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booksandwords · 1 year

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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

Read time: 3 Days Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains. Never was this truth more plain than during the recent attack at Netherfield Park, in which a household of eighteen was slaughtered and consumed by a horde of the living dead. — Elizabeth Bennet (these are the first lines obvs)

I wanted to read this after reading The Last Chance Library in which it plays a role in protagonist Jane and Alan's relationship. To start with I want to add some disclaimers, three things that my impact my reading and review of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I have read Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice but not for about 15 years. Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice is one of my favourite go-to zone out films. Before reading this I'd never seen Burr Steers's Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Before starting the review proper I want to add something from the afterword by Dr Allen Grove

"For some fans of Jane Austen, the mere existence of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is a travesty. Why would anyone add gratuitous scenes of violence, carnage, and cannibalism to one of the greatest novels of Western civilization? Somewhere in the nave of Winchester Cathedral, we imagine that Austen's corpse, though presumably dead, must be rolling. Or perhaps not. It's hard to speculate what Austen might think of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies because zombies themselves didn't become popular in literature until the twentieth century. Even Victor Frankenstein' monster, a proto-zombie with no taste for brains, didn't make his appearance until the year after Austen's death in 1817."

For some reason, this feels important to me. Zombies aren't necessarily beyond Austen's thinking but zombies, as we know them, are after her time.

Elizabeth Bennet ends up feeling a little bit like an author avatar, I'm not sure entirely why. She is one of the best of her kind, especially among women, her fighting style matches Jane Austen's Elizabeth so very well. I think combining being her father's favourite, kickass fighting, her whole attitude and the respect she receives in her skill just feels like something Austen would want to be in escapism. But as Grove said so much of this was before her time. That said Mr Darcy just feels the same. He's a competent and deadly fighter, protective of those closest to him. But still not great with the communication or general people skills, as is only right. On the other characters, Jane is brilliantly competent. Just the idea of the five sisters having a specific move they have to clear a room was a great choice to me. Her fighting skill gives her and Bingley's relationship a whole other dimension. She has something over him, he has money, she can defend them if need be. There is an interesting take on Lydia. I like her ending. Wickam gets the ending that suits his character. Without going into spoilers Kitty and Mary have lovely endings. Kitty shows her growth, Mary gets to come out of her shell and her behaviour becomes that of Hearfortshire's last protector. Charlotte and Mr. Collins, well that whole story just feels like it goes so much darker than the original.

Some dot points...

"I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat you; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income." (Mr. Bennet) — I'm so happy one of my favourite lines in literature remains untouched. I adore this line so much.

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It was too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun." (Mr. Darcy) — How do I always forget that is fandom favourite line is Pride & Prejudice?

"What a power it was! But how to wield it? Of all the weapons she had commanded, Elizabeth knew the least of love; and of all the weapons in the world, love was the most dangerous."(Elizabeth Bennet) — This is just a stunning a truthful quote. I'm unsure if it's Austen or Grahame-Smith but I really appreciate it so it needs to be here

The edition I'm reading has illustrations by Roberto Parada. These illustrations are wonderful. They add something to the book. They are period-appropriate almost plate style. The choices of scenes to illustrate was good. Some are key, some just illustrate well.

There are ingenious adaptations to architecture, internal design and landscaping. Especially Pemberly, it is absolutely stunning. Mirroring the Kyoto architecture and internals that Darcy loves so much. Even Longhorn has its own well-used dojo for the Bennet girls. Rosings Park is interesting in its own right but I will avoid the spoilers.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is possibly one of the best characters in the way she is altered. She is somehow made even more unlikeable. She is made even more ruthless.

The first question someone may have coming into this is... how? Quite simply nearly all the traditional female occupations (the pianoforte, sewing) are replaced by the deadly arts (staged fights, crafting or sharpening weapons). When the ladies go walking there is always the chance of walking into zombies, though they are less common in winter when the ground freezes. It really is just Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice with Zombies added. I do mean added. They influence peoples daily lives therefore the motives for their pivotal actions and key events in the novel. This lore is integrated near seamlessly.

I like the way this all comes together. There are so many lovely passages blending Austen's original text and Grahame-Smith's additions. Some are fun, some not so much. For example, Darcy's reason for separating Bingly and Jane was one I should have seen coming but didn't. (It's another great choice). Changes like this create an entirely different feeling novel. It really is well worth a read, even if you have already seen Burr Steers's film.

After the day after finishing this, I did watch the film. It is a decent film. It is worth noting that it is only "based on" this book. Whereas this has lore woven throughout, the film feels more like a standard zombie au. Kinda like credit was given to Seth Grahame-Smith because it was a lawsuit waiting to happen otherwise. Both have their pros and cons. Overall Burr Steers's film is definitely more palatable to modern audiences, while Grahame-Smith's book holds truer to Austen's ideals. That said there is a brilliant line in the film that totally empowers Elizabeth "It gave me hope." "For what?" "That your feelings towards me may have changed? However one word from you now will silence me on the subject forever. You are the love of my life Elizabeth Bennet. So I ask you now...half in anguish...half in hope... Will you do me the great, great honor, of taking me for your husband?" What I really appreciate is the last line your husband not my wife. He's not claiming her.

#pride and predjudice and zombies #book review #ktreviews #read 2022 #adapted books #seth grahame smith #jane austen #booklr

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mimicofmodes · 2 years

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An answer to an AskHistorians question about first names in Jane Austen! From the question text: At home, Elizabeth is called 'Lizzie' by her family. Her friends and acquaintances (same gender) sometimes call her Miss Elizabeth Bennett, sometimes Miss Eliza Bennett, and in Charlotte's case, just plain Eliza. Mr Darcy never calls her Elizabeth until he proposes the second time (Dearest, loveliest Elizabeth). I figured that was to do with permissible familiarity. But Elizabeth's parents never refer to each other by first name. Is that because they're in the presence of their children, or is it an indication of the (lack of) warmth in their relationship? That's without even getting into 'Emma', and the affront around Knightley and Mr E.

I just want to make a bit of a correction - Elizabeth's family calls her "Lizzy", and "Eliza"/"Miss Eliza Bennet" are used specifically by the Lucas family, and Caroline Bingley. Mr Darcy's second proposal, in the original text, is simply:

You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.

First names were highly familiar, and not to be used lightly. To use someone else's first name was to show that you were extremely close - which didn't necessarily mean there was a long acquaintance. By the second chapter of Isabella Thorpe's appearance in Northanger Abbey,

... they passed so rapidly through every gradation of increasing tenderness that there was shortly no fresh proof of it to be given to their friends or themselves. They called each other by their Christian name, were always arm in arm when they walked, pinned up each other's train for the dance, and were not to be divided in the set; and if a rainy morning deprived them of other enjoyments, they were still resolute in meeting in defiance of dirt and wet, and shut themselves up, to read novels together.

On the other hand, in Pride and Prejudice the Lucases are the Bennets' closest and long-time associates in the immediate neighborhood, so it makes sense that the families are on close enough footing for the Lucases as a whole to refer to the Bennet daughters by their first names.

However, it was certainly possible to be over-familiar - and many travelogues by English people who'd gone abroad contain a shocked description of how people in America, Spain, Germany, etc. jump so quickly to a first name basis. From this perspective, Caroline Bingley's use of "Eliza" can be seen as having been likely intended to be presumptuous, highlighting the unpleasantness of her character: she is neither a long acquaintance like Charlotte and Maria Lucas, nor is she abruptly becoming Elizabeth's best friend.

The rules were slightly different for men. While family members would use their first names (as the Dashwood sisters do for their brother-in-law Edward Ferrars), the "friendship name", generally just used between two men, was instead the last name - as in Emma, with Mrs. Elton calling Mr Knightley just "Knightley". Just like Caroline Bingley, she is written as doing this so we can see her presumption - although while Caroline's presumption is condescending ("see, I can be over-familiar and you can't do anything about it"), Mrs. Elton is, on the contrary, trying to put herself up on Mr Knightley's level and show everyone else that she's on such terms with the preeminent landowner of the area.

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet" is a special case. In a family with multiple sons or daughters, the first would be "Miss Bennet" or "Mr Bennet", and the younger ones would be "Miss Elizabeth Bennet" or "Mr Charles Bennet". In direct address, however, a simple "Miss Bennet" or "Mr Bennet" would still be appropriate for a younger daughter or son. The main point of all of this was just for the purpose of clarity - if Jane were to have gotten married early on in the book, for instance, there would have been no need for anyone to refer to Elizabeth's first name in this kind of title, as she would obviously be the "Miss Bennet".

