I will begin with- Mrs. Bennett: She loved her girls and was worried about their future. She thought that if her girls could marry into high society, that their future would be secure. She at first did not really consider her daughters marrying for love bec. she did marry for love and ended up worrying about money and security. She bore all girls and only men received inheritances back then..such as their home. If her husband died, the girls would have to leave their home bec. the Bennetts did not have a son to inherit their home. So, she constantly worried about them which cause her to overlook her daughter's feelings and independence. She also put off Darcy at the town dance...with some of her earlier comments about her wanting her daughters marrying above their class. He did not like how she sounded as if she was trying to marry off her daughters for money only, a big advantage for her. It disgusted him. He did not understand her predictament.
Mr. Bennett: Laid back, easy going, not super ambitious, did not as much about his daughter's future. He did not care for high society very much or going to town, etc. He was somewhat aloof which is why his wife ended up doing all the worrying for the both of them over their daughter's future in the beginning. Bec. he somewhat in general kept to himself, his daughters were not able to really discuss men in detail to him or what they should look for or look out for, etc. Lydia ended up getting into trouble bec. he did not warn her of 'bad' men, Jane was too trusting of men, Lizzy was to critical of men, Kitty was too young, and the other was too shy. He was not a bad father. The girls were never beaten or ridiculed or pushed to marry a certain man of his choice. They all eventually did learn their lessons to a point, but had he intervened a little, some of these overlooked problems may have not had happened, such as with Lydia. But, I guess it was good that he was not too controlling and did let them learn from some of their mistakes and at least let them make their most important choices...except for maybe Lydia.
Jane: no comment
Lizzy: She was hurt by a comment she overheard Darcy saying about her to his friend in the beginning at the town dance, therefore forming a quick opinion about him. Her pride was hurt and therefore thought immediately that Darcy was a total rich snob, even though he really wasn't that bad back in the day.
Darcy: He was actually somewhat shy and prejudice towards lower class folks and therefore afraid to ask a pretty girl from the country to dance. He was 'guy' talking to his best friend about Lizzy and her sister and she overheard him and didn't like how it sounded. Bec. Lizzy was 'put off' by him, she did not chase him around like the other girls and that most likely intrigued him more about Lizzy, even if he was not too crazy about her parents and her little sisters. He was not sure if he should date and marry underneath his class. He ended up wanting to marry Lizzy bec. he fell in love with her, but at first she said NO...due to her self respect and character and her love for her family despite not being rich. That made him realize that there are people who are smart and worthy in the lower classes. Bec. Lizzy was smart as well as pretty, he had to prove himself worthy of her, a lower class citizen. I guess he also liked the chase...it's a guy thing.
Bingly: no comment
Bingly's sister: Thought lowly of country folks. Her snobbiness towards others & not caring of brother's happiness eventually put off Darcy in the end and she did not win the affections of his heart, even if she may have been more 'accomplished' than Lizzy.
As for the rest of the sisters...too young still to form good opinions.
Elizabeth showed pride when she heard Mr. Darcy's comment about her being tolerable. She almost retaliated with her pride in showing that his comment did not affect her. She also showed prejudice toward Mr. Darcy multiple times- one example being after hearing Mr. Wickham's story about Mr. Darcy cheating him out of his inheritance. Elizabeth, already having her own negative feelings toward Darcy, immediately assumed that everything Wickham said was true.
Robin, as you stated above, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have a relationship filled with pride and permeated with the vanity of its prejudices. Adding insult to injury, Mr.Darcy refers to the young Elizabeth Bennet as "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." In a similar instance, Elizabeth's strong prejudice against any explanation of Darcy's blinds her from the truth of Mr. Darcy's proposal. Elizabeth Bennet in retaliation of Mr. Darcy's honest opinion allows her pride to overshadow all inclination and liking of Darcy. She instead only admits her disdain and dislike of the man that her heart truly fancied. In fact she states, "And those are the words of a gentleman. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."
