A Very Austen Valentine's: Persuasion

Most of Jane Austen's Heroines are young-ish girls who are just coming of age. Persuasion is unique in that it's about a woman who is already grown up and (by regency standards) past her prime.

Anne Elliot, the eldest daughter of an English Nobleman has had the misfortune of remaining unmarried and unattached to the advanced age of (collective ghasp) Twenty-SEVEN Years Old!

It's not like Anne hasn't had her chances, though. When she was 19 she fell in love with this guy named Wentworth and their relationship got really, really serious: He even asked her to marry him, and she was gonna say yes! Then Anne, being a little nervous and uncertain, confided in her best friend/mother figure who convinced her break off with him. 

The reason she shouldn't marry him? He's got no money, and he's not a nobleman. Making their relationship public would ostracize her from her whole family, she would go from a Baron's standard of living to complete destitution. 

Lady Russell: Do you really wanna open that can of worms, Anne?

The answer, to 19 year old Anne Elliot, is no. 

So the break up, and poor young Wentworth takes it hard. 

And with all his angst and pent up sexual frustration...

he enlists in the Navy!

Fast Forward 8 years and Colonel Frederick Wentworth has traveled across the world, seen all sorts of things his old girl-friend back home has probably never dreamed of, had all sorts of sea-faring adventures and harrowing experiences. He's become confident, he's made a name for himself, and (most importantly) he's become independently RICH!!

The years have been less kind to Anne. She did, presumably, have a few other suitors after she dumped Wentworth (one of them even ended up married to her little sister) but the whole marriage thing never really worked out. Now she's an adult (Twenty-Seven-Year-Old ) woman, still living with her father, in a household that is rapidly becoming bankrupt by her father's failed schemes, surrounded by a family that treats her like a doormat. 

Most of the story deals with Anne in this state. Not in a "Oh-you-should-totally-feel-sorry-for-me" way, but we as readers really have to live in her situation: with petty, histrionic relatives who don't give a shit about you, but are ready to unload all of their garbage the minute you walk in the door. People who dominate your time because they assume you've got nothing to do. Really, that's the bit that made it hardest to read for me. 

Into this mess, walks Anne's old flame. At this point Anne is pretty much a spinster, no one wants her because she's old. But just like today, guys only get hotter with age. (And it's totally acceptable for a girl in British Regency society to marry some one significantly older than she is; older-male just acts as a sugar-daddy until his much-younger female companion magically transforms into a humble housewife. Also you can marry your cousin, but we'll get to that later.)

Wentworth is a Babe!! And he starts prominently hitting on all the younger, available girls in Anne's immediate vicinity. Pays absolutely no attention to Anne, and later on lets this slip to one of his side-chicks: 

Wentworth: Wait, that was Anne?

 Anne Elliot? 

Whoa! She got OLD!

If it were me I don't know how I'd feel about this whole situation, but Anne feels a weird combination of guilt and curiosity. Interested to see what Wentworth has made of himself, and regret that she didn't choose a relationship with him over her family. 

To me, the most fascinating part of this book is how it deals with this regret. I think almost everyone who goes through life is gonna have a similar experience at some point. Despite what she feels now, she knows that the decision she made at the time was a sound one. Nineteen-year-old (-ish) Wentworth could have ended up a complete deadbeat husband who felt entitled and cheated that his wife's family wouldn't give up the dowry she was owed. It is also quite reasonable that the 19-year-old Baroness-in-waiting would have gotten fed up with what she'd traded her then-comparatively luxurious life for. Neither of them could have foreseen what life had in store for them. Anne cant even blame Lady Russell for giving her what turned out to be the crappiest advice of her life, because she knew it was sound council and given in good faith. 

Anne doesn't blame anyone, but that doesn't stop her from wishing she could go back in time and persuade 19-year-old-Anne to make a different choice. 

For me, this is among the most profound of Jane Austen's Life Lessons:

(^^And no, that is not a direct Austen quote, but it does sum it up nicely.)

You can't change what you did in the past, you can only chose what you do now.

Luckily, Anne is more than what other people think about her. She's intelligent assertive, she has nerves of steel, and can keep cool in stressful situations like nobody's business. She also has complete control of her emotional faculties, which is one reason it takes so long for the whole situation with Wentworth to come to a boil. 

