Sir Walter Elliot and Dating in "Persuation"

Jane Austen characterizes Sir Walter Elliot in the very first line of the book, writing "Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynych Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage." (Austen, 45) One first must observe Austen's identifying of Elliot as "Sir"; he is not merely Walter Elliot, but Sir Walter Elliot, indicating the importance of title and identity for Elliot. Perhaps Austen's identifier demonstrates Elliot's own opinion of himself, as the esteemed "Sir"- the sign he wasn't a commoner. The Baronetage is another indicator of Elliot's character. It is a book detailing extensively one's family's heritage- a privilege of the elite. However, it is not his family's history he is proud of, but his own, constantly reading the heavily annotated brief about himself. This helps foreshadow that all of Elliot's actions, regarding both his daughters and his finances, revolve around the need to maintain his elite title and esteem within the community. One can observe this further into the text when he is faced with economic crisis; the extent of his shame shows his leading desire to maintain and improve his family name. Austen demonstrates his shame when she writes, "he would never condescend to sell. No; he would never disgrace his name so far" (Austen, 52). Firstly, Austen's uses the emotionally charged word "condescend," rather than just saying he would never agree to sell. It demonstrates the way in which selling demeans his character by showing his inferiority to men he deems below him. It is somewhat humorous that the stuffy, title-obsessed character is also the worst at managing his money, a misstep common among those of lower classes.