As far as married couples go, both first names and Mr/Mrs seem to have been somewhat normalized - neither was actually notable or strange in the period, but yes, would reflect the level of formality/intimacy between the couple, as well as where they are. In Sense and Sensibility, John Dashwood calls his wife "Fanny", and in Persuasion, Mary calls her husband "Charles"; but as you noted, the Bennets call each other Mr/Mrs, and so do the Palmers in Sense and Sensibility. However, we only really see first-naming between husbands and wives in fairly private settings - in a domestic group, or just between each other. In public, it was not seen as appropriate to be too informal. As a result, the general public wouldn't know if a couple were not on the closest footing because they would never have been witness to a married couple using their first names.

Transgressions would likely not be punished in a real sense, but would result in negative consequences of the "two red minus signs above the sim's head" sense. When Caroline calls Elizabeth "Eliza", it makes Elizabeth dislike her. When Mrs. Elton calls Mr Knightley "Knightley", she makes the people around her think less of her.

You'll find more of this kind of Regency etiquette nitpickery in Dandies & Dandyzettes!

#regency #history #jane austen #pride and prejudice #northanger abbey #19th century #1810s #askhistorians #non-fashion #etiquette #emma #persuasion #sense and sensibility

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eruden-writes · 4 years

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Pride & Prejudice & Orcs - Ch. 1

I’ve been working on this for a couple days. I may go back and rewrite this chapter, if I decide to continue this project.

The night had been long awaited. A ball at Lucas Lodge! Precisely, the first ball the new residents of Netherfield would attend. As much as the populace of Hertfordshire attempted to go about their business, making acquaintances and sharing gossip with old and new friends alike, there was an anticipatory buzz in the air. Eyes often drifted to the entryway, hoping for the first glimpse of the newcomers arriving. Even the dancers upon the floor seemed to find their attention drifting toward the door.

Or, perhaps, that was merely Elizabeth’s interpretation. Between her mother and Mrs. Lucas nearly constant chatter on the subject, sharing tidbits they’d learned from their respective husbands, and the rumors brought home by Lydia and Kitty, intrigue had certainly been piqued. The amount of new embellishments - lace, netting, and ribbon - on old gowns seemed more than a coincidence.

“He shouldn’t be hard to spot,” sighed Elizabeth as she stood amongst her sisters. “I heard he’s bringing quite the platoon of gentlemen and ladies.”

“Four men and six ladies, I hear,” came an excited giggle from Kitty who, moments earlier, had been sizing up potential dancing partners.

There was a quiet smack as Lydia elbowed the Kitty, her voice taking on an almost annoyed tone, “I heard it was six men and twelve ladies.”

“Either way, too many ladies,” remarked Mary, whose voice dipped low with sarcasm as she turned the page of her book. She, along with her sisters, knew the main delight in the newcomers were the prospective bachelors. Not that she cared much for such trappings. However, the more women there were, the less likely one of the new men were available.

Her words were lost as Kitty and Lydia both gave soft squeals of joy, pushing forth toward a group of friends not far away. Already, the thought of newcomers was forgotten by the two.

“However many he brings,” Jane cut in, her voice soft and filled with a delighted excitement, “I’m certain they will all be well-mannered and lovely.”

Elizabeth hummed in reply to Jane, her lips pressed together in a smile. She didn’t wish to put a damper on her sister’s unerring sense of optimism. It was part of Jane’s charm, so different from Elizabeth’s own demeanor.

Charlotte Lucas, a homely young woman with a pleasant smile and long-time friend of the Bennet sisters, scuttled through the crowd, an excited smile barely contained on her lips. “They’ve arrived. Three men and two women.”

“Promising,” laughed Elizabeth, sharing a look with the two sisters who remained near her.

Seconds later, the strangers entered and, with them, came a renewed slew of conversation in the room. So many suddenly animated conversations, so many people enjoying their night and paying the strangers no mind! Attentive eyes followed the party as Sir Lucas greeted and welcomed them.

A man with dark skin - reminiscent of purple calla lilies - and long pointed ears parted from the group, a brilliant smile splitting across his lips. Adorned in well-tailored clothes, that showed off his lanky, streamlined figure, and accessorized with silver jewelry, he carried himself with an air of grace and regality while maintaining a warm smile. With long white locs that fell to his hips and a tattoo of silvery swirls along the right side of his face, the man certainly stood out among the mostly human populace of Hertfordshire.

Charlotte leaned close to the Jane and Elizabeth, her voice dipping quietly, though her eyes lingered on the contingent. “The drow is Mr. Bingley.”

“And the ladies?” Jane’s soft voice barely carried over the renewed conversation around them. Her eyes had flickered to the fashionable women with him, one baring long pointed ears while the other appeared just as human as the rest of Hertfordshire.

“His sisters, I understand. One is married to the elven man behind them, a Mr. Hurst.”

Behind the drow woman, a well-dressed elven man did, indeed, stand.

Elizabeth minutely inclined her head toward the final newcomer. “And the last?”

Standing ramrod straight with his arms folded behind his back, and taller than the rest of the room, he cut quite a figure. Broad shoulders and musculature pulled his tailored clothes taut, drawing the eye along enticing arcs of his arms and legs. Ice blue eyes contrasted against his laurel green skin, face marked by one long scar along his right cheek. Filed down tusks jutted from his lower jaw, capped with silver adornments. His dark hair pulled into a low bun, his ears hidden beneath the locks.

“That is Mr. Darcy. I’m told he’s one of Bingley’s closest friends.” Charlotte managed to say no more, as her father - Sir Lucas - waved her over. Elizabeth and Jane nodded politely after her, as she skittered to greet her father’s guests.

When compared to Bingley’s sunny disposition, Darcy’s sobriety appeared detached and standoffish. He gave only the slightest incline of his head and the briefest smile in greeting to Charlotte as Sir Lucas introduced his daughter. Bingley, on the other hand, shot her a smile that could cleave a cloudy day in twain.

The two men were, in a way, a very visceral depiction of night and day, thought Elizabeth.

“Quite a pair, the two make,” she mused, a smile curling at her lips.

“Yes, a very rich pair!” The words announced the arrival of Mrs. Bennet, a stout and soft woman whose gaze could shrewdly size one up in an instant, as she elbowed through the crowd. After the last few days, Mrs. Bennet became a font of knowledge all things Bingley related. From his newly bought estate - Netherfield - to his wealth of five-thousand, you could hardly go an hour without her mentioning something pertaining to the man. This before he even introduced himself to Hertfordshire society!

She leaned close to Jane and Elizabeth, her whisper not quiet enough, “Lady Lucas has told me of Mr. Darcy. He’s of a mighty fortune, twice that of Bingley, and owns a great estate in Derbyshire. Such a handsome man, too!”

“Mamma, please,” Jane pleaded, her voice quiet yet firm in her discomfort of the subject.

Mrs. Bennet gave out a gasp, standing a bit straighter and completely ignoring Jane’s soft spoken reprimand. “They’re coming over. Smile, girls, smile!”

“Mrs. Bennet! Mr. Bingley here expressed an interest in becoming introduced to you and your daughters,” chuckled Sir Lucas, his face ruddy with the heat of the room and delight.

“Sir, how good of you!” Mrs. Bennet gave a curtsy, her daughters following suit. Mr. Bingley bowed deeply, that eternal sunshine of a smile still lighting his features, while Mr. Darcy remained behind him, expression stony.

“Here, we have my eldest, Jane,” Mrs. Bennet motioned to her blonde daughter. Among the Bennet sisters, her beauty and angelic countenance had always been talk of the town. Even now, among the swaths of people, she was a beacon. Mrs. Bennet’s hand flicked toward her oldest brunette daughter, who shared her mother’s shrewd gaze. “And my second eldest, Elizabeth.”

“Mary is seated in the corner. Such a well-read little thing.” Indeed, Mary had re-positioned herself in a far corner, eyes locked to a book, utterly disinterested in the world around her.

With a final flourish of her gloved hand, Mrs. Bennet indicated toward the dance floor, where a lively jaunt and giggles arose. “My two youngest, Kitty and Lydia, are occupied with dancing.”

Mr. Bingley’s smile never faded, his gaze flickering from Bennet sister to Bennet sister.