Some people seem to act like Wentworth's behavior in most of the book is kind of testing the waters to see if Anne is still interested in him. But in his mind, he's showing her how completely OVER her he really is. 

Kinda like:

(^^Look at me now, Anne. I'm so hawt now...Love me Anne plz!)

Eventually, it's neither his behavior, nor her longing that brings them back together. It's a conversation Anne has with a mutual friend about his sister who died, and his brother-in-law (his sister's widow) get's re-married right after. They talk about bereavement and how people deal with it in different ways. And Wentworth (who is listening in on this whole conversation he's got nothing to do with) goes, "Oh, crap! She thinks I'm really over her. CRAP I'M NOT OVER HER!!" 

Then he writes her the most romantically charged love letter about how after all these years and everything he's done and accomplished with his life, all those angsty teenage feelings of 19-Year-Old-Fred are still in there, only simmered with 8 years of repressed sexual tension.

Really though, as a book it's not the most romantic. Most of the story deals with Anne's super dysfunctional (and not in an endearing way) family. It's only at the end you can appreciate the unresolved sexual tension.

A Very Austen Valentine's Day: Emma

Sorry this one's gonna not have many pictures because I'm on mobile.

I think it's funny that this is the one of the few Austen stories that the title isn't a place or a principle. This one's just the heroine' name. The only other time she does that is in Lady Susan, and it's because the character is a real livewire.

You do get the feeling in reading this one, that we the readers are supposed to have polarized opinions about this character. And truthfully, she is one of Jane's more eccentric heroine. It's kind of like if each Jane Austen Heroine was an Avenger, Emma Woodhouse would be Tony Stark.

That being said, I do have to disclose that don't really like Tony Stark. I mean, sometimes he'll do something clever or say something funny and it will make me laugh, and I sometimes enjoy his interactions with other characters, but just as an individual person he's not interesting or engaging to me. He's never as clever or funny or charismatic as he thinks he is, and I just don't see his conceitedness as a engaging personal characteristic. 

That's pretty much the way I feel about Emma as well. Unlike most of Jane Austen's Heroines, Emma comes from money and her dad was smart enough to pay the extra money required by the government so he could give all his money and land to his daughters when he dies. Emma's pretty much got it made in Regency England because she's got absolutely no financial incentive to get married!  (So, unless she meets someone really really fantastic she'll just keep the money and house and probably 10 or 12 cats all to herself, thanks.) Her life literally has no drama, so she's got to create it for everyone else.

Emma acts like she is God's gift to Highbury, and people treat her like her opinion matters even though she's kind of an idiot.

This is the Jane Austen story that most reads like a Modern Rom-Com: everything about it seems stupid and frivolous.  Emma takes it upon herself to play Cupid and set up her friends and neighbors into romantic pairings. It works OK for a while, until one of her pet-projects (a girl named Harriet) expresses interest in Emma's Hot Neighbor, then Emma starts seeing Harriet as a rival and gets all threatened.

There's this whole monologue portion where Emma basically goes on a rant: "Ugh...who does Harriet think she is!? I, like, INVENTED her! How DARE she get a crush on a guy I've never expressed any interest in! Friggin traitor! I wish I'd never met her!"

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of veiw) we never get to see Emma go full blown be-otch. Discovering her latent feelings for her Hot Neighbor actually solves all of Emma's problems... because OF COURSE Emma's Hot Neighbor loves her back, and of course Harriet is perfectly happy with being a plot device and not a character with her own feelings and story arc.

(For being a story about discovering people aren't your toys, and other people's feelings matter, I feel  like Austen dropped the ball in this part of the story.)

A Very Austen Valentine's: Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is about the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne (but mostly Elinor), and how they make a living for themselves after their dad dies and (Inheritance laws in the 1700's being what they were...) they get evicted from his house.

Surprisingly, a man does not come along and save the day and Elinor has to wear the balls in the family and find them a place to live. She finds a pair of eccentric third-degree relatives who take pity on them and kind of take them in.

Their neighbor-relatives are actually really kind, well intentioned people. They're just really colorful and they try to play matchmaker and set up the girls with their wealthy bachelor-friends.

