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Pride and Prejudice. Volume II (end) – Volume III (chaps 1-9) Marriage, Money and Class. Marriage Plot (1) Elizabeth’s Education thru’ Self-Reflections Causes of her change Elizabeth in Nature Pemberley : A Harmonious Marriage of Human Cultivation and Nature
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Pride and Prejudice Volume II (end) – Volume III (chaps 1-9) Marriage, Money and Class
Marriage Plot (1) Elizabeth’s Education thru’ Self-Reflections Causes of her change Elizabeth in Nature Pemberley: A Harmonious Marriage of Human Cultivation and Nature E’s self-reflections & changes of feelings Help & Obstacles: Class and Respectability Marriage Plot (2) Lydia’s Elopement and Marriage Elopement: Causes & the others’ responses Its Consequences & Solution Outline Starting Questions; Plot Summary
Plot Summary • Three Marriage plots: • II: 19. Lydia’s departure for Brighton and Eliza’s trip to Derbyshire, • III Chap 1-4: Pemberley visit (2: Bingley—Jane) • III. Chap 4– letters from Jane (E’s realization of love p. 210-11); Chap 7 marriage, Chap 9 homecoming. • III. Chap 5-9 – solution of Lydia’s elopement scandal. • III. Chapters 10-19 preparation for the last two proposals, the proposals and the happy ending. • III. Chap 13 – Bingley’s proposal • (Lady Catherine’s intervention) • III. Chap 16 – Darcy’s
Starting Questions • What do you think about Elizabeth’s responses • at Pemberley? Is she too quiet and awed? • to Lydia’s elopement? Is she too weak in crying in front of Darcy? • Her changes cannot be expressed through dialogue. • Crying – a sign of openness (vs. self-protection) and genuine concern for her family • Are “gratitude and esteem […] good foundations of affection” as Elizabeth feels when seeing Darcy leave after the revelation of Lydia’s elopement (211)? • What do you think about the Bennet family’s responses to Lydia’s homecoming? e.g. 240 “She[E] blushed, and Jane blushed; but the cheeks of the two who caused their confusion suffered no variation of colour. ” 242 E: “I think there cannot be too little said on the subject.''
Elizabeth’s Changes at Pemberley Causes: • Admiring Pemberley -- Humans and Nature in harmony • “Encounter with Darcy” to find Darcy modest and warm to her and her relatives –the group • E’s self-reflections & changes of feelings
Elizabeth and Nature • Elizabeth likes solitary walk in nature, but she is not as ‘solitary’ or ‘self-centered’ a male Romantic poet. While walking, she thinks of her relations with others, read letters and meet and talk to the others by chance. • Pemberley shows a fine combination of nature and taste, but not wild nature.
Elizabeth’s Walking at Rosings: • II. Chap 6: Every park has its beauty and its prospects; and Elizabeth saw much to be pleased with, though she could not be in such raptures as Mr. Collins expected the scene to inspire. • II. Chap 7: Her favourite walk, and where she frequently went while the others were calling on Lady Catherine, was along the open grove which edged that side of the park, where there was a nice sheltered path, which no one seemed to value but herself, and where she felt beyond the reach of Lady Catherine's curiosity. • II. Chap 10: MORE than once did Elizabeth in her ramble within the Park, unexpectedly meet Mr. Darcy. Meeting Colonel Fitzwilliam once. • II. Chap 12: meets Darcy • II. Chap 13: walks and read the letter.
Elizabeth at Rosings: • End of chap 13: solitary walk vs. socialization (conversation) • “After wandering along the lane for two hours, giving way to every variety of thought; re-considering events, determining probabilities, and reconciling herself, as well as she could, to a change so sudden and so important, fatigue, and a recollection of her long absence made her at length return home; and she entered the house with the wish of appearing cheerful as usual, and the resolution of repressing such reflections as must make her unfit for conversation.” Here she is fully aware of her need to go back in time.
