this is the first time that Jane Austen has completely fooled me in the character of any of her characters.

S: Well, I’m sorry to say that my gut about Mr. Elliot was right – he reminds me of Mr. Wickham from Pride and Prejudice. I couldn’t peg him and even though he may actually love Anne I don’t think it matters considering how he treated Mrs. Smith after the death of her husband – it’s appalling. I feel for her and, even though she harbours a grudge, she really is a cheerful person which makes me like her even more.

I’m glad Anne is able to tell Mrs. Russell, just so she knows not to be enamoured with him anymore.

I agree with Anne that reading a letter someone wrote or a diary entry for that matter is a rather unfair way to judge someone’s character but at the same time it is part of who they are. It’s a grey area.

R: The connection between Mrs. Smith and her husband and Mr. Elliot was a huge surprise, but it does explain a lot. I’m glad Mrs. Smith told Anne, though I suppose it’s possible that she’s making the whole thing up. The fact that she was originally willing to keep silent when she thought Anne was going to marry Mr. Elliot seems questionable.

S: That is unfortunate. I wish she would have been willing to speak up so that Anne wouldn’t potentially suffer, but I can also see her wanting her friend to be happy if she’s truly in love.

Chapter 22 is one that makes me have some questions. I’m happy that some of the Musgroves are in Bath and I am glad that Captain Wentworth is with them, but I wonder at Mr. Elliot’s and Mrs. Clay’s meeting – are they making a deal and, rather than her pursuing Sir Walter and he pursuing Anne, they will marry? She would still become a Lady and he will still inherit the baronetcy and, most likely, they will have an heir.

R: I found this chapter a little meandering and confusing. I’m glad that Captain Wentworth is back and seems to realize that he might have been under a misapprehension about Anne and Mr. Elliot. The meeting between Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay is a puzzle. Your prediction is as good as anything I can think of.

S: Once I got to the letter Frederick writes Anne in Chapter 23 I couldn’t help smiling; it makes me so happy. I am so glad that everything is out in the open between them and that he was humble enough to really observe her and listen to her words.

R: I enjoyed this chapter. Sneaky Frederick, writing a letter to Anne while she was sitting right there! I appreciated Anne’s words at the end of the chapter: ‘…I must believe that I was right, much as I suffered from it, that I was perfectly right in being guided by the friend whom you will love better than you do now’, speaking of Lady Russell. And further down: ‘…I was right in submitting to her, and that if I had done otherwise, I should have suffered more in continuing the engagement than I did even in giving it up, because I should have suffered in my conscience.’ While we may not always like what they have to say, it behooves us to listen to those God places in our lives when they give us wise advice.

S: I heartily agree! We must surround ourselves with wise counsel, and at the time, Anne and Lady Russell both acted upon the information they had, attempting to make a wise decision.

Chapter 24 is actually a pretty satisfying ending. I was certain that Frederick would meet Mrs. Smith and help her regain her husband’s property. I am very sad for Elizabeth, though. Overall, this is probably not one of my favourite novels of Austen’s just because I feel like there should be more to it. Everything just seemed to move so quickly, unlike her other stories. They are all definitely rereads for me but at the same time I do wish there was more to this one.

R: I was pleased with the ending! I’m glad that they were able to help Mrs. Smith. I feel like it’s been consistent in most of Austen’s novels that the wrap-up happens in the last few pages rather abruptly. Overall, after a slow and confusing start, I did enjoy Persuasion, but I agree that it isn’t one of my favourites. I’m looking forward to watching a screen adaptation and discussing it.

Our final discussion for this book will be over the 1995 adaptation of Persuasion!
Persuasion Chapters 16-20: Old Friendships, A Concert, and Conversations

April 5, 2025

In Want of a Good Book

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters.)

S: My question has been answered: Mr. Elliot is a widower. I feel a little better about him now that I know that if he is pursuing Elizabeth again, or perhaps Anne, his first wife is no longer living. My gut instinct is that he just wants the Elliot money and estate, although I fully acknowledge that I am making a rather large assumption which, as I have been saying for a while, is one of the things that annoys me most about a lot of the characters in this story.