But at first, Elinor and Marianne are just NOT feeling it. Elinor is still nursing feelings for this guy who she kind of had to leave behind when they moved, and she can't really talk about it (or acknowledge her feelings) because they were never, like, together together, they were just hanging out. And Marianne keeps getting shipped with this military guy who's twice her age.

(That's nice...as in a Mr Tilney type "Nice")

Needlessly to say, they don't think their friends' shenanigans are super fun, but they can't really say much about it because they are letting them live in one of their houses and they kinda really need a place to stay. So they just kind of sit there and tolerate it...

Until Willoughby shows up

I wish there were better gifs available for the moment when Marianne meet's Willoughby, but it goes something like this:

(OK maybe not that last one, but you get the idea...)

Needless to say, Marianne quickly becomes VERY interested in potential courtship situation.

I'm not going to talk at length about Marianne or Elinor's other pairings, but I would like to talk a bit more about Willoughby.

(*Warning: potential spoilers ahead*)

What I find interesting about Willoughby is that he's basically what we'd think a potential guy-friend should be, today. He's charming, chivalrous, and affectionate. He's wealthy, he buys her expensive gifts, and he likes all the same books and music she does. They really hit it off: like in an annoying we-finish-each-others-sentences way. They have chemistry and they spend every free moment together.

Unlike the rest of Austen's Rogues, Jane never tries to explain John Willoughby away as being a false man, or being insincere in his affections. When they're together, he genuinely feels the same gooey-gushy feelings that Marianne does, and when they part he goes through the same gut-wrenching heartbreak.


(Mormonhippie Wispers: But that doesn't stop him from being a douchebag!)


It's interesting to me that it isn't really even his past indiscretions that kept them apart: when Brandon sees how in love he is with Marianne, he's willing to give him the benefit of a doubt.


(A 'Well, maybe he's changed.' kind of thing...)


Ultimately what kept him and Marianne apart was that when it came down to Love vs. Money, Money Won.

Which brings us to two more of Jane Austen's most difficult Life Lessons:

Love doth not conquer all

and

Love doth not fix your character flaws

There are a LOT of things you look at when you contemplate a life-long partnership with someone, affection is only one of those things. And it's important to practice discretion on who you let into your life, and the type of feelings you cultivate for them.

John Willoughby may have had genuine feelings and connection towards Marianne, but he didn't use them to make him a better person. In the end he's still the same selfish, conceited, egotistic person he was before:

In the end, he still can't be happy for Marianne when she finally finds happiness, and even though he is wealthy, he still won't take care of his kid.



Bonus:

It occurred to me when writing this that Marianne and John Willoughby are still going to be neighbors, and that their kids with their respective spouses are going to grow up together.

That's going to be super awkward!

"Hey, Mom. I found these old love letters from when you were dating Da....IS THIS MR WILLOUGHBY'S HANDWRITING?! Did you used to DATE him? EWW!!"

A Very Austen Valentine's: Northanger Abbey

In preparation for Valentine's Day this year, and to commemorate some of my favorite books by a beloved author, I've decided to write a series of blog posts exploring love in Jane Austen's books.

Today, Jane is mostly known as the author of Pride and Prejudice, and for good reason: it is without question her most popular work, and it's film adaptions probably spawned the whole genre of modern Romantic Comedy.

What strikes me when I read her books, though is her distinct narrative voice. She isn't just telling a story, she's also giving a social commentary and it's a lot of fun to read about the people of her day, and notice the ways people have--or haven't--changed over the years. Even in her polite, restrained society people were delightfully eccentric

When it comes to romance, one of the fascinating things about Jane's writing is how pragmatically she approaches the subject. Ms. Austen is under no delusions when it comes courtship: It is, at it's most fundamental level, a business transaction; and that's not something to be feared or resented, but understood, utilized, and celebrated. As long as you understand the process, and understand your own worth (your assets and liabilities), you too can successfully invest in the marital economy!

Jane Austen's stories are less about finding "The One" and more about finding the relationship that works for you.

One of my very favorite of Austen's books is "Northanger Abbey". Like most of Austen's stories, it's primarily a coming of age tale. This one is about a girl named Catherine Morland. She's a small town girl and she goes to the Big City with some of her parent's friends.

Now, Austen goes at lengths to explain to us that Cathy Morland is an Ordinary ™ teenager girl.