Not one to let the situation teeter away, Mrs. Bennet - a bit louder - inquired, “Do you like to dance, Mr. Bingley?”

“I find it one of the best joys of life, madam,” laughed Mr. Bingley, attention drawn back toward Mrs. Bennet. Somehow, his smile broadened as his lavender eyes moved toward Jane. “If not otherwise engaged, would Miss Jane do me the honor of the next two dances?”

Jane’s expression rippled with pleasant surprise, before she replied, “I am not engaged.”

“May I take that as a yes, then?” Mr. Bingley raised an eyebrow, his lips curling with an almost teasing smile.

“You may,” Jane said with a slight nod, her own lips twitching at the corners.

“And you, sir? Are you fond of dancing, too?” Mrs. Bennet turned her gaze to Darcy, her eyebrows raised and eyes gleaming.

Darcy shot a look at Bingley, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed tight.

Bingley started at the expression, embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he motioned toward Darcy. “Oh! Forgive me. Mrs. Bennet, may I present my friend, Mr. Darcy, to you and your lovely daughters?”

“You are very welcome to Hertfordshire, sir! Do you come with the same eagerness to dance as your friend?”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Darcy inclined his head to Mrs. Bennet, his voice deep but tone detached. “I fear I rarely dance.”

“Well, I do hope that changes tonight!” Like a bird, Mrs. Bennet seemed to puff out her chest with pride, looking over the merrymaking. Elizabeth’s gaze followed her mother’s, a warm smile breaching her lips as she found all her neighbors clustered and smiling or dancing to the happy, trilling music. “I daresay you will not find music as lively nor partners as lovely.”

A beat of silence fell between the two and, without another word, Mr. Darcy gave a nod and moved away.

Mrs. Bennet blinked, shocked at his sudden departure from the conversation, her pleasant countenance dropping slightly.

“Pray, pardon my brief leave, ma’am,” Bingley gasped, giving a brief and polite smile before darting after his friend.

As soon as the two were far enough away, Mrs. Bennet sputtered, “What a disagreeable man!”

“Mamma, he may hear you.”

“And what if he does?” Mrs. Bennet turned to her eldest, shooting her a righteous look of annoyance. “His friend is everything charming. Who is he to believe he’s so above us, he may excuse himself from our presence without a word of warning?”

Elizabeth sighed, knowing better than to argue with her mother in this mood. She’d be lying if she didn’t feel the same prickle of irritation. Who simply walked off, in the middle of a conversation?

As she turned, to survey potential dance partners, cool blue eyes caught hers from across the distance of the room. Her heart stuttered, realizing Darcy seemed to leer right in her direction. More precisely, the distasteful gaze was upon her mother who had continued her tirade, unaware her daughters were not listening. His attention shifted slightly to Elizabeth, no doubt drawn to her movement.

Unable to do anything else, Elizabeth simply gave a slight nod and uncertain smile. He stared at her, face stony, before Miss Bingley beckoned his attention away. Whether Darcy had truly been focused upon them or not, she couldn’t determine. However, Elizabeth breathed easier as his attention shifted.

If she hadn’t known better, she’d think he could hear their conversation, in spite of the general chaos of the dance. That was silly, though, wasn’t it?

#monster boyfriend #exophilia #exo #orc #pride and prejudice #wip #dry run #not entirely sure I'll continue yet or not #sfw

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Pride and Prejudice - ‘Episode 4′ Review

“Perhaps the beauty of the house renders its owner a little less repulsive, Lizzy.” “Yes, perhaps. Perhaps a very little.”

In which Darcy writes a letter, Lydia leaves for Brighton, Elizabeth takes a trip, and Darcy goes for a swim. Contains spoilers.

Episode 4 is my absolute favorite episode of the series and it’s not because of the infamous lake scene. Well, it’s not just because of the lake scene.

We begin with Darcy’s letter. This miniseries is the only version of Pride and Prejudice that I’m aware of to show the contents of the letter being acted out and not just read in voice over. I think it adds a lot. We get to see Wickham and Georgiana together which enforces the creepiness of his pursuit of her. He’s at least ten years older than her and it’s just gross that he would attempt to seduce a child for her money. We also see shots of Wickham and Darcy at Cambridge. I really like this little inclusion. Wickham’s actions towards the Darcys might have been explained by need or greed, but the scene at Cambridge helps make it clear that Wickham is just not a good guy and there’s really no excuse for him.

We also flashback to Jane and Bingley. Charlotte’s words of warning to Lizzy regarding Jane’s reserve prove themselves true. Darcy believed Jane was not in love because she did not seem to be in love. I’ve always found this a weak justification. Darcy disdains the other members of Lizzy’s family because they are too open and too loud with their opinions. Now it turns out he ruined Jane’s happiness because she was too closed off and too quiet about her opinions. Pick a side, Darcy. In addition, Darcy explains away his coldness by saying that he is (for lack of a better word) shy around strangers. Isn’t Jane just exhibiting similar shyness with Bingley?

Although Lizzy has clearly been crushing on Darcy for awhile (whether she admits it to herself or not), this episode is the one where she really starts to fall for him. It’s ironic, considering we begin the episode with her disliking Darcy as much as possible. The entire episode is about Lizzy softening to the idea of Darcy. His letter gets the ball rolling. He does little to acquit himself of wrongdoing in Jane’s case, but at least manages to explain away Wickham’s intense hatred. I like to think he partly wrote the letter to Elizabeth to warn her away from Wickham. It’s more than just pride that inspires him to set her straight, that’s for sure.

Furthering Darcy’s cause for him is his house mansion estate palace whatever you’d call that place and his effusive housekeeper. Yes, Pemberley does make Lizzy like Darcy a bit more, but I refuse to believe it’s in a mercenary way. It’s the little things that do it. For instance, Darcy still displays a miniature of Wickham, a man he absolutely detests, in what was his father’s favorite room out of respect. The furnishings of Pemberley also speak well for Darcy. While everything is beautiful and (one imagines) expensive, his taste seems to lack the gaudiness of his aunt’s. Perhaps he is not so obsessed with rank and fortune as Elizabeth thought.

Then there’s the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds. She unknowingly does her master a great service by talking him up incessantly to a complete stranger. Elizabeth gets insight into Darcy’s character that has heretofore been unavailable to her. He dotes on his little sister, he’s been good-tempered since childhood, and he’s an excellent landlord and a generous master. Glowing praise, indeed.

Following this barrage on Lizzy’s dislike of Darcy comes the man himself. My favorite scene in the series (aside from the aforementioned lake scene) is when a sopping wet Darcy is surprised by the woman who very recently rejected his proposal of marriage and his awkward politeness to her. He is so shocked, he does not have the time to assemble his familiar shield of haughtiness and pride. It is the most genuine Darcy that Elizabeth (or the audience) has yet to see. He remembers his manners, asking her where she was staying and how her family is (twice) but is thoroughly unable to remember that her “condition in life is so decidedly below [his] own.” As a result, Elizabeth’s opinion of Darcy, already softened, is raised considerably.

Lizzy is clearly thrown by Darcy’s good manners at Pemberley and tries to goad him into being his ‘usual’ proud and disdainful self by introducing her aunt and uncle to him as her relatives from Cheapside. She is disappointed however, as Darcy behaves perfectly. Not a flicker of surprise or arrogance crosses his face upon learning the Gardiners’ situation and he expresses interest in Mr. Gardiner and invites him to fish in his trout stream. He is still not as affable or open as, for instance, Mr. Bingley (who could be?) but Darcy at home is a completely different animal than Darcy abroad.

The episode ends with the tenderest moment we’ve had between our romantic leads, in which he asks her to meet his sister. This is quite the compliment. Girls of Georgiana’s rank and age were often kept sheltered from all but the closest family acquaintances. Georgiana’s case is likely more exaggerated because of her recent attempted elopement.

In addition to Elizabeth and Darcy, this episode begins to feature Lydia more than previous episodes, with good reason. She is soon to become a rather important character. Whiny, petty, spoiled, and silly, it is a wonder someone as respectable sounding as Mrs. Forster would want her to accompany her to Brighton. Then of course, we see Mrs. Forster (who looks about 15). She seems just as silly as her friend. This is the woman the Bennets entrust the welfare of their daughter to.

