I Can Hear the Bells

After the resolution of the terrible situation the Bennet´s went through, things could only get better. It is rumored around Meyton that Mr. Bingley would be returning to Netherfield for a short time. This of course sends Mrs. Bennet in a scheming rampage that would put most underground conspiracies in shock. After all the number one goal is to marry each and every daughter to the man with the most pounds, so why not apply some very "subtle" tactics?

A few days after arriving in Netherfiel, Bingley and Darcy go to the Bennet house. Mrs. Bennet is observing the firsts behavior towards Jane, and is pleased to conclude that he still has feelings for her. Their visit not only has Mrs. Bennet at the edge of her chair, Jane is also observant of Bingley and Elizabeth cannot stop herself from stealing glances at Darcy. It is after they are gone that the two sisters speak about the matter and Jane, shares how she is over Bingley. Elizabeth knowing better does not shy away when telling her sister that she thinks she is in "great danger of making him as much in love with you as ever." (pg 253)

In the dinner which both men attended in Longbourn, Bingley and Jane continue showing interest in each other and by the end of the evening, both Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth are in high hopes of the engagement happening soon. A moment is shared among the two after the dinner in which Elizabeth knows what her mother is up to and smiles. Mrs. Bennet tries to assure her that there is nothing under her sleeve but what Elizabeth says at the end is a perfect reply:

"But why should you wish to persuade me that I feel more than I acknowledge?"

"That is a question which I hardly know how to answer. We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing. Forgive me; and if you persist in indifference, do not make me your confidante."(pg 256)

From the passage above one could infer that though Elizabeth wants to tell her mother what to do, but she herself feels unsure of what is "worth knowing". In the end both Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet want Jane to fulfill her plans with Bingley but they have different ways to go about it. Elizabeth's is calmer and more behind the scenes while her mother's is full frontal attack.

To fully understand how Mrs. Bennet is obvious about her schemes, there is a very funny part when she is trying to let Bingley and Jane be by themselves. They are surrounded by Elizabeth and Kitty and Mrs. Bennet is trying to leave the two love birds to their thing so she does the following:

"Mrs. Bennet sat looking and winking at Elizabeth and Catherine for a considerable time, without making any impression on them. Elizabeth would not observe her; and when at last Kitty did, she very innocently said, "What is the matter mamma? What do you keep winking at me for? What am I to do?"

"Nothing child, nothing. I did not wink at you." She then sat still five minutes longer; but unable to waste such a precious occasion, she suddenly got up, and saying to Kitty, "Come here, my love, I want to speak to you," took her out of the room. Jane instantly gave a look at Elizabeth which spoke her distress at such premeditation, and her entreaty that SHE would not give in to it. In a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet half-opened the door and called out:

"Lizzy, my dear, I want to speak with you."

Elizabeth was forced to go.(pg 256-257)

This part made me laugh. Then again I might be one of those people who laughs with books and gets looked at, but bear with me. Imagine Mrs. Bennet winking and winking like she is having some sort of seizure but it is just her eye and then Kitty just blurts it out, classic. This somehow worked because, by being alone this time and some others in the following days, it did not take long for Bingley to propose to Jane. Bingley was described as being "alacrity" (eager) at all times whenever at the Bennet house. How this all worked out is not by doing of Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth suspects highly that Mr. Darcy's Concurrence (agreement) had to have some sort of play in this happy ending.

Now the only concerns Jane should have are to not spend all her money and to not become duped (person tricked into believing or doing something) again by Caroline Bingley, who was behind the couple never seeing each other in London. For now, we got one happy ending but as a reader, we are awaiting to hear the bells for the second eldest Bennet.

Vex=displease

The Situation

Thanks to modern day T.V every time we think of The Situation we think about the guy in the show "Jersey Shore". Unless you live in a cave or are an old person, I think everyone knows to which cast member of Jersey Shore I am referring to. You might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with Jane Austen's novel. Well it just so happens that there is a Situation in Pride and Prejudice and being a 21^st century girl, I heard Mike saying in my head "We got a Situation yo!" So brace yourselves for something epic and unexpected. If you haven't read the book or are reading it and haven't reached this part, this is when I politely ask you to leave and comeback after reading the novel.

