II. Austen's style: gaining access to interior spaces

A. Direct discourse

"When you come to a frigate, of course, you are more confined--though any reasonable woman may be perfectly happy in one of them; and I can safely say, that the happiest part of my life has been spent on board a ship.  While we were together, you know, there was nothing to be feared. Thank God! I have always been blessed with excellent health, and no climatge disagrees with me" (103-4).

B.  Indirect discourse

"There had been a time, Mrs. Smith told her, when her spirits had nearly failed.  She could not call herself an invalid now, compared with her state on first reaching Bath" (175).

C. Free indirect discourse

"Mr. Elliot was rational, discreet, polished, -- but he was not open.  There was never any burst of feeling, any warmth of indignation or delight, at the evil or good of others. . . .  Mr. Elliot was too generally agreeable.  Various as were the tempers in her father's house, he pleased them all.  He endured too welll, --stood too well with everybody" (180-1).

D. Compression of discourse

"Charles, Henrietta, and Captain Wentworth were the three in consultation, and for a little while it was only an interchange of perplexity and terror.  'Uppercross, ---the necessity of someone's going to Uppercross, ---the other news to be conveyed ---how it could be broken to Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove -- the lateness of the morning, ---an hour already gone since they ought to have been off, ---the impossibility of being in tolerable time.' At first, they were capapble of nothing more to the purpose than such exclamations" (141).

"When the plan was made known to Mary, however, there was an end of all peace in it.  She was so wretched, and so vehement, compained so much of injustice in being expectd to go away, instead of Anne;--Anne, who was nothing to Louisa, while she was her sister, and had the best right to stay in Henrietta's stead!  Why was not she to be as useful as Anne?" (142).

III. Thinking and feeling combined

Sentiments and sensations:

  "Such were Elizabeth Elliot's sentiments and sensations; such the cares to alloy, the agitations to vary, the sameness and the elegance, the prosperity and the nothingness of her scene of life; such the feelings to give interest to a long, uneventful residence in one country circle, to fill the vacancies which there were no habits of utility abroad, no talents or accomplishments for home, to occupy" (51).

"They were actually on the same sofa, for Mrs. Musgrove had most readily made room for him: they were divided only by Mrs. Musgrove. It was no insignificant barrier, indeed. Mrs. Musgrove was of a comfortable, substantial size, infinitely more fitted by nature to express good cheer and good humour, than tenderness and sentiment; and while the agitations of Anne's slender form, and pensive face, may be considered as very completely screened, Captain Wentworth should be allowed some credit for the self-command with which he attended to her large fat sighings over the destiny of a son, whom alive nobody had cared for" (101.  See also 73, 111-2, 120, 173).