Pemberley –the human + the natural • Chap 1: • entered it in one of its lowest points • Woods and an ascending path leading to the grand building • “Pemberley House, situated on the opposite side of a valley, into which the road, with some abruptness, wound. It was a large, handsome, stone building, standing well on rising ground, and backed by a ridge of high woody hills; -- and in front, a stream of some natural importance was swelled into greater, but without any artificial appearance. Its banks were neither formal, nor falsely adorned. Elizabeth was delighted. She had never seen a place for which nature had done more, or where natural beauty had been so little counteracted by an awkward taste.” 184 • Housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds’ compliment of Darcy -- p. 188 a good master, landlord and brother. • The picture gallery 189 • A walk in the park – 191 -`192
Elizabeth’s Self-Reflections • Pemberley’s mistress: • p. 185 Elizabeth's mind was too full for conversation" "at that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!" p. 186 –thinks of her uncle and aunt • meeting Darcy the first time • Astonished, some greetings she is too "wholly engrossed by her own feelings" to converse p. 190 • Hardly noticed the natural beauty p. 191 • The 2nd time: • Only a few words 192 • “disgraceful companions” 193 • Questions uncomfortable, flattered and pleased 194
Changes of Elizabeth’s Feelings • Volume II • P. 159 – [Darcy’s letter] “Till this moment, I never knew myself.” • P. 163 -- To Darcy – could not approve him • Volume III • Chap 1 – (the portraits) Form “a more gentle sensation” towards Darcy “than she had ever felt in the height of their acquaintance” • To Darcy’s change she knew not what to think, nor how to account for it p. 191 • Chap 2: (after Darcy’s visit at Lambton)–respect, gratitude, hopeful 201 • Chap 4: to realization of love when she thinks it impossible. 210; regret to see him leave; • Chap 8: p. 236 a gulf between them; 237 –Darcy as a perfect match for her. • Chap 10: after MRs. G’s letter: regretful, humbled, proud of him (248)
Help Chap 2: Corrections of Elizabeth’s views: Ms. Darcy’s shyness, Bingley’s memories of Jane; The Gardiners: Mrs. Gardiner’s comments 195; observation (D’s partiality) 197; Chap 3: Not talking to Mrs. Gardiner about Darcy 206 Chap 4 212 “upon such terms as for her to disclose the real truth.” Chap 10: Mr. Gardiner’s letter -- about Darcy’s help “another interest in the affair”247) “Apparent” Obstacles Chap 3: Ms. Bingley’s rude comments On her family and Wickham On Elizabeth’s appearance Darcy 204; Chap 4: news about Lydia’s elopement --> Darcy’s help Help and Obstacles (1): Darcy and Elizabeth in Society –Chap 3
Lydia and Wickham’s Elopement: Causes • Elizabeth’s observation: • Chap 4: 211--she has sufficient charms, and falls prey to W’s. • chap 5: 214 – interested in amusement and vanity, but not serious matters; • chap 5: 216 -- no apparent sign of affection on either side at Meryton; Lydia interested in the others in the regiment • Chap 9: 241 – Lydia “love”; Wickham –flight by ”distress of circumstances.” • Lydia’s Letter Chap 5: 221 –merry-seeking and irresponsible • – repetition of the words “laugh,” “happy.” • -- breaks a promise to Pratt, sees it a good joke to surprise her parents with the name “Lydia Wickham.”
Lydia and Wickham’s Elopement: Causes (2) • As revealed in Mrs. G’s letter: • Wickham still wants to get married later. • Note: double-standard in sexual matters • In Jane Austen's day there was a sexual double standard: except in certain London high-society circles, a woman who was known to have had sex outside of marriage could be socially "ruined" or "excluded from polite society", while the same was not the case for men. Thus Wickham still hopes to be able to marry a "well-portioned" woman in a "fortune-hunting" marriage even after his misadventure with Lydia. (source)
Darcy’s and Elizabeth’s Pp. 209 – 10 Elizabeth – acknowledges her own error; Darcy – genuine concern; acknowledges his error p. 246 Parallel situation: their sisters’ being seduced by Wickham. The Others The Gardiners & Jane: unbelievable p. 213, 217 Mrs. Bennet: secludes herself, blaming everybody else but herself 217 (before-- ) Mr. Bennet: shocked 221, active in searching 224, changed 227-28, 234-35 Lydia’s Elopement: The Others’ Responses E: "a flirt in the worst and meanest degree of flirtation… absolutely uncontrolled!". Mr. Bennet: Lydia will be humbled by being a small fish in a big pond at Brighton. (II: chap 18)
Mary’s and Kitty’s 219 Kitty – careless; angry that she gets stopped from seeing officers 228 Mary -- "Unhappy as the event must be for Lydia, we may draw from it this useful lesson: that loss of virtue in a female is irretrievable -- that one false step involves her in endless ruin -- that her reputation is no less brittle than it is beautiful, -- and that she cannot be too much guarded in her behaviour towards the undeserving of the other sex." 219 Collins: 225 –apparent sympathy, actual condemnation ( chap 15 his letter on “Christian forgiveness) her death would have been better Feels himself lucky Disown her. (”throw off your unworthy child.”) Meryton 223 gossipy Lydia’s Elopement: The Others’ Responses
Lydia and Wickham’s Elopement: Consequences & Solution • Without marriage: • Lydia’s reputation ruined, and it is a social disgrace to all of her family members. • Mrs. Gardiner-- Lydia “lost to everything but love of him.” (214) • Lydia – happy • With marriage: • Mrs. Bennet overjoyed 235-36 • Meryton: Borned with “decent philosophy” 235 • Elizabeth thinks it impossible for her to be with Darcy. (discussed– chap 8: 236) • The Wickham couple: “easy assurance”; happy not worried about the past 240; • Lydia: “still still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy, and fearless”(239); proud of being married. 240, 241
Lydia and Wickham’s Elopement: Solution • 1. Money: "by settlement, her equal share of the five thousand pounds secured among his children after the decease of" Mr. Bennet and his wife, "and, moreover, to enter into an engagement of allowing her, during his life, one hundred pounds per" year. • Note: • 1. p. 234 the issue of not having a son. • "Settlements" In the context of marriage, a "settlement" is a legal document that usually ensures that some or all of the property that the wife brings to the marriage ultimately belongs to her, and will revert to her or her children (though she does not necessarily have personal control over it during her marriage); otherwise it would basically belong entirely to her husband. And a settlement can also specify a guaranteed minimum that the children of the marriage are to inherit (source)
Lydia and Wickham’s Elopement: Solution 2. Sent to another regiment in the North p.237 3. Mrs. Gardiner’s letter What Darcy does • Finds the couple; • Asks Lydia to leave without success; • discusses with Wickham several times; • Debts cleared, money paid, job secured: “His debts are to be paid, amounting, I believe, to considerably more than a thousand pounds, another thousand in addition to her own settled upon her, and his commission [as an ensign or sub-lieutenant in the regular army] purchased ” (236)