ABSTRACT
War makes Wentworth a rich man, but Anne is punished for eight and a half years. As Anne ponders on her past decision, readers cannot help noticing that the Elliots, the Musgrove couple, Rev. Charles Hayter, the Dalrypmples, Wentworth, and Mrs Smith all play the role of effective punishers at some point. Group efficacy is increased not only by selfless sacrifice but also by monitoring others, detecting and punishing non-cooperators by way of gossip, shunning, ostracism, or outright attack. Nevertheless, Austen also notes that punishers may have to pay a high cost. The happy ending reinforces the idea that cooperators are often lenient rather than rigorous punishers.