It was the day before the dinner in Pemberley and just when feelings were beginning to show themselves from Elizabeth towards Darcy, Austen had to separate them. And what better way to annoy the crap of the reader than by separating them because of Lydia and Wickham. The last thing we knew about Lydia was that she was going to Brighton so she could follow the militia and as her father said: "that her being there may teach her her own significance" (pg 173). Lydia is as loud and as obnoxious as Mrs. Bennet and wanting some peace in Longbourn they sent her away. From the what Mr. Bennet said to Elizabeth, it's pretty harsh to expose a child this way but in Lydia's case, it would have been safer to throw her in a tank full of sharks.

Somehow Lydia and Wickham fell into desire and well, did the deed before they were married and decided to elope. Elizabeth got word of this and left for home immediately since no one knew where the "happy couple" was and what they could be capable of. Everyone was out searching for Wickham and Lydia while the rest were in hysterics. This is practically the deadliest action one could have done in 1813 and that is why everyone was so dramatic about it. With an action like Lydia's, the family wasn't that worried about her well being over the fact that the family reputation was being scarred. How were her sisters supposed to get husbands after being known as "the sisters of the girl that left with Wickham". The sister that most surprised me by giving her opinion on the matter was Mary. She spoke the following passage to Elizabeth and left her as astonished as me:

"This is a most unfortunate affair, and will probably be much talked of. But we must stem the tide of malice, and pour into the wounded bosoms of each other the balm of sisterly consolation."

Then, perceiving in Elizabeth no inclination of replying, she added, "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." (pg 214)

Based on what Marry said the reader can infer that women had to have a proper place in society and not lose sight of it. When she mentions the "balm of sisterly consolation", she means the soothing and unity of being sisters. By standing together the blow of what has happened won't hit them that hard. In the part about reputation being "brittle" Austen implies that while you might have a beautiful reputation and built it up from the ground, it only takes but one action to send it crumpling down. What is Mary's (Austen's) advice? Unless you are sure that the person from the other sex is deserving, guard who you are in front of them as to not be seen as promiscuous or you might be taken advantage of.

The Situation keeps getting more and more complicated. Lydia and Wickham are found in London, still not married, by supposedly by Mr. Gardiner who gives them money and prepares a hasty wedding so that the Bennet reputation won't be that scarred. The Bennet's of course feel completely in debt to Mr. Gardiner who is not asking for anything. Immediately after the marriage the couple went to the Bennet house to celebrate with the bride's family and during the dinner Lydia mentioned that Darcy had been at her wedding which shocked Elizabeth and with her curiosity getting the best of her, sent a letter to her aunt to explain this unlikely event to her.

This is the part when the behind the scenes story of this Situation is revealed. The response to Elizabeth's letter reveals a great lot about how the issue was resolved so quickly. There is only one person who can take full credit for the resolution of such an immense conflict and his name rhymes with Marcy. Ding Ding! Mr. Darcy once again proves to be the knight in shining armor. It was Darcy who paid for the wedding, paid for Wickham to get a commission, and most importantly in a sense bought Wickham to marry Lydia. Elizabeth's thoughts on the matter show her true appreciation for Darcy and maybe a tingle within her to love him:

"He had followed them purposely to town, he had taken on himself all the trouble and mortification attendant on such a research; in which supplication had been necessary to a woman whom he must abominate and despise, and where he was reduced to meet, frequently meet, reason with, persuade, and finally bribe, the man whom he always most wished to avoid, and whose very name it was punishment to him to pronounce. He had done all this for a girl whom he could neither regard nor esteem. Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her. But it was a hope shortly checked by other considerations, and she soon felt that even her vanity was insufficient, when required to depend on his affection for her --for a woman who had already refused him--as able to overcome a sentiment so natural as abhorrence against relationship with Wickham. Brother-in-law of Wickham! Every kind of pride must revolt from the connection. He had, to be sure, done much. She was ashamed to think how much." (pg 243)

If this is not an act of love, I don't know what is. When Elizabeth realizes all that Darcy has done for her family, she sees the kindness behind him. As a reader, you see how Darcys guilt of having the power of preventing this pushed him to set things right. Wickham had done the same thing with his sister but this time instead of separating Wickham from his prey, he accomplished in a sense, torturing Wickham by making him marry a simple silly girl. This is all also another show of affection from his part to Elizabeth and if Elizabeth does not start falling for Darcy, well that's a whole other Situation.

In Yo Face Sistah!