She has no tragic backstory, she's not particularly "accomplished" (which is on olde timey way of saying "talented"), she's not particularly intellectual because even though she loves to read she mostly just reads for fun, and she's a bit naive (or as Austen puts it: as "ignorant and uninformed as the female mind at seventeen usually is").

She loves her family, and her friends, she's sociable and she loves to read about romance and adventure.

She expects people to be like the friends and family she's grown up with, and she expects the adventures in her life to be like the ones in the books she reads.

I have to put a bit of a disclaimer here:

If I had read the book first, I don't know that I would have found Catherine to be such an endearing character as I do. But I watched the 2007 BBC adaptation of the book first, and the actorss for Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney just nailed it for me. If I hadn't watched that first, I probably would have assumed she was a bit dim, but Felicity Jones' performance is so eager, and sincere, and pure...it's not hard to see why someone like Henry Tilney might have fallen in love with her.

These actors really communicate the subtleties in Austen's narrative. So especially if you're not familiar with old timey-wimey writing, I recommend watching it first.


Here's a excerpt of the chapter where Catherine Morland is schooled in the rules of courtship by her date:

"We have entered into a contract of mutual agreeableness for the space of an evening, and all our agreeableness belongs solely to each other for that time. Nobody can fasten themselves on the notice of one, without injuring the rights of the other. I consider a country-dance as an emblem of marriage. Fidelity and complaisance are the principal duties of both; and those men who do not choose to dance or marry themselves, have no business with the partners or wives of their neighbors."

Catherine calls bull; obviously shocked by how seriously her date takes courtship: 

"But they are such very different things! [...] People that marry can never part, but must go and keep house together. People that dance only stand opposite each other in a long room for half an hour."

^^I'm right with Catherine on this one, but then her partner starts making this analysis of why he thinks that way, and you realize he kind of has a point:

"You will allow, that in both, man has the advantage of choice, woman only the power of refusal; that in both, it is an engagement between man and woman, formed for the advantage of each; and that when once entered into, they belong exclusively to each other till the moment of its dissolution; that it is their duty, each to endeavour to give the other no cause for wishing that he or she had bestowed themselves elsewhere [...] In one respect, there certainly is a difference. In marriage, the man is supposed to provide for the support of the woman, the woman to make the home agreeable to the man; he is to purvey, and she is to smile.  But in dancing, their duties are exactly changed; the agreeableness, the compliance are expected from him."

Catherine's partner is a bit of a smartalek, but it also seems like he's a big jaded with the pretense involved in courtship: You're just trying to get to know each other, but you kind of have to put up a facade of "niceness" as well. His whole banter with Catherine, here, is pretty much his own weird way of asking: 


"Are you hanging around with me because you like me, or are you just being 'nice' ?"


When you look at it in that light, it seems like his extravagant way of talking is really just him screening people. I don't think he's consciously putting up walls or anything, but he is testing people to see if they're willing to put up with his personality...or if he has to be "nice" around them. 

As it turns out, Catherine isn't deterred by his weirdness, in fact she really seems to enjoy it. And as the story goes on, he comes to value Catherine's sincerity and regard more and more.


One of the most fascinating, albiet not conventionally romantic, aspects of this book is when Austen as Narrator steps in to explain how their relationship developed:

"Though Henry was now sincerely attached to her, though he felt and delighted in all the excellencies of her character and truely loved her society, I must confess that  his affection originated in nothing better than gratitude, or in other words, that a persuasion of her partiality for him had been the only cause of giving her a serious thought." 


Then she adds (somewhat sarcastically):

"It is a new circumstance in romance, I acknowledge, and  dreadfully derogatory  of an heroine's dignity; but if it be a new as in common life, the credit of a wild imagination will at least be all my own."

So ladies, you heard it straight from Austen:

It's OK to tell a guy you like him!

Henry Tilney wasn't thinking of marriage when he went to that dance party in Bath, he was just a guy trying to get a hotel room for an awkward family reunion. But he hit it off with this girl, and because she wasn't playing by the courtship "rules", they now get to experience "perfect happiness" together.

Bonus:

"Hey Girl" Meme (courtesy of theotherausten)

Thoughts on Rogue One and the Star Wars Fandom

Hey Friends, I'm at work so this post will be a short. I just wanted to post that I saw Rogue One yesterday and I thought it was outstanding.