Mr. Bennet’s character is clearly communicated in his allowing Lydia to go to Brighton. His conversation with Lizzy is very telling. He knows that Lydia will make a fool of herself and of the family, but cannot be bothered to prevent it. He wants peace in his home, whatever the price and he consoles his favorite daughter by telling her that her and Jane’s good manners in general counteract the silliness of her sisters. While Mr. Bennet’s quick wit and sarcastic quips make him a favorite character, it cannot be denied that he is a neglectful parent. He is lazy and selfish and would much rather sit in his library than go to any trouble for the benefit of his family.

Historical Context:

Darcy hand delivers his letter to Elizabeth because correspondence between two unmarried persons was considered highly improper. In Sense and Sensibility, several people assume that two characters are engaged simply because they openly write to each other.

Georgiana Darcy’s dowry of £30,000 was a huge sum of money and one of the largest dowries in Austen.

Lady Catherine seems surprised that Mr. Gardiner “keeps a manservant.” Male servants were not only paid more, the government had levied a tax on the employment of a male servant. Therefore being able to afford a male servant was a sign of affluence.

As the Bennet ladies discuss the possibility of going to Brighton, they seem very desirous to go ‘sea-bathing.’ Swimming in the ocean was a recent fashion and believed to be extremely beneficial to one’s health.

Bits & Pieces:

Of all of Austen’s novels, Pride and Prejudice is the one that features the most travel. Lizzy goes to Kent, Jane goes to London, Lydia goes to Brighton, Lizzy goes to Derbyshire, Lydia goes to London. This is because Austen had originally intended the novel to be in an epistolary format. I’m very, very glad she went a different direction. I find epistolary novels (particularly from this time period) incredibly tiresome. And, yes, that was directed at you, Samuel Richardson.

The actress who plays Mrs. Gardiner is the real life mother of the actress who plays Georgiana Darcy.

Favorite Moments:

Maria repacking her trunks according to Lady Catherine’s instructions.

Mr. Collins’s feeble attempts to make Lizzy regret not marrying him.

Lydia meeting Lizzy and Maria on their way home. She “treats” them all to a nice meal via their own money as she’s spent all her own on a hat she didn’t really like. How very Lydia.

The fencing scene, particularly the line “I shall conquer this! I shall!”

Lizzy’s first glimpse of Pemberley.

The lake scene, obviously.

Awkward, wet Darcy (Colin Firth has never been more adorable).

Pretty much everything that happens in Derbyshire, now that I think about it.

sunbunny

#Pride and Prejudice #Jane Austen #Elizabeth Bennet #Fitzwilliam Darcy #Pride and Prejudice Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews #something from the archive

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littleredchucks · 6 years

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@agarlandoffreshlycuttears another for you, because I felt badly for doing the others and not this one, and you were so kind in your review of this fic. So here I go with a Boosh and Prejudice commentary:

“You would have me as your guest? For as long as I chose?” Vince felt his chest constrict painfully at the possibility of Howard’s proposal. The emotions pouring forth from his heart were threatening to flood him completely and he needed something to cling to before he was swept away entirely. He moved until he and Howard were facing one another, his hands resting on Howard’s arms, taking comfort in the other man’s solid presence.

(The word ‘proposal’ was really important to me here. I’m a sucker for romance and proposals and engagements and when I wrote this marriage equality seemed so very far off and so I wanted to give Vince the closest I could to a proper Regency romance proposal.

And I think I spent rather a long time trying to ensure that the metaphor of this paragraph was constant but not overworked. I’m not sure I succeeded. Vince mentions in other chapters how he isn’t used to crying so much, or having his emotions upset him so entirely and so I liked the image of his emotions now being like a flood, all those tears bursting forth, and how Howard is so solid and the only thing he can cling to in such a moment.

“I would have you live with me, in my home, for as long as you chose,” Howard spoke, his voice rough as he fought against his own torrent of emotion.

Vince gave a short laugh, one of disbelief and joy, confusion and just a touch of panic. He leaned his head toward Howard, wanting to show his delight and agreement with a kiss, and took a step forward to enter his embrace.

(This is Vince throwing all fear to the winds. He is going to show his love out in the open. The outdoors was also really important to me in this fic. Leaving the drawing room behind, so to speak. When they’re outside they seem better able to show their love, but it is usually among trees or in the garden, in the early morning or at night, away from the trappings of the houses and society but still hidden. Here they are right out in the open, and being open is what Vince has wanted from the start, and so this gesture by Howard is so important to him.

“Aargh!”

“Vince!?”

Howard caught the younger man as he fell, the pain of taking his weight so suddenly on his twisted ankle having sent him into a faint.

“Vince? Vince, was that a yes?” Howard whispered, unsure of why he felt the need to speak in hushed tones.

He gave the man a light shake but Vince’s head merely moved about like that of a small girl’s rag doll and he remained unconscious.

“Oh dear,” was all Howard could think to say.

(Comedy was needed. It was all too sincere and happy. Howard doesn’t get any happy without a fight and I’m not done with either of them yet. Also, it’s a call back as previously Vince has asserted that he isn’t a young lady prone to faints and sprained ankles, yet there he goes. I like making Howard do those little expressions of ‘oh dear’. Short and to the point, biggest understatement of the Regency period. And at this point there is actually a chapter break I think, because I thought it the best way to end that scene. Tiny bit of comedy, tiny bit of drama.

The arrival of Vince, unconscious and in the arms of Mr Darcy, at the Bennet home, caused a significant stir. Mrs Bennet shrieked and burst into tears, telling anyone who would listen that she had been against Vince going shooting from the very beginning and had known that some evil or other would befall him. Mary and Jane meanwhile escorted Mr Darcy to the sitting room where Vince was placed carefully and lovingly on the sofa. Mr Darcy insisted on removing Vince’s boots and elevating the injured ankle - which was dreadfully swollen - on a cushion.

(Mrs Bennet is so very much my step-mother. Oh so much. In the original P&P too. And she infuriates me. Because we all know she was the one who basically bullied Vince in to go out to the shooting that day, which led to him twisting his ankle, but she lives entirely in her own world and is always the one wronged, never the other way around. But she’s also a fabulous character and I basically lifted her straight from the original and barely tweaked her. Jane and Mary are very much the real ladies of the house, and do what needs to be done. Gosh but I love them. And I felt it necessary to show that Vince isn’t really over reacting, he really did hurt his ankle. Oh, and that Howard’s actions are so obviously loving and caring, the way he carries Vince, lays him down, removes the boot, and rests it on a cushion. Even when Howard is awkward with words, awkward under the scrutiny of others, his genuine actions are full of love and adoration.

“Thank you, Mr Darcy,” Mary said reassuringly as he hovered about his unconscious charge.

“Yes, thank you,” echoed Jane. “He shall be quite alright, we assure you.”

“It is true,” Mary smiled. “He cut himself with the scissors a few years ago and fainted from the pain and the sight of his own blood and remained completely insensible for two hours.”

(Can I go off script for a bit to talk about Mary and Jane? So many interpretations portray Jane a vapid or lacking in substance and that really bothers me, it’s the same way people treat Hero in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ but they are characters with so much potential, and so is Mary, yet she is so often portrayed as sour and dowdy. The 2005 P&P is kinder on Mary, showing her as young and awkward but kind, but in my mind Mary Bennet has been on so many adventures and lived Such a life! I love her very dearly. And something I wanted to do with this story was to play around with the expectations made of the characters. Elizabeth Bennet is quite proud of how un-accomplished she is; she can’t play piano well or paint or do the things ladies are supposed to in order to win a husband. So I gave those things to Vince, because really they fit with his character. And to Jane I gave Elizabeth’s sensible side and to both her and Mary I gave Elizabeth’s wit and intelligence because it shouldn’t be just the heroine/hero who has such traits. And I didn’t want to erase Elizabeth from the story, so I gave her essence to her sisters. Really, once I let Mary and Jane lose in my mind it was so easy just to let them chat and tease and act like regular sisters.

Howard nodded uncomfortably, looking once more at Vince. He had a sudden fear that he would wake up with no memory of their conversation, or worse, would come to his senses and assert a desire to never lay eyes upon Howard again. Howard felt panic begin to well up within him. He needed some way of assuring Vince of his devotion whilst not being actually present when he awoke and, he realised, he would need to act swiftly, as the two eldest Miss Bennets were beginning to wonder at his lack of response. At which point his gaze happened to fall upon the writing desk in the corner and the paper thereon.

“Might I,” he stuttered. “Might I borrow paper and a pen?”