Would you ever allow a stranger to tour your mansion when you are not home? Apparently the Pemberley estate, which is Darcy's house, is open to anyone who wants to come in and check it out. This must be another of those crazy English ways to show how much better you are than the rest but in a subtle way like Darcy himself. It is thanks to the literal open doors of his house that Elizabeth goes here with her uncles to tour the estate and is face to face with the unexpected.

The person that gave the tour to Elizabeth and her uncles was the house keeper of Darcy himself. If anyone has seen or read about The Help, you know how much a house keeper can come to hate their bosses. I expected this lady to completely bash on Darcy being a quiet man that keeps to himself and is not very known to his workers, you know very Beauty and The Beast, but all this lady said were praises about Darcy. This is the moment when someone jumps in and puts a hand in Elizabeth's face and says "In yo face sistah!" because the true meaning of prejudice is the ignorance towards other peoples realities.

Elizabeth is now practicing one of the greatest hobbies a person can have: daydreaming. After learning all these new sides about Darcy she is now staying awake at night trying to figure out what she thinks (feels) for him. Her thoughts are completely different from say, the thoughts she would have had 20 chapters ago:

"She certainly did not hate him. No; hatred had vanished long ago, and she had almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against him, that could be so called. The respect created by the conviction of his valuable qualities, though at first unwillingly admitted, had for some time ceased to be repugnant to her feeling; and it was now heightened into somewhat of a friendlier nature, by the testimony so highly in his favour, and bringing forward his disposition in so amiable a light, which yesterday had produced. But above all, above respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of goodwill which could not be overlooked. It was gratitude; gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection." (pg 196)

See? This is what we all need, a good change in heart. With the change we begin not to judge a person for how they behave at balls, no. To truly understand who a person is you must get your own conlcusions based, according to this book, from the people that work for the person. I believe that when a person respects and esteems another as Elizabeth is saying here it is a way of admitting to yourself that you found someone who is an equal to you. Elizabeth is now only seeing the good things about Darcy and not the bad ones which could foreshadow the romance blossoming from her towards him.

Ready for another hand in the face, "In yo face sistah", moment? I don't know about the rest of the people who have read or are reading this book, but I hate Mr. Bingley's sisters. Those women have nothing better to do than comment on every little thing that is not to their satisfaction. So that is what was occurring when Caroline was, excuse my French, bitching about Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy. But then the In yo face sistah moment happened and it was as follows:

"Persuaded as Miss Bingley was that Darcy admired Elizabeth, this was not the best method of recommending herself; but angry people are not always wise; and in seeing him at last look somewhat nettled, she had all the success she expected. He was resolutely silent, however, and, from a determination of making him speak, she continued:

"I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect your saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, 'SHE a beauty!--I should as soon call her mother a wit.' But afterwards she seemed to improve on you, and I believe you thought her rather pretty at one time."

"Yes," replied Darcy, who could contain himself no longer, "but THAT was only when I first saw her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance."(pg 201)

This is not the way to get a guy to like you. From the passage one can infer that Caroline thinks that by looking down on others and exposing their flaws, she will look more suitable than them. She doesn't know about the marriage proposal Darcy gave Elizabeth and this all just makes her seem airheaded. From what has been read recently one knows that Darcy is very opposite to Caroline and his personality truly complements itself with Elizabeth's. I felt some inner satisfaction when she was told of by Darcy and with this I hope that finally she will let him go and move on. How is that for a "In yo face" moment?

Mr. Darcy's and Mr Collin's Proposals

By: Nicole. A. Kleppe

http://readbetweenap.blogspot.com/2011/09/mr-darcys-and-mr-collins-proposals.html

Reading Nicole’s blog post, I realized I hadn’t thought how much in common both proposals had had. I completely agree that Elizabeth is unlucky to have had her first and second proposals be so dry. One of the deepest moments in a woman’s life were completely disgraced by these two gentlemen.

I think Mr. Collins’s was the worst according to what Nicole described. He shows no affection for her and rather than recite a sonnet or at least praise her hair, he begins to talk about himself of course. Mr. Darcy on the other hand actually said that he loved her and sure, he mentioned how he had fought it, he was still kinder than Collins.

In Elizabeth’s case she got proposed to by the two men she hates the most. To put it in a modern context it’s as if Taylor Swift was proposed to by Joe Jonas and Kanye. You can’t really decide which one is worse; all you know is that denial is the best policy.

