Sanditon

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1925

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Chapters 5-8Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 5 Summary

Once the Parkers and Charlotte gather for dinner, Mr. Parker announces that there is a letter from his sister Diana. Before reading the letter aloud, Parker tells Charlotte that his sisters have experienced many disorders and illnesses in their lives, though his brother, Sidney, believes that they exaggerate their poor health.

Diana writes that she is sad to hear about Mr. Parker’s injury from the carriage accident, saying that the news caused her to have an attack and sent her to bed for the rest of the day. Diana recommends that Mr. Parker should apply friction to the ankle and that it will heal instantly if he uses this remedy. Surgeons and physicians are unable to help Diana or her siblings with their illnesses, so Diana and her siblings are no longer going to consult them and will instead try their own remedies. Diana politely refuses the invitation to Sanditon, claiming that the sea air will kill her if she breathes it in. She writes that Susan’s nerves have not been well and that she has had leeches on her multiple times and three of her teeth pulled. Though she cannot come herself, Diana writes that she has had success in finding two families to visit Sanditon on their vacation. One family is Antiguan and the other is connected with a girls’ boarding school.

Mr. Parker finishes reading the letter, which he describes as a perfect example of his sisters’ generosity. Even though they are sick, they have ensured that two families will visit Sanditon. Charlotte agrees with Mr. Parker, but she is shocked by the illness and operations that his sisters must go through and that they have chosen to refuse medical advice. Mrs. Parker interjects that, while she is not as cynical as Sidney, she does believe that the sisters take their illness too far sometimes. Mrs. Parker points out that the sisters have been a bad influence on Arthur, who now believes that he will always be too sick to do anything besides stay inside. Mr. Parker agrees with his wife and admits that it saddens him that his sisters have made Arthur believe he will never be well again.

Chapter 6 Summary

After dinner, the Parkers and Charlotte go to the library. Charlotte picks up a copy of Frances Burney’s 1796 novel Camilla but decides that the heroine may be too distressed for her taste, so she decides to shop instead. After they leave the library, they meet Lady Denham and Miss Clara Brereton. Lady Denham and Clara accompany them back to Trafalgar House for tea.

Lady Denham is a blunt and abrupt woman, but she appears to be good-natured at heart. Charlotte sees Clara as a perfect heroine for any of the sentimental or gothic novels at the library. Even Clara’s relationship with Lady Denham resembles a novel: a beautiful, impoverished heroine forced to rely on the kindness of others for her survival. Even though she has read her fair share of novels, Charlotte prides herself on being a realistic person who only allows herself the fancy of imagining Clara as a heroine in passing. A novel would have put characters such as Clara and Lady Denham at odds, but Charlotte notices that the two women seem to be on good terms with each other.

Over tea, the group discusses the state of Sanditon. As an investor, Lady Denham is concerned about losing her money if Sanditon does not become a successful beach resort. Mr. Parker claims that the Antiguan family that is visiting will ensure that money is spent because “no people spend more freely […] than West Indians” (85). This statement causes Lady Denham to grow worried, as this free spending will inevitably raise the prices of things in the village for the locals.

The topic of conversation shifts to the carriage incident and Mr. Parker’s injury. Lady Denham says she is glad that no doctor has come to Sanditon yet. Lady Denham is an advocate for the benefits of the sea air over anything a doctor can do, especially since she has never seen a doctor and remains in good health. She believes that if Sir Harry had not seen a doctor when he was sick, he would still be alive.

Chapter 7 Summary

The next day, Edward Denham and his sister, Esther, visit Trafalgar House. Esther is a fine young lady but somewhat cold, most likely because of her social status and association with poverty. Sir Edward, unlike his sister, is talkative, handsome, and personable. Edward’s eloquence draws Charlotte into conversation. Even though Charlotte prides herself on being a reasonable person, she enjoys listening to Edward’s fantastical speech. At this point in the narrative, Austen interjects her own opinion and apologizes to the reader for Charlotte’s vanity in loving Edward’s attention. Edward suggests that they should go for a walk when he sees Clara and Lady Denham outside. Charlotte suspects that Edward is in love with Clara, and her suspicions are confirmed when she sees Clara and Edward walking together. Clara’s feelings about Edward are not clear, but she seems to enjoy his conversation.

As the group continues to walk, Edward talks with Charlotte in grandiose language about the beauty of the ocean. He quotes several poets, leading to an extended conversation about poetry that causes Charlotte to conclude that Edward is a silly, sentimental man.

