In her youth, she was forced to be cautious; as she grew older, she learned about romance – the natural consequence of an unnatural beginning. Anne Elliot seems to have given up hope for present happiness and has resigned herself to living off her memories. More than seven years earlier, she had acted out of a sense of duty: persuaded to view the connection as unwise and inappropriate, she broke off her engagement to a naval officer who had neither wealth, lineage, nor prospects. However, when peace is restored and the navy returns home, and Anne encounters Captain Wentworth again, she begins to believe in second chances. "Persuasion" celebrates romantic constancy in a time of turbulent change. Written as the Napoleonic Wars were coming to an end, the novel explores how a woman can remain faithful to her past while still moving forward into the future.