I tell you what, though; this family is continuing to drive me up the wall. I’m with Anne on how it looks for the Elliots to secure knowing the Viscountess after all these years – it is really too much and just doesn’t look good. Not that we need necessarily worry about what others think, but at the same time we have to have integrity, and Sir Walter and Elizabeth are not quite doing that. It just doesn’t seem prudent the way they’re going about it.

Also, it does appear that Mrs. Clay is not to be trusted. I’m still not sure about Mr. Elliot, but we’ll see.

R: This chapter made me like Mr. Elliot! Especially the conversation at the end between him and Anne. It’s difficult to tell whether he is showing romantic interest in Anne or not. If he is, it’s very subtle. He doesn’t have any real motivation for having to marry Elizabeth because he’s already the heir to the estate, so I could see him pursuing Anne simply because he likes her. I had forgotten about Mrs. Clay until she was mentioned here, and we have also had new characters introduced – Lady Dalrymple and her daughter – who are other cousins of the Elliots.

S: I am so glad we get a break from the Elliot family and am happy it comes in the form of Anne reconnecting with her governess and her old schoolmate. It makes me even happier that, even though Mrs. Smith is poor, Anne obviously doesn’t care about that as much as her father and sisters do. Also, I’m happy that Anne feels about Mr. Elliot the same way I do. Really, who is he?

R: Anne’s family is driving me crazy! They are so shallow and rude. I was surprised by the introduction of yet another new character, but I like that it’s Anne’s old school friend and that they’re able to renew their acquaintance. This chapter also increased my appreciation for Mr. Elliot, despite Anne’s hesitation over his character. She might be right about him, but currently, I agree with Lady Russell that he might make a good match for Anne. I was a little surprised that Anne does have some strong feelings about returning to her home and possibly becoming Lady Elliot, though her practicality rears its head again. We also see that Anne definitely still has feelings for Frederick. One line particularly caught my attention; a description of Anne in contrast with her school friend Mrs. Smith: ‘Twelve years had changed Anne from the blooming, silent, unformed girl of fifteen, to the elegant little woman of seven-and-twenty, with every beauty except bloom, and with manners as consciously right as they were invariably gentle…’ My first thought was wondering what Austen means by ‘bloom’ as a description, and whether Anne really lacks by lacking said bloom when the description still calls her elegant and beautiful.

S: It’s a pretty description.

In Chapter 18 the plot thickens, and I see my guesses were correct that Louisa and Mr. Benwick end up together, although it still seems to me that that whole side story moved a little too quickly.

The way Admiral Croft speaks at the end of the chapter makes me think that he and Mrs. Croft really like Anne and hope that she and Frederick end up together.

R: Well, Admiral Croft seems to be a big old gossip! But I’m glad that he assures Anne that Frederick isn’t upset by Louisa and Captain Benwick becoming engaged. And now we have the setup for Frederick and Anne to be in each other’s company again, if he accepts the Admiral’s invitation to visit them in Bath. I wonder if Anne is still apprehensive about seeing him or if she’s more comfortable with the idea now.

S: I laughed at Admiral Croft talking with Anne; it was so funny to me. It felt almost as though he was actually being more of a father to her than her own father. I was not expecting that Frederick and Anne would meet again so soon. Of course, since he’s now free, Anne is very excited and confused. Mrs. Smith’s statement about Anne not spending a lot of time with her after the concert is strange and there has got to be history there with either the Elliots or Lady Dalrymple.

R: Anne definitely seems to be thinking of trying to renew her acquaintance with Frederick! It’s difficult to know what he’s thinking, but he at least doesn’t seem opposed to it. Austen appears to be setting up Mr. Elliot as a rival for Anne’s affections. It will be interesting to read how it all plays out!

S: I am so happy that in Chapter 20 Anne and Frederick see each other and have a conversation, but my goodness Frederick needs to get a grip. He is assuming so much about Anne and Mr. Elliot. I wonder, based on Mr. Elliot’s statement about how he already knows a lot about Anne’s character, if he and Frederick have a past friendship.

R: I wondered the same thing, but then the end of the chapter when Frederick leaves leads me to think that they must not already be acquainted. I was so excited at the beginning of the chapter when Anne and Frederick finally got to speak and clear the air a bit. I was correct, however, about Mr. Elliot being set up as a rival.

S: It’s difficult to believe there are only four chapters left!