The Mr Elliot plot
Written by Roland
(2/24/2013 11:51 a.m.)
in consequence of the missive, And there is no evil antagonist, penned by Chandra S
There seems to be some evidence that Mr Elliot would have played a bigger part in the second half of the novel if JA had lived to finish it to her plan. The writer of the introduction to my copy (mislaid for the moment - it's the old Penguin Classics edition) notes that JA takes a lot of trouble to point out the delays Anne experiences in revealing Mr Elliot's true character to Lady Russell. But in the novel as it stands it doesn't make any difference. The most convincing explanation seems to be that JA was planning a subplot to do with the machinations of Mr E and Mrs Clay, but had to drop it in order to complete the main plot while she was still well enough. I get the feeling that Mr E might have been a more fully-fledged villain if JA's original plan had been realised. It's tantalising to imagine what her ideas might have been!
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