“Yes, certainly,” Jane said, her brow creasing in confusion. “But you are welcome to stay.”

“No, no, I... must retrieve our rifles, and assure the rest of our party that Vince is taken care of.”

(Howard will always, without fail, assume the worst. As if Vince, who has been gazing at him adoringly for fifty whole chapters at this point. But really he knows he’s no good at confessing his feelings. He’s liable to say something wrong or lose confidence or worse, and so he wants to find a way of expressing himself without letting himself get in the way. And his excuse is such an obvious lie, bless him. I expect he was intimidated by Jane and Mary, because he’s not great with people he doesn’t know well.

Gosh I liked writing this. I think I basically wrote a chapter a day. They aren’t long chapters but still. I liked the way Howard and Vince transferred so well in to that world and I loved fleshing out Mary and Jane Charlotte and Mr Bennet especially. I’m not so good at the comedy though, it’s all rather sincere and heartfelt, which is probably where it falls short most. But it was fun to write.

#my writing

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capstagepemberley · 6 years

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Pride & Prejudice - A virtual book club

The following is the content I sent by email as a companion to reading Pride & Prejudice.

Hello!

Hopefully by now you’ve all had an introduction to the Bennets, the Bingleys, the Lucases, and of course the infamous Mr. Darcy. To start things off, relationships in this story are very important and often get a little muddled, so to help you keep track of who is whose cousin you can find a handy multiple-families tree here! I’ve highlighted in yellow those characters in Pride and Prejudice that also appear in Miss Bennet (not pictured: Arthur, Anne de Bourgh’s cousin).

Chapter I starts us off with possibly Jane Austen’s most famous line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This and the following paragraph really set the tone (for most of Austen’s work, not just P&P) of wryness but still an acceptance that there’s a social system and everyone works within it, for better or worse. This opening scene also introduces you to one of Austen’s strengths as a writer: she presents her characters incredibly effectively primarily through their dialog. Pay attention to the first time each character speaks - you can usually paint yourself a clear picture of their personality from that (Fun fact: the original draft of this story was titled First Impressions).

We get our first character sketches of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, who don’t make it on stage in our show but certainly loom large as the patriarch and matriarch of the Bennet sisters. Mrs. Bennet is obsessed with society and social rules, and of course with finding suitable husbands for her daughters. Mr. Bennet is the tree that Elizabeth, as the apple, didn’t fall far from. He’s clever, pragmatic, and takes a lot of pleasure in teasing his hysterical wife. He also loves his daughters very much, although there are indications throughout the book that he isn’t the most responsible father: his disdain for Mrs. Bennet’s obsession with getting the girls well-married, and his failure to set up appropriate legacies to support the girls after his death, means that he’s leaving his daughters to a very precarious future.

These first few scenes also give a nice flavor of typical daily life for members of this level of society. There were lots of rules for paying calls for social visits, and people gave or attended dinners and balls regularly. With all this day-to-day socializing in small, insular communities, it makes sense that the action in Austen’s novels is often catalyzed by strangers (usually men) coming to town, as Bingley and company do in P&P.

Austen wastes no time setting up the central conflicts of the novel by the end of Chapter VII: the Bingley-Jane romance,the Darcy-Elizabeth battle of wits, and the entail of the Bennet estate. It isn’t clear how Bingley and Darcy originally met, but it is clear that they are very dear friends: “Between him and Darcy there was a very steady friendship, in spite of a great opposition of character. - Bingley was endeared to Darcy by the easiness, openness, ductility of his temper, though no disposition could offer a greater contrast to his own, and though with his own he never appeared dissatisfied. On the strength of Darcy’s regard Bingley had the firmest reliance, and of his judgment the highest opinion.” Bingley is introduced as the light-hearted, effusive, and romantic foil to Darcy’s aloof and brooding temperament: “Bingley was sure of being liked wherever he appeared, Darcy was continually giving offence.” This is also played out in the histories that are suggested for both of them. Indications early on in the book imply that the Bingleys are new money, and our Bingley is the first who has not worked at a trade (Bingley rents Netherfield because his father “had intended to purchase an estate, but did not live to do it”). In contrast, the Darcy family is old money with a great deal of prestige as well - we find out that one of Darcy’s uncles was a judge which at the time was an extremely prestigious appointment with only about 15 judges in all of England. In contrast with these two fortunes, the Bennet estate is entailed which means that it transfers only to the closest living male heir, so the Bennet sisters stand only to inherit a small amount of money from their mother when she dies but not benefit from their father’s estate when he does. This puts them in a much weaker social position for marrying, because they would become dependent on their husband’s family wealth rather than contributing to it.

We also get a couple of glimpses of Mary’s pedantic character, like the scene in Chapter V when she inserts herself into what’s basically a gossipy conversation between Elizabeth and Charlotte to give a fairly prissy thesis statement on the failing of pridefulness. Sorry Elyse, you’re much sweeter in the play :)

I think it’s a particularly apt characterization that Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth starts with his recognizing her “uncommonly intelligent” nature; in fact he dismisses her as not particularly attractive before he’s recognized her intelligence.

Elizabeth’s teasing, non-conformist side, very much like her father, is perfectly encapsulated in Chapter VI: “Miss Lucas defied her friend to mention such a subject to him, which immediately provoking Elizabeth to do it, she turned to him and said…”

Lydia’s plot gets started in Chapter VII when more strangers come to town, this time a regiment of militiamen who are stationed in the village. This introduces us a little bit more to Lydia and Kitty, the youngest of the Bennets, who spend a lot of time visiting their aunt and uncle so they can get to know all of the officers and basically talk about nothing else.

The end of this section is devoted to Jane’s illness and convalescence at Netherfield (Bingley’s house), where Elizabeth joins her. Being in close quarters with the Bingleys and Darcy, we get to see how judgey Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst are of the Bennets as simple, country folk; Bingley and Jane falling in love; Darcy becoming more and more fond of Elizabeth and her quick-witted ways; and Elizabeth confirming her opinion of Darcy and Miss Bingley as stuck-up.

OK, so this section largely features one of Austen’s most hilariously self-important characters who, sadly, isn’t visiting Pemberley this Christmas ;) For our purposes, Mr. Collins (like Charlotte) doesn’t inform much of Miss Bennet, but they are instrumental in P&P for getting Elizabeth and Darcy into the same room again later in the story, and also connecting us to Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter, Anne.

For those of you who’ve watched Downton Abbey, Collins is a much-less-dreamy Matthew Crawley; he is the distant cousin who is the only living male relative of Mr. Bennet and thus will inherit all of the Bennet estate upon Mr. Bennet’s death. And to his credit, although it doesn’t work out in the end, he does come to Longbourn with the idea that maybe one of the Bennet sisters would be a suitable match for him and thus help out his female relatives by tying them back to their father’s fortune by marriage.

We get a LOT of information about Lady Catherine by way of Collins’ obsession with her. The first thing that readers of the time would have noticed is that, although Lady Catherine was married to a “Sir” (Sir Lewis, who is deceased), her title comes from her father rather than her husband. Women whose titles were linked to their husbands would only be referred to by their surname (Lady de Bourgh) but women inheriting a title from their parent would have their first name included as Lady Catherine does. We’ll find out later that Lady Catherine’s father was an earl, one of the three highest ranks of nobility in England, so she has a very prestigious pedigree in society. We also get an introduction to Anne, although like the praises of Lady Catherine there’s definitely an unreliable narrator feeling to the way Collins describes her.

Anne de Bourgh is said to be the heiress of Rosings and Lady Catherine’s estate, which is the reason for that little bit of detail near the beginning of Miss Bennet about the de Bourgh estate actually being entailed. As we’ll see in the next section, it’s entirely imaginable that Lady Catherine would have made bold assertions about her late husband’s estate that weren’t *completely* backed up by reality.

And you get to see more of the mischievous nature that Elizabeth and her father share when listening to Collins speak: “[Mr. Bennet’s] cousin was as absurd as he had hoped, and he listened to him with the keenest enjoyment, maintaining at the same time the most resolute composure of countenance, and except in an occasional glance at Elizabeth, requiring no partner in his pleasure.”