To avoid Edward, Charlotte walks back and sits on the terrace with Lady Denham. Lady Denham complains about Esther’s wanting to stay at Sanditon House. She invited her niece and nephew to stay with her last summer, and now Esther expects another invitation. Lady Denham tells Charlotte that when her husband Harry died, she gave his gold watch to her nephew even though it was not officially left to him in the will. Lady Denham waits for Charlotte to applaud her for her charity before moving on. Despite his inheritance, Lady Denham tells Charlotte that Edward must marry for money—preferably to one of the young, sick heiresses who travel to Sanditon to improve their health. Esther must marry for money as well, Lady Denham confides, because she has no money of her own and this makes her pitiful. However, even though Esther is pitiful because of her poverty, Lady Denham has no intention of letting her stay at Sanditon House, especially since Clara lives there now. Since Sanditon needs to start making money from tourists, Lady Denham thinks that the next time Esther asks to stay with her, she will suggest that she find lodgings at one of the boarding houses. Charlotte is speechless at Lady Denham’s callousness toward her nephew and niece. Charlotte realizes that Lady Denham is cruel and mean, which she finds surprising since Mr. Parker spoke so highly of her. Through this conversation, Charlotte realizes that Mr. Parker has too much at stake in his partnership with Lady Denham to be honest about her character. Charlotte feels badly for Esther and Edward, who must appease their cruel aunt for their own survival. Charlotte decides she does not want to be seen with Lady Denham any longer because people will start to assume that she is mean as well.

Chapter 8 Summary

The Denhams, the Parkers, and Charlotte decide to finish their walk by going to the library. Edward tells Charlotte that he does not read trashy novels. The only novels he reads are those that, in his view, reveal the complexities of human emotion and the sublime power of romantic love. He particularly favors novels whose female protagonists are driven wild with passion for seductive men. Charlotte does not share his taste in novels. She realizes that Edward has read too many sentimental novels, which have shaped his thoughts, emotions, and self-image.

Since novels have affected his judgment, Edward believes he is a person born to seduce. He sees himself as a dashing, complicated man who only wants to entice women. Clara is the object of Edward’s attention, even though she rivals his chance at inheritance. Clara knows Edward’s intentions and does not want to be seduced by him. Clara understands that denying Edward’s affections would hurt him too deeply, so she allows him to flirt with her.

Chapters 5-8 Analysis

As Charlotte becomes more acquainted with the inhabitants of Sanditon, she realizes that the Parkers have not prepared her for them accurately. At first, the only flaw Charlotte sees in Lady Denham is her old-fashioned way of speaking and acting, but Charlotte’s interaction with her at the end of Chapter 7 shows Lady Denham’s true nature: She has no compassion for anyone not born to wealth. Even though she has the resources to help Edward, Esther, and Clara at the same time, she chooses pettiness over kindness because she is irritated with Esther for asking to stay at her house. Lady Denham’s belief that “charity begins at home” equates to forcing her nephew and niece to pay for lodgings rather than offering a room for them in her estate (92). Charlotte finds this sentiment completely immoral and realizes that this is what happens “when rich people are sordid” (93). For Charlotte, this moment signifies internal growth: She recognizes The Corrupting Power of Ambition, as she sees that Mr. Parker cannot truly judge Lady Denham because of the financial power she holds over Sanditon. Mr. Parker must be subservient to Lady Denham because his entrepreneurial dreams depend on her. Edward, Esther, and Clara also depend on Lady Denham, and this dependency alters and limits their own choices. This critique of social power and the imbalance of wealth and influence is the driving force of the narrative. It is the reason why the characters are forced to be ambitious to try and climb the social hierarchy that is set in place.

This section touches on the underlying, oppressive foundation that fuels the British empire: colonization. In Chapter 6, Lady Denham uses aggressive, racist language to describe the “West Indian” family that is coming to stay in Sanditon. The term “West Indies” refers to England’s colonies in the Caribbean. Although no one in the novel discusses slavery or colonization directly, these racist social structures are made visible in the arrival of the family from Antigua and especially in Lady Denham’s racist attitude toward Miss Lambe. Miss Lambe is a 17-year-old heiress with a chronic illness—precisely the demographic Lady Denham seeks for Edward. She is also a person of color—the daughter of Mr. Lambe, who is white, and an enslaved woman. Austen’s tone in this section is dry and sarcastic to highlight the absurd fears of the upper class when their power is threatened. Lady Denham and Mr. Parker’s disregard and disrespect in describing Antiguan people as being loose with their money further reveal the racist beliefs of a society that directly benefits from the suffering of enslaved people. Even though Lady Denham claims that she fears that the family’s spending will raise prices for the locals, Lady Denham’s statement that the Antiguan family “fancy themselves equal” reveals the true nature of her fear (85): that she will lose her position of power and privilege.

Austen expands on the relationship between Leisure, Health, and Vanity through Diana’s letter. Because of the letter, and Mr. Parker’s admission that Sidney believes they are hypochondriacs, Charlotte realizes that the Parkers’ obsession with health may be extreme. Diana’s letter shows how consumed she is with the state of her health. Austen satirizes the sisters’ obsession with health particularly in how they refuse to consult a doctor. This fear of doctors continues with the ultra-wealthy as Lady Denham believes that she is still alive because she “never saw the face of a doctor in all [her] life” (86).

This section exemplifies Austen’s use of free indirect speech. In Chapter 8, the narrative shifts from Charlotte’s perspective to reveal how Edward and Clara perceive things. Austen writes that Edward “had now been long trying with cautious assiduity to make an impression on [Clara’s] heart, and to undermine her principles.—Clara saw through him, and had not the least intention of being seduced” (95). Austen’s shift between Edward and Clara’s perspective gives insight to the reader over how two different characters are feeling about a situation while still giving the allusion that the narrative is always from Charlotte’s perspective.