The Way I See It

Anyone could tell you Anne Elliot is a good person. She always does the right thing. She behaves with regard to consequences, she cares about others, and she abides by that ultimate Jane Austen moral - prudence. When Anne is advised to break off an unsound attachment with the unknown Wentworth, she immediately does so, regardless of the pain it causes her. She never resents her authorities for dictating her life, even though she could blame her singleness, her disappearing attractiveness, and her lack of spirit upon them.
Most literary critics point out that Anne is the good character, and that Wentworth is the character that must undergo Austen's improvement arc. I wholeheartedly agreed with this interpretation up until my most recent reading of the novel. I still agree somewhat, but this interpretation does not completely answer.
We must admit that Anne's behavior does not change; she behaves with wisdom throughout the story. But Anne herself is not the same from beginning to end. How does she change from the insipid middle child, visible but forgettable, to a fully-developed woman, the force and strength of all who know her? I think this change is best explained by Anne's discovery of virtue. All of a sudden (prompted by circumstances; read the book), Anne stops thinking she did the right thing and starts believing it. Rather than allow herself to be passively good, Anne becomes a good person by fervently and passionately, even, deciding to be good. It is this conviction that allows others to rely upon Anne. It is this conviction that frees Anne from the bonds of her somewhat onerous social constructs. The courage to trust what she believes in, even when it hurts her, makes Anne one of the best good persons.