I will begin with- Mrs. Bennett: She loved her girls and was worried about their future. She thought that if her girls could marry into high society, that their future would be secure. She at first did not really consider her daughters marrying for love bec. she did marry for love and ended up worrying about money and security. She bore all girls and only men received inheritances back then..such as their home. If her husband died, the girls would have to leave their home bec. the Bennetts did not have a son to inherit their home. So, she constantly worried about them which cause her to overlook her daughter's feelings and independence. She also put off Darcy at the town dance...with some of her earlier comments about her wanting her daughters marrying above their class. He did not like how she sounded as if she was trying to marry off her daughters for money only, a big advantage for her. It disgusted him. He did not understand her predictament.
ReplyDeleteMr. Bennett: Laid back, easy going, not super ambitious, did not as much about his daughter's future. He did not care for high society very much or going to town, etc. He was somewhat aloof which is why his wife ended up doing all the worrying for the both of them over their daughter's future in the beginning. Bec. he somewhat in general kept to himself, his daughters were not able to really discuss men in detail to him or what they should look for or look out for, etc. Lydia ended up getting into trouble bec. he did not warn her of 'bad' men, Jane was too trusting of men, Lizzy was to critical of men, Kitty was too young, and the other was too shy. He was not a bad father. The girls were never beaten or ridiculed or pushed to marry a certain man of his choice. They all eventually did learn their lessons to a point, but had he intervened a little, some of these overlooked problems may have not had happened, such as with Lydia. But, I guess it was good that he was not too controlling and did let them learn from some of their mistakes and at least let them make their most important choices...except for maybe Lydia.
Jane: no comment
Lizzy: She was hurt by a comment she overheard Darcy saying about her to his friend in the beginning at the town dance, therefore forming a quick opinion about him. Her pride was hurt and therefore thought immediately that Darcy was a total rich snob, even though he really wasn't that bad back in the day.
Darcy: He was actually somewhat shy and prejudice towards lower class folks and therefore afraid to ask a pretty girl from the country to dance. He was 'guy' talking to his best friend about Lizzy and her sister and she overheard him and didn't like how it sounded. Bec. Lizzy was 'put off' by him, she did not chase him around like the other girls and that most likely intrigued him more about Lizzy, even if he was not too crazy about her parents and her little sisters. He was not sure if he should date and marry underneath his class. He ended up wanting to marry Lizzy bec. he fell in love with her, but at first she said NO...due to her self respect and character and her love for her family despite not being rich. That made him realize that there are people who are smart and worthy in the lower classes. Bec. Lizzy was smart as well as pretty, he had to prove himself worthy of her, a lower class citizen. I guess he also liked the chase...it's a guy thing.
Bingly: no comment
Bingly's sister: Thought lowly of country folks. Her snobbiness towards others & not caring of brother's happiness eventually put off Darcy in the end and she did not win the affections of his heart, even if she may have been more 'accomplished' than Lizzy.
As for the rest of the sisters...too young still to form good opinions.
Elizabeth showed pride when she heard Mr. Darcy's comment about her being tolerable. She almost retaliated with her pride in showing that his comment did not affect her. She also showed prejudice toward Mr. Darcy multiple times- one example being after hearing Mr. Wickham's story about Mr. Darcy cheating him out of his inheritance. Elizabeth, already having her own negative feelings toward Darcy, immediately assumed that everything Wickham said was true.
ReplyDeleteRobin, as you stated above, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have a relationship filled with pride and permeated with the vanity of its prejudices. Adding insult to injury, Mr.Darcy refers to the young Elizabeth Bennet as "tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me." In a similar instance, Elizabeth's strong prejudice against any explanation of Darcy's blinds her from the truth of Mr. Darcy's proposal. Elizabeth Bennet in retaliation of Mr. Darcy's honest opinion allows her pride to overshadow all inclination and liking of Darcy. She instead only admits her disdain and dislike of the man that her heart truly fancied. In fact she states, "And those are the words of a gentleman. From the first moment I met you, your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry."
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