Well, the story is getting exceedingly more interesting with each turn of the page. Mr. Darcy has professed his love and Elizabeth has dashed his hopes to the ground with witty and pointed prose. I especially was fond of her questioning his approach..."I might as well enquire,' replied she, 'why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character? Was not this some excue for incivility, if I was uncivil? But I have other provocations. You know I have. Had not my own feelings decided against you, had they been indifferent, or had they even been favourable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man, who has been the means of ruining, perhaps forever, the happiness of a most beloved sister?"
Now, on this point, I would have probably stopped...but she kept going and brought up Wickam, which she does not have the full story on that one so she should have left it alone.
All in all, I am a bit ashamed by the way Mr. Darcy approached this whole proposal...it was undoubtedly on the offensive side. But, I still like this character perhaps more than any other. He is complex, whereas most of the characters in the story are one dimensional and disinteresting. And as far as the men in the story go, he is the only one I am interested to learn more about. Jane Austen has created a very captivating personality in him (in my opinion anyway).
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3 comments:
(I had written this earlier, but my power has been out until now, so now I will post!)...
Well, what a turn of events since our last discussion! Darcy professing his love, and now Elizabeth knowing too many things against his character to even have the possibility of her falling in love with him. But I must say, his speech is not quite the way to win over a girl, pretty much telling her she has nothing and that he tried very hard not to like her because they are from different social classes. And for him to admit he is very glad he broke up Jane and Mr. Bingley! Why would he possibly think Elizabeth would love him after all that?
And Mr. Collins, what a character! He pretty much grovels just at hearing the name of Lady Catherine. And she in turn just eats it up. Good grief. And I can just imagine being Elizabeth and seeing my best friend (Charlotte) marry this guy and not possibly understand how she could do that! What about love?
And why doesn’t Jane speak up and ask Miss Bingley about her brother? Instead of waiting for her to bring it up, which never happened… I’m seeing a theme of two close-knit but very different sisters within the Austen novels. Elizabeth being the more outspoken one just like Marianne was, and Jane being more reserved like Elinor. Why is it always the older sister? I guess I can see a little bit of them in Ashley and myself, but I would like to think I’m a little more outspoken and idealistic about love than these 2 older sisters are…
I do agree with Leanda, Mr. Darcy is most intriguing, and there is always something new to discover about him!
Sorry I am a bit late at the posting. I have been busy packing and wrapping things up at work. Only a week and a half left. Craziness. I find the most interesting thing about this reading in the whole proposal from Mr. Collins to Elizabeth. It always makes me laugh when she denied him flat and then he says that she will eventually come around and basically that she is just playing hard to get. And then hilarious when she is like no really I am not ever going to marry you.
I also can't beleive that then her best friend goes and marries him just a few weeks later and not even for love, just for the fact that she won't be an old maid. It is so strange how different a mentality they have then many women today.
Sorry I am a bit late at the posting. I have been busy packing and wrapping things up at work. Only a week and a half left. Craziness. I find the most interesting thing about this reading in the whole proposal from Mr. Collins to Elizabeth. It always makes me laugh when she denied him flat and then he says that she will eventually come around and basically that she is just playing hard to get. And then hilarious when she is like no really I am not ever going to marry you.
I also can't beleive that then her best friend goes and marries him just a few weeks later and not even for love, just for the fact that she won't be an old maid. It is so strange how different a mentality they have then many women today.
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