In Chapter XV we meet Wickham, who is also not on stage in Miss Bennet but definitely a part of the story. For those of you reading P&P for the first time, sorry about the spoilers but Wickham is going to turn out not to be quite the gentleman the girls all think he is in this chapter. Looking back in hindsight, this is a great example of how Darcy’s upstanding (but aloof) personality can be a double-edged sword for him. His sense of propriety keeps him from telling anyone in the Meryton area about Wickham’s past behavior, but he can’t help showing his emotions when they meet. Since Wickham has no problem lying for his own benefit, this makes Darcy look like the asshole in this situation, which only confirms everyone’s opinion of him as a stuck-up jerk (sorry, JR).

Here is Jane, the eternal peacemaker, in a nutshell (from Chapter XVII): “...she knew not how to believe that Mr. Darcy could be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley’s regard; and yet, it was not in her nature to question the veracity of a young man of such amiable appearance as Wickham. - The possibility of his having really endured such unkindness, was enough to interest all her tender feelings; and nothing therefore remained to be done, but to think well of them both, to defend the conduct of each, and throw into the account of accident or mistake, whatever could not be otherwise explained.”

Also a pretty good nutshell for giddy Lydia: “The happiness anticipated by [Kitty] and Lydia, depended less on any single event, or any particular person, for though they each...meant to dance half the evening with Mr. Wickham, he was by no means the only partner who could satisfy them, and a ball was at any rate, a ball.”

One more for nerdy Mary: “While I can have my mornings to myself...I think it no sacrifice to join occasionally in evening engagements. Society has claims on us all; and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for every body.”

At the Netherfield ball in Chapter XVIII, we get another link in the relationship chain when we find out (again through Collins) that Darcy is Lady Catherine’s nephew (which makes him Anne de Bourgh’s cousin). We also see more evidence of Darcy being uncomfortable in social situations in a way that can provide a forgivable explanation for his coldness. The description of him “standing within a very short distance of [Elizabeth], quite disengaged, he never came near enough to speak” along with his conversation with Bingley at the first ball about how he’s only comfortable with people he knows, indicates that maybe he’s just too shy to know how to approach Elizabeth especially now that he knows she doesn’t think much of him in relation to Wickham’s story.

Also at the ball, we see several back to back examples of how the Bennet family is often kind of a social catastrophe. Obviously, Collins’ behavior is embarrassing, and then Mrs. Bennet doesn’t know how to use her inside voice at the supper table, Mary gives a painful singing performance, and Mr. Bennet manages to make the embarrassment worse by making it obvious that he’s trying to rescue Mary from continuing. I think it’s safe to say that both Jane, but especially Elizabeth since she isn’t as appeasing as Jane, have a lot of experience with trying to mitigate embarrassment by other members of the family.

The rest of this section sets all of the pieces in motion for the next phase of action: Caroline (Bingley’s sister) contrives a plan to get Bingley to move back to London and away from Jane to break them up, Collins proposes to Elizabeth and is turned down flat, then is picked up and dusted off by practical Charlotte whose move to Hunsford after she and Collins get married gives an excuse for Elizabeth to get out and do some visiting soon.

My thoughts in this section are particularly Elizabeth-based: She has a very strong reaction to her best friend Charlotte agreeing to marry Collins: “She had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her own, but she could not have supposed it possible that when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins, was a most humiliating picture! - And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.”

The beginning of Volume II shows us the clear distinction between Jane’s and Elizabeth’s temperaments. When the Bingleys have unexpectedly left for London, Elizabeth is indignant, resentful, angry, and contemptuous of the conniving Miss Bingley and the inconstant Mr. Bingley. Jane, on the other hand, is terribly sad but consoles herself by thinking that at least her “error of fancy” has harmed only herself. As Elizabeth says to her, “You wish to think all the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of any body. I only want to think you perfect, and you set yourself against it.”

We also get to see again the way Jane and Elizabeth clearly have to fend for themselves emotionally in the absence of appropriate parental care. Mrs. Bennet won’t stop talking about Bingley’s disappearance as if it hurt her directly, never noticing that she keeps opening the wound for Jane instead of letting it heal. And Mr. Bennet just jokes about how sometimes girls like to “be crossed in love a little” to give them something to break up the dullness.

Some new characters come into play in Chapter II, Mrs. Bennet’s brother and sister-in-law, the Gardiners. These are also minor characters that really only need to be kept track of because they give Elizabeth and Jane opportunities for visiting outside of Meryton later, which moves their two love story plots along. Mrs. Gardiner is much more sensible than her sister-in-law, and provides Elizabeth with some good advice about not letting her heart get carried away with Wickham (although it’s about the practicalities of both Elizabeth and Wickham being fairly poor, rather than a knowledge of Wickham’s bad behavior).

Everyone scatters a bit in Chapter III, with Charlotte getting married and moving to the parsonage at Rosings Park with Mr. Collins, and Jane going back to London with the Gardiners to stay with them for awhile. At this point, Elizabeth agrees to go visit Charlotte in a few months, and then later she agrees to go on a summer tour of the Lake Country with her uncle and aunt, the Gardiners. All of these trips let Austen reverse her earlier formula of creating action by bringing strangers into town; now she can create action by sending the locals out into new environments.

When Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte’s new home, she finds a Mr. Collins who is just as insanely obsequious and annoying as he is earlier in the book. But she also sees Charlotte in a new light when she recognizes all the subtle ways that the new Mrs. Collins has found to control her husband and her environment to make it pleasant and comfortable. It’s nice to see Elizabeth’s harsh opinion of Charlotte’s choice softening enough to recognize all the good qualities of her old friend again.

And then finally, in Chapter VI, we meet Lady Catherine de Bourgh! A couple of things for our purposes: obviously, Lady Catherine is dead in Miss Bennet. And, in Pride & Prejudice, we don’t get very much direct interaction with Anne de Bourgh at all. BUT, all of these sections that include Lady Catherine and Anne (in the background) are really instructive for how Anne lived her life presumably until her mother’s death. Pay attention to how much she’s talked about, and how little she’s talked to. And her mother’s way of interacting with everyone - because this is just about the only model for being an adult woman that Anne has in her life. OK, so, Lady Catherine is:

Obsessed with rank, and making sure everyone knows hers and their own

Extremely narcissistic

Extremely critical, nosey, scolding, and officious

Oblivious to anyone else’s needs/feelings/etc.

She also makes constant excuses for Anne and why she’s never learned any of the usual ladylike pursuits of playing, singing, painting, etc.

The end of this section (starting in Chapter VII) brings Darcy to Rosings Park, along with another cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam’s personality is a sort of balance between Darcy’s and Bingley’s. He’s very friendly and easygoing, but has a steadiness to him that is similar to Darcy’s sense of properness. Fortunately for Darcy, Fitzwilliam also has Charlotte’s brand of practicality as we’ll soon learn, which puts a stop to what might otherwise have been a romance between him and Elizabeth.

Before we get into this section, have you all noticed how often Austen seems to describe people paying visits to each other and then just sitting in a room and having long breaks of silence in the conversation?? It’s really struck me on this read through, and I can’t tell if she is trying to describe kind of forced conversation or if her experience really was that sometimes you go to visit somebody and you just sit around and not talk. Anyway, not really relevant but curious to me.

Of course what reminded me of that is poor Darcy and his real struggles with interpersonal communication. I think this scene in Chapter IX is an awfully cute example of him starting to act like he has human emotions like curiosity and interest in others, and immediately clamming back up: “Mr. Darcy drew his chair a little towards her, and said, ‘You cannot have a right to such very strong local attachment. You cannot have been always at Longbourn.’ Elizabeth looked surprised. The gentleman experienced some change of feeling; he drew back his chair, took a newspaper from the table, and, glancing over it, said, in a colder voice, ‘Are you pleased with Kent?’”

In Chapter X we basically wrap up the Col. Fitzwilliam plot, in which he acts as a conduit for some information that Elizabeth needs to keep the story going: While chatting with Elizabeth, they both “jokingly” talk about how the youngest son of an Earl (i.e., not the one who will inherit the fortune) can’t afford to marry someone who isn’t wealthy, and come to an unspoken understanding that it’s not meant to be between them for practical reasons. It’s cleverly done, and a good juxtaposition of Fitzwilliam’s communication skills with Darcy’s. We also learn that Fitzwilliam is co-guardian of Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy’s younger sister, which will add some weight to an upcoming revelation. And finally, although Fitzwilliam doesn’t know that he’s talking to the sister of the jilted, he divulges that Darcy recently advised “someone” against an unfortunate match with a country lady. With an annoying family. From near Netherfield. It’s Jane, you guys. All of this perfectly sets up a scenario where Elizabeth’s fury against Darcy has reached a fever pitch just in time for…..him to propose!

