Category: Sir Walter Elliot

Ep75: The Thing About Sir Walter's Looking-Glasses

9/15/2023

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest baronet of all? Sir Walter is busy gazing at his own image, so we're here to chat 18th-century mirrors. Join us this episode as we reflect upon the significance of Sir Walter's many looking-glasses and have ourselves a glasswork gabfest.

Selected Sources

Auerbach, Nina. “O Brave New World: Evolution and Revolution in Persuasion.” ELH39, no. 1 (1972): 112–28. https://doi.org/10.2307/2872293.
Brodey, Inger Sigrun. “Persuasion and Persuadability: When Vanity Is a Virtue.” Persuasions 15 (1993): 235–44.
Hadsund, Per. “The Tin-Mercury Mirror: Its Manufacturing Technique and Deterioration Processes.” Studies in Conservation38, no. 1 (1993): 3–16. https://doi.org/10.2307/1506387.
Kaplan, Laurie. “Sir Walter Elliot’s Looking-Glass, Mary Musgrove’s Sofa, and Anne Elliot’s Chair: Exteriority/Interiority, Intimacy/Society.” Persuasions On-Line25, no. 1 (2004). https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol25no1/kaplan.html.
Maxwell, Christopher. “People in Glass Houses: The Polished and Polite in Georgian Britain.” In In Sparkling Company: Reflections on Glass in the 18th-Century British World, 39–68. Corning, NY: The Corning Museum of Glass, 2020.

Ep66: The Thing About Anne's Bloom

4/27/2023

What is bloom? And can you purchase it at Sephora? This week we're taking a look at the broader historical and cultural context surrounding Anne's bloom in Persuasion. If you have ever had your bloom restored by a brisk walk on the Cobb, this episode is for you.

Selected Sources

Charmantier, Isabelle. “Linnaeus and Race.” The Linnean Society, September 3, 2020. https://www.linnean.org/learning/who-was-linnaeus/linnaeus-and-race.
Eddleman, Stephanie M. “Past the Bloom: Aging and Beauty in the Novels of Jane Austen.” Persuasions 37 (2015).
King, Amy M. Bloom: The Botanical Vernacular in the English Novel. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Lynch, Deidre. “Introduction.” In Persuasion, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Müller-Wille, Staffan. “The Love of Plants.” Nature 446, no. 7133 (March 2007): 268–268. https://doi.org/10.1038/446268a.
Sturrock, June. “Dandies, Beauties, and the Issue of Good Looks in Persuasion.” Persuasions 26 (2004).

Ep44: The Thing About Gowland with guest Dr. June Oh

7/28/2022

Sir Walter is offering free beauty consultations, but we have some serious questions about this Gowland product that he won't stop recommending. Thankfully, guest Dr. June Oh is here to help us sort substance from scam. If you have ever regretted a cosmetic purchase, this episode is for you.

Thank you so much to June for joining us for this episode! You can find her on Twitter @JuneOh_.

Note: While Sir Walter refers to the product in question as Gowland, it was frequently marketed and advertised as Gowland's or Gowland's Lotion. We have stuck with Austen's spelling for our title but use the names interchangeably in the episode.

Ep35: The Thing About Tattersall's

4/14/2022

Sir Walter is peeved, and we're here to explain exactly why our favorite snob is in such a snit. Obviously, no one explained to Mr. Elliot that Tattersall's is not to be trifled with.

If you have ever wanted a pony, this episode is for you.

Episode content warning: discussion of gambling and debt.

Selected Sources

Ackermann, Rudolph. The Microcosm of London or London In Miniature. Vol. 3. London: Bensley, 1815. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Volume_III/1X9DnQZuBfMC?hl=en&gbpv=0.
The General Evening Post. “Advertisement: Richard Tattersall’s Well-Bred Running Horse.” March 12, 1761, No. 4278 edition.
Tattersalls. “History of Tattersalls.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.tattersalls.com/about.
Lynch, Diedre Shauna. “Introduction and Notes.” In Persuasion, by Jane Austen, edited by James Kinsley. Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
Morrison, Robert. The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Byron Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2019.
Vamplew, Wray, and Joyce Kay. Encyclopedia of British Horseracing. London: Routledge, 2005.

EP08: The Thing About Sir Walter's Favorite Book

10/3/2021

We're deep in the nerdery weeds this week as we unpack the beginning of Persuasion and discuss Sir Walter's obsession with status and prestige and how that manifests in his love for his favorite book. If you've ever trawled LinkedIn looking for potential dates, this episode is for you.

Selected episode sources:

Debrett’s. “About Us,” May 30, 2021. https://debretts.com/about-us/.
The British Library. “Debrett’s Peerage.” The British Library. Accessed January 28, 2022. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/debretts-peerage.
Sutherland, Eileen. “The Rise and Fall of the House of Elliot.” Persuasions 15 (1993): 57–62.

Episodes

Ep75: The Thing About Sir Walter's Looking-Glasses

Ep66: The Thing About Anne's Bloom

Ep44: The Thing About Gowland with guest Dr. June Oh

Ep35: The Thing About Tattersall's

EP08: The Thing About Sir Walter's Favorite Book

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