My sister said something to the effect of "It makes The Force Awakens look like crap" and I'll have to say there is some truth to that.

Over the years, the Star Wars franchise and fandom have kind of trivialized tragedy and loss, and Rogue One kind of smacked us in the face with the gravity of it.

Watching it was a fantastic experience, and I was shocked at how integral it all felt to the Star Wars Saga: illuminating themes and plotholes and delivering  them in a whole new light. (I highly recommend watching it in a double feature along with my favorite episode: A New Hope.)

But it's also the type of thing I don't want to share with the fandom right now. I'm not ready to contend with their negativity about how the CGI looked dumb, or how they changed too much from the trailer. Or how the content is not canonical anyway; or that it's basically Episode III's opening crawl....or just exists to explain away a plot hole in Episode III.

I just don't care for that discussion at this point.

I'm sorry you (that's a proverbial you, not a personal you) can't appreciate something for what it is. Embrace it's flaws and imperfections, and find beauty and meaning and motivation in it. 

So I'm keeping Rogue One all to myself. Nope, I'm not sharing. Not fair? Okay, you can borrow it when you learn how to treat it nicely.

Be good and have a Happy Christmas ;)

Mormonhippie Answers: Why Don't Mormons Drink Coffe?

The last few weeks some of my coworkers who know I'm a Mormon asked me about the whole 'mormon's don't drink coffee' rule and  I don't think I did a very good job at explaining it, so I'm going to try again here.

The coffee restriction is part of a health code called

"The Word of Wisdom"

(If that title sounds intimidating, it's not...it's basically just 'common sense diet and health guidelines')

But a lot of people really misunderstand what its all about, and many of us (People of the mormon faith) get so caught up in the rules themselves, we forget what the rules are actually for.

So I'm gonna do a little overview and commentary of the Word of Wisdom here:


The Word of Wisdom is found in a document of Mormon Scripture called "Doctrine and Covenants", (Section 89 if you ever wanna look it up). A lot of the language is archaic 1800-ish words because that's who it was originally written for. In fact, it was originally aimed towards the leaders of the church at that time, but has since been received as a guideline by the general church.

The Words of wisdom were to be received:

 "not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation  showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days—

(These rules are not meant to be something that holds you back, or keep you from experiencing all that life has to offer, they're meant to help you live the best life you can.)

3 Given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.

(Many people can drink alcohol socially without becoming addicted to it, but some people can't. These guides are meant to protect both groups of people.)

 4 Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom"

(There are people in the world who will use food, drink or drugs to take advantage of you. This problem will get worse in the future.)



The rest of the 21 (short) verses go over some particulars for healthy nutrition, like:

• 'Strong drinks' are bad for you.
• Tobacco is bad for you, but it's good for sick animals.
• 'Hot drinks' (Modernly interpreted as "Coffee and Caffeinated Teas") are not good for you.
• Don't over-indulge in meat, even during times of thanksgiving (ie. holidays) 
• Eat plenty of healthy grain

The Word of Wisdom itself refers to these rules as "principles" as opposed to "commandments".  and we are promised that when we observe these principles we will receive health, knowledge, energy, and we will be protected from destructive influences.


So coffee isn't some evil "Broth of Satan" substance, and in fact the Word of Wisdom makes it pretty clear that God created it (and a host of other plants and herbs) for medicinal use. The problem is when people use it (or any other substance) in ways that are destructive.

One thing I'd like to stress here is that while many Mormons shun coffee, very few of us actually observe the whole health code of the Word of Wisdom. I think that, to a large degree, the reason why we (Mormons) have made such a big deal about coffee is because it's the one part of the Word of Wisdom that we can honestly say we follow with impunity.


The Word of Wisdom is about a lot more than coffee. Like Sabbath Day Observance, it's meant for our temporal (earthly) salvation, and to protect us from unhealthy (physical and spiritual) influences.

In the Bible, when people caught Jesus breaking the Sabbath he reminded them that, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"

The commandment was a means to an end, not the end itself, and the 'rules' should never be used as an excuse to do what's right. When Jesus "broke" the Sabbath, he was healing people. He expressed that it would be absurd to hold the "Sabbath day observance" rule against someone who was helping a trapped animal getting out of a well (or helping other people who are sick to get better)

The Sabbath is for remembering what's really important in life: giving thanks for what we have, helping others, spending time with our families, and being mindful of our walk with God. The Word of Wisdom is for giving us the strength to achieve the righteous desires that God planted in our hearts: take care of our families, help others, avoid materialism etc. 