The surprise proposal in Chapter XI (were you surprised??) shows off all of Darcy’s worst behaviors of officiousness and pride. We could probably somewhat forgive him for failing to read the room with Elizabeth, since she keeps her dislike pretty close to the vest, but telling someone that you love them even though their family is the worst and you tried to stop yourself from falling in love but you’ll take them anyway, is not the most tactful/charming proposal. Elizabeth shows off all of her prejudices as well, but I’ll say this - at least she’s not coy about explaining exactly what her complaints re: Jane and Wickham are, which opens the door up for Darcy to explain himself later. Still, they both get their licks in and then retreat to their corners to try and figure out what just happened.

Next Aside: From here out, there’s a fair amount of talk about Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s relationship (obviously). There are lots of interesting things to be said about Austen and feminism, and if anyone’s interested in talking with me about them I would love to, but obviously this book was published in 1813 and was solidly rooted in a deep-seated patriarchal society. In spite of all that, I’m going to refer to Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s relationship as one of equals because Elizabeth certainly has more agency than other characters of the time (or even the book), and also because I think we all know that we’re producing a romantic comedy and sometimes it’s nice to leave the really deep analysis at home.

So, moving into Chapters XII and XIII, we see one of the greatest strengths of Elizabeth and Darcy, and the next indication of why they are a good match. Despite the blow-up they just had, and their individual opinions that they are in the right, they both take the time to apply their intelligence and reason to considering the other person’s position. Darcy gets the upper hand here a bit because Elizabeth’s opinion is at least half based on Wickham’s lies. Of course, Darcy has to swallow his pride enough to explain the embarrassment of the real story of Wickham’s relations with the Darcys, which is a very real sacrifice for someone as proud as Darcy. Through the letter Elizabeth gets a whole new picture of Darcy - not so much the way he handled the Bingley/Jane situation, although it puts his intentions in a slightly new light - but definitely in respect to Wickham. Darcy’s reflection and gradual change occur later than Elizabeth’s, but even with him taking the time to write and deliver the letter we see him start to realize the importance of explaining himself and his thoughts, and doing so in a somewhat more gentle way than before.

Shortly after Darcy and Fitzwilliam leave Rosings Park, Elizabeth does as well and heads home to Longbourn after picking up Jane in London.

Chapter XVI is where Lydia starts to really show off her immaturity and self-interest. She:

Comes to meet her sisters and treat them to lunch, but

Uses up all her money buying a bonnet that she says isn’t very nice (but not the ugliest!), so

Tells Jane and Elizabeth they’ll have to pay for everyone’s lunch instead, and then

Laughs about how fun it is that they’re crammed uncomfortably into the carriage for the ride home because of her new, not-that-pretty bonnet and its box.

And later that evening at dinner, she goes back to telling everyone how she and Kitty treated their sisters to lunch.

In Chapter XVII, here’s sweet Jane again, being sweet. She can’t be surprised at anyone loving her sister, and she can’t help but feel sorry for Darcy who must be so disappointed at how things turned out. Elizabeth has a cute juxtaposition of she and Elizabeth when she says “Your profusion [of regret and compassion] makes me saving; and if you lament over him much longer, my heart will be light as a feather.”

Elizabeth also expresses the beginnings of her transformation when she half (maybe just a quarter) jokingly laments that no longer disliking Darcy is bad for her wittiness: “One may be continually abusive without saying any thing just; but one cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.”

Meanwhile, Wickham’s militia regiment is getting ready to leave town, and Kitty and Lydia (especially Lydia) won’t stop talking about how their lives are OVER. Lydia gets a reprieve though, when her friend who is a relatively new wife of the regiment’s colonel invites Lydia to go to Brighton with them. Mr. Bennet is passive enough to let this happen, even though Elizabeth warns him that Mrs. Forster (the friend) isn’t exactly a prudent companion for Lydia, and Lydia is far too improper to go to Brighton without adequate supervision. Here are some adjectives Elizabeth uses to describe Lydia: vain, ignorant, idle, flirtatious, attention-seeking. And here’s a passage about Lydia’s dreams of summer vacation: “She saw with the creative eye of fancy, the streets of that gay bathing place covered with officers. She saw herself the object of attention, to tens and to scores of them at present unknown. She saw all the glories of the camp; its tents stretched forth in beauteous uniformity of lines, crowded with the young and the gay, and dazzling with scarlet [uniforms]; and to complete the view, she saw herself seated beneath a tent, tenderly flirting with at least six officers at once.”

I have new thoughts on Lydia this read through, but I’m going to save them for a bit later because it feels chronologically wrong to put them here. So if you’re thinking to yourself that Lydia is a bit picked on for just being herself - hold that thought!

Chapter XIX is an interesting little meditation on Elizabeth’s thoughts about marriage coming from the example of her parents. Although it’s not quite expressed this way, she believes that it’s important for husband and wife to respect each other intellectually in order to garner respect from their children in turn. She certainly sees the danger in, as her father did, marrying someone who you don’t think of as witty.

Elizabeth’s vacation with the Gardiners starts the series of coincidences that will bring us to our happy ending - first with vacation plans having to be changed to start later and not actually include the Lake district. Then, when visiting Lambton, Mrs. Gardiner’s interest in seeing Pemberley. Tours of stately homes were becoming even more of a standard attraction during this time, which gives us another idea of the prominence of the Darcy estate. And THEN, while touring Pemberley, the unplanned/unexpected early return of Mr. Darcy that puts he and Elizabeth in the right place at the right time to almost literally run into each other again.

It makes a lot of sense that seeing Darcy’s home, and him in his home, is what really brings about the last of Elizabeth’s change of heart. As we’ve seen him, Darcy is a proud and private person who is fairly uncomfortable interacting with strangers and whose facade in those situations is distant and cold (and often fairly judgmental). His home is described as friendly, warm, beautiful but not in an ostentatious or stuffy way, with a kind and affectionate housekeeper. It’s certainly not an accident that Darcy himself is able to be more pleasant and welcoming to Elizabeth and her family when he is in his familiar surroundings.

In Chapter II we finally meet Darcy’s young sister, Georgiana. She is described as being so shy she can hardly speak to people even in a home setting, which we could probably imagine wasn’t helped by being primarily cared for by someone of Darcy’s temperament. These few days at Lambton becoming reacquainted with Darcy and Bingley create a sweet series of calm-before-the-storm scenes and a raising of Elizabeth’s spirits from the turbulence she’s been experiencing.

While that all changes again in Chapter IV, it still creates the bond that gets her and Darcy through this last upheaval of Lydia and Wickham’s elopement.

The interesting thing about Lydia (which I’m sure you’ve already thought, being much cleverer than I) is that she’s really only a victim of her era. Do I find people as giddy and vapid as she is kind of annoying? Yes, but they’re not bad people, just not really my type. But realistically, Lydia knows what she wants: to flirt and be adored and run off with a dashingly handsome officer. If she’d lived in a less stringent time, she and Wickham would’ve run off and had a firey affair, not gotten married, and she’s shown to be such a strong-willed person that she probably would’ve seen Wickham’s eventual disinterest and told him to hit the road, leaving her, for the most part, none the worse. Instead, because the society they live in meant that the family would be ruined by her sinful choices, she gets saddled with a marriage to a guy who’s kind of a dick and definitely doesn’t want to be married to her either.

This whole episode causes Elizabeth to be much more vulnerable and intimate with Darcy than she probably ever would have otherwise, and gives Darcy his classic knight in shining armor opportunity to make a grand gesture for the woman he loves. In this case, that grand gesture includes him going very much against a lot of his natural tendencies toward pride and humbling himself pretty significantly. We don’t get the sense that he’s ever been much of a moral compromise kind of person, but he certainly makes some compromises here in the best interest of Elizabeth and her family. Of course, it’s only by the coincidence of Lydia’s big mouth that Elizabeth finds out about all of this.

Advancing the plot through letters is a common theme of Austen’s work. In fact, Pride and Prejudice was originally written in an all-letter format, and so we’re going to see the last pieces of the puzzle fall into place through Mrs. Gardiner’s letter.

In Chapter X, Wickham’s last interaction with Elizabeth is particularly disingenuous, with him still fishing to find out how much she may have heard of him from Darcy, and continuing to play the wronged victim angle. Based on this interaction, my own assumption is that when Elizabeth says that Mr. Darcy won’t welcome Wickham to Pemberley, she certainly hasn’t done much to change his mind.