So, drinking the occasional coffee when you need to stay awake on your 3rd twelve hour shift after you've taken the kids to school and picked up your husband from his doctor's appointment is not going to be detrimental to your spiritual salvation. 

1) Because the Word of Wisdom is about so much more than just coffee consumption

and

2) Because the Word of Wisdom is aimed to assist you in your temporal salvation...To help you be all that you can be in this world.

But I know that when I eat right, I'm motivated when I get out of bed in the morning (or evening...as the case may be...), my body craves things that are actually good for it

(Like...Steamed Kale...mmmmm!)

And exercise actually feels good...

I want to be there again. I want my body and my mind to be on the same page, I want to be motivated to get stuff done...and not just "OK, When can I go get Del Taco?"

But I'm so not there yet!

And I can't honestly say that I'm observing the word of wisdom when I'm really just living out of habit by not drinking coffee. So no, the reason I don't drink coffee isn't because I'm keeping the Word of Wisdom, I rather think it's because I'm too lazy to keep it.

(Sorry for the long confessional...hope this made sense!)

The Return of the Jedi Doesn't (?) Stink

I've been putting this post off for a while. Partly because I've been focusing on work, but also because I want to work on the "Doesn't Suck" series in reverse-chronology and I realized how much I kinda don't like The Return of the Jedi. I mean, I've always known it was my least favorite of the original sequel trilogy, but now I'm thinking it might be my least favorite installment of the franchise to date.

What it does well: An incredibly heart-wrenching conclusion to Darth Vader's story-arc, particularly in relation to Luke. 

What it does bad: Literally everything else.

Really though, the whole plot is rehashed content to serve as placeholder until Luke can finally get to Vader again and offer him redemption. Every other character, relationship, and conflict in the story gets sidelined.

(Even the actual "Star War" between the Rebellion and the Empire.)


Luke shows up as our resident "Badass Jedi" ™ because the plot requires him to be one, with no explanation as to how he got that way.

Lando Calrissian? (You know, that guy who was the head of this whole colony/organization and had this awesome cyborg sidekick and henchmen galore?)
....He becomes just another face to do stuff the main characters can't do because they're off playing with teddy bears.

"This deal's getting worse all the time!"

Even the resolution to Han Solo's cliffhanger feels off...like it even belong in the same story: like it's just a plot point the story has to get over with so it can get on to more pertinent things.

(Which I suppose from a storytelling perspective it actually is.)

And let's not even get started on this guy....

Most disappointingly, the suggestion that there is 'Another New Hope' that is moot NEVER becomes a significant part of the story.

 (Even though, it totally could have.)

I'm sorry to be so negative, but it's all I can think of when I contemplate the end of the original trilogy. 

Leia was kinda cheated out of her own heroic arc. 

I've also realized that in some ways, the newest movie makes it worse. Because even if they don't show the resolution to all of these stories, you can kind of imagine how it went in your own mind. Leia might have gone on to become a powerful Jedi. She might have had her own journey/spiritual awakening and ended up helping her brother restart the Jedi order. Luke could have been a teacher to new Jedi initiates, and she an administrator and organizer: head of the new Jedi Council. And together they would have brought in a new golden age of enlightenment and spirituality for the galaxy. 

But now that's ruined...in two planes of un-reality! 

One thing I do appreciate is that the costume department was able to finally give Leia an outfit that makes her look like a boss.

(You were thinking of the metal bikini weren't you? :P )

And now for another of Mormonhippie's Star Wars Theories:

I can't believe it took me so long to realize that Bail Organa (Leia's dad) wasn't just sending her on a random errand to recruit Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was sending her so that she could be trained as a Jedi, learn her about her heritage, and be reunited with her brother. (And, obviously, they would take down the empire together)

But Ben Kenobi had other plans:

From his perspective, Anakin should have never become a Jedi at all. Old Ben blames himself because he couldn't tame Anakin's personality.


And which of Anakin's children inherited his temperament?

There we have it! Leia was not "Chosen" to become "A New Hope" because Obi-Wan thought she was too much like her father.