We also see the preamble to the lonely life that Lydia eventually confesses to in Miss Bennet. With the (sort of) happy couple being forced to move to Newcastle because of Wickham’s need to leave the militia and join the regulars, she will be far enough from family that they don’t expect to see her for at least a year. It’s easy to predict that Wickham’s inattention and their relative financial hardship will take the shine off Lydia’s adventure in a new town fairly quickly, and leave her more on the outskirts of society than she would like or expect.

And so the story comes full circle, with rumors running wild about the Bingleys returning to Netherfield. In the next few chapters, we see the effects of Elizabeth on Darcy has he attempts to have more patience when interacting with her mother, and he spends time observing Jane more closely to better understand her feelings for Bingley.

Lady Catherine’s imperious entrance into the story one last time only serves to help Elizabeth and Darcy solidify their feelings for each other in the face of Lady Catherine’s general awfulness. When they finally come back together at Longbourn, we see a lovely balance of her playfulness and his seriousness in their proposal scene as they both admit their shortcomings to each other.

The resolution of the marriage plots corresponds to the view of marriage Austen consistently asserts: rather than being simply a union of two individuals, marriage is a condition in which the couple will be connected to a variety of other people. In the final chapters, Elizabeth and Darcy take the trouble, even when they find it unpleasant, to accommodate and maintain good relations with other family members and acquaintances.

The story implies that Elizabeth and Jane were both married on the same day; fitting for the closeness of their relationship and that of their husbands. Jane and Bingley lived at Netherfield for a year, but then bought an estate about 30 miles from Pemberley so we can assume that the Bingleys and the Darcys have seen each other fairly often in the last two years before Christmas 1815. Elizabeth’s and Lydia’s relationship is probably further strained when Lydia writes asking for financial assistance now that Elizabeth is rich, and Elizabeth turns her down. We also learn that Elizabeth and Jane have both been asked to help settle the Wickhams’ debts from time to time over the past three years.

And finally, a charming characterization of Darcy’s enduring commitment to Elizabeth, from a letter written by Austen about how she was unable to find portraits in a gallery that she thought resembled Jane and Elizabeth: “I can only imagine that Mr. D. prizes any Picture of her too much to like it should be exposed to the public eye.--I can imagine he would have that sort [of] feeling--that mixture of Love, Pride & Delicacy”

#Pride and Prejudice #analysis

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ruthgabyguerrero · 6 years

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How to Find Love the Way Elizabeth Bennet Did: A Pride and Prejudice Film Review

Pride and Prejudice is a film version of the Jane Austen novel by the same name.

The novel has been made into screen adaptations in the past; including a film in 1940 starring Greer Garson and Lawrence Olivier, a six-episode mini series on the BBC in 1995, a Bollywood-style adaption in 2004 named Bride and Prejudice and most recently a quirky zombie adaptation named Pride and Prejudice and Zombies released in cinemas in the U.S. in 2016.

Director Joe Wright remained traditional and life-like in the aesthetic of film, whose costumes assembled by Jacqueline Durran afforded them a Satellite Award for Best Costume Design. With scenes of green meadows, vintage architecture and furnishings, and extremely natural appearances in the actors, the film transported viewers to proper 19th century England. He produced the familiar characters with much charisma and participated in bringing Austen’s words to life all the more vividly.

The story, which takes place in the early 19th century, is about a family with five daughters whose parents--primarily the anxious mother Mrs. Bennett (Brenda Blethyn)--are preoccupied with making sure their daughters are properly married before their passing. But Keira Knightley as the second eldest daughter Elizabeth Bennet, who is one of the two main characters in the film, portrayes exceptionally well the quick-witted beloved character whose more preoccupied with reading and uttering the occasional wisecracks about men than finding a suitor.

Two of Lizzie’s younger sister’s, Lydia and Kitty Bennet (Jenna Malone and Carey Mulligan), who are attached at the hip, are the sisters conditioned by their mother that a husband and marriage are the ultimate goal in life. They're the embarrassing siblings to Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as her family calls her, because when not giggling simultaneously or batting their eyelashes at any male presence, they’re begging the rich eligible bachelors Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley (Matthew Macfadyen and Simon Woods) to throw a ball so they can “meet people.” Other humorous characters include the middle sister Mary Bennet (Talulah Riley) who, unlike Lydia and Kitty, dresses in dark colors and hates the idea of balls as a way to meet people. Then there’s the “dreaded cousin” Mr. Collins.

Wright does Austen justice is recounting the gravity of marriage to women in an era where only male descendants were allowed to inherit. Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander) a short, self-assured, clergyman with no common sense when speaking to women is the one to inherit the sister’s estate. In order to make this move smoother, the nerdy douche tries to wed Lizzie, after finding out the eldest and prettier sister Jane (Rosamund Pike) is practically taken. Collin’s way of proposing? “You should take into account, that despite your mannerful attractions it's by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to you.” But Lizzie rejects in a very Gansta’ (despite what Urban Dictionary says, I know that “Gangsta’” can mean someone who defies normality, not for the simple sake of rebellion, but to question that which is incomprehensibly wrong; ie: “Did you see Gaby? She got a pixie cut against her Mexican mom’s will! She’s Gangsta!”) fashion, saying: “Sir, sir, I am not the sort of female to torment a respectable man. Please understand me I cannot accept you.”

It’s worth mentioning her father’s (Donald Sutherland) support of her decision, as well as her mother’s bitchy threats.

The whole issue of marriage is all the more demonstrated, however, with Lizzie’s beloved cousin Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakley). After Lizzie’s rejection, Charlotte feels compelled to settle for less with Collins, being that she is a whopping twenty-seven-year-old single lady. She tells Lizzie, Lizzie calls him “ridiculous,” but Charlotte states quite soberly: “Not all of us can afford to be romantic.”

The eldest sister Jane Bennet is the “beauty of the family,” as their mother puts it, and Lizzie’s closest sister. She catches the eye of the rich guy we mentioned above, the cheerful and likeable Mr. Bingley, at a ball where he along with his quizzical-browed best friend Mr. Darcy are the invited guests. We mentioned the charismatic characters Wright envisions and produced, but if we had to choose one actor/actress in the entire film whose character portrayal was perfect it was Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy--yes, above Knightley’s portrayal, but only slightly. He’s described as handsome in the novel, and he is indeed in the film, but not Abercrombie and Fitch-esque the way we’re used to seeing in teenage romantic films. The character of Darcy is opposite his best friend in personality and demeanor. As Bingley smiles and finds it easy to make conversation, Macfadyen as Darcy exhibits an excellent 19th century male version of The Resting Bitch Face and talks very little to Lizzie, the only person at the ball attempting to befriend him. Her attempts come to a halt when she overhears his remarks regarding her looks as “perfectly tolerable...but not handsome enough to tempt” him.

Throughout the film she runs into him in what seems to the audience as coincidentally. But she doesn't appear to blossom in her fondness of him as he seems to remain the bitter bitch we foremost met. That is, until we learn the valid reasons behind behaviours. Darcy doesn't change much, it is safe to say, but a different inner self does surface as he patches up certain mishaps and misunderstanding--semi-connected to Lizzie-- with the wealth and influence he has. Maybe romantic, maybe not?

It is an unconventional love story that doesn't feature a hopelessly romantic damsel in distress who is saved by a pretty boy. Lizzie pokes fun at love, not because she hates it, but because, as she puts it: “Only the deepest level of love could persuade me into matrimony, which is why I will end up an old maid.” Her outlook on love and marriage seems that she is open (i.e. how intrigued she seemed with proper pretty boy George Wickham [Rupert Friend]) to the idea, but isn't desperate to find a suitor nor does she become disheartened with Darcy’s grimness towards her. Instead she is slightly taken aback, her cousin Charlotte cheers her up, saying “count your blessings Lizzie. If he liked you, you’d have to talk to him,” as Lizzie reiterates “precisely. As it is I would not dance with him for all of Darbyshire, not even the miserable half (referring to how much of Derbyshire Darcy owns).”

Laughs.

The complexities of both He and Lizzie’s personalities ties into the title of the film, but you’d have to decide which is Prideful and which is Prejudice.

#janeeyre #prideandprejudie #janeausten #lizzybennet #elizabethbennet #mrdarcy #darcy #prideandprejudicefilm #keira knightley #moviereview #findinglove

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