Nicole wrote about this in a fun tone that I enjoyed reading. She made me think and I like it when someone shows me something I hadn’t noticed. It is eye opening.

Elizabeth, The Rockstar

More Elizabeth. Less Drama.

by: Gabriela Sandino

http://gsandino.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-elizabeth-less-drama.html

I agree with what Gabriela wrote. Elizabeth in my head is also a rockstar. Here she is standing up to all of these people who look down on her whether it is because of her family or because she is not rich, she can still hold her head proud.

Gabriela mentioned how Elizabeth is such an important person in the novel because she is diffrent from the rest. If Elizabeth wasnt in the novel we would be stuck with a bunch of high society dum dums and would only learn to be superficial. Elizabeth gives the reader something to think about and highlight the flaws of the society she lives in.

Godd

Reading Gabrielas post was interesting to me because she talked about the novel we are both reading in a diffrent point of view. I like how she wrote about Elizabeth and related the character to real life by mentioning how life would be if we all reacted like Elizabeth.

You Go Girl

Elizabeth has been through turmoil of emotions while she stayed with the Collins's but now it is time for her to leave. So Elizabeth returns home knowing reality a little better. This is all unknown to Mr. Collins whose parting words to Elizabeth are funny. He married Charlotte thinking she loved him but when he is sending Elizabeth off, you can see how little he knows about his wife's unaffectionate love towards him by saying "My dear Charlotte and I have but one mind and one way of thinking. There is in everything a most remarkable resemblance of character and ideas between us. We seem to have been designed for each other.'' (pg 161). I really am not a person that laughs at these things but it is just humorous how blind Mr. Collins is. Here he is thinking he is in the marriage of his dreams when really he is but a pawn being used by those around him. Even Charlotte is using him to get the life she wants and I am pretty sure Lady De Bough only wants him around for the flattery he gives to her.

To truly see what is before you is when a person begins to fall in love. Elizabeth practically massacred the letter Darcy gave her by reading it so much and in those moments when we got to read what she was thinking. It became obvious that she is beginning to fall for Mr. Darcy. When Wickham was revealed to her for what he truly is, Elizabeth began to see Mr. Darcy for who he is himself. Along with feeling stupid and blind she also begins to show how her trust in Darcy is unconditional when conferring with Jane: "This will not do,'' said Elizabeth. ``You never will be able to make both of them good for any thing. Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man; and of late it has been shifting about pretty much. For my part, I am inclined to believe it all Mr. Darcy's, but you shall do as you choose.'' (pg 168).

As a reader I must say that Mr. Darcy's reasons for not liking the Bennet family are not so farfetched. Kitty and Lydia annoy me a lot. Their complete oblivion to what life is really like is much like their mothers but their mothers only care is to get them all married. Lydia is by far the most oblivious. In chapter 41 it is decided she will go to Brighton to follow the militia so that somehow she will grow tiered of them. The only good thing to come of this was a small moment of satisfaction in which Elizabeth got to confront Wickham about what was said to her by Darcy:

"she mentioned Colonel Fitzwilliam's and Mr. Darcy's having both spent three weeks at Rosings, and asked him if he were acquainted with the former.

He looked surprised, displeased, alarmed; but with a moment's recollection and a returning smile, replied that he had formerly seen him often; and after observing that he was a very gentlemanlike man, asked her how she had liked him. Her answer was warmly in his favour. With an air of indifference he soon afterwards added, ``How long did you say that he was at Rosings?''

``Nearly three weeks.''

``And you saw him frequently?''

``Yes, almost every day.''

``His manners are very different from his cousin's.''

``Yes, very different. But I think Mr. Darcy improves on acquaintance.''

``Indeed!'' cried Wickham with a look which did not escape her. ``And pray may I ask -- ?'' but checking himself, he added in a gayer tone, ``Is it in address that he improves? Has he deigned to add ought of civility to his ordinary style? for I dare not hope,'' he continued in a lower and more serious tone, ``that he is improved in essentials.''

``Oh, no!'' said Elizabeth. ``In essentials, I believe, he is very much what he ever was.''(pg 175)

From this passage one could say Elizabeth's mind has completely switched gears. This is also one of those moments where, in the movies, you pumped your fist in the air because you achieved what you wanted and in this case I wanted Elizabeth to figuratively slap the beegesus out of Wickham.

OMG

It is amazing how much a story can change in only 5 chapters. Since my last blog post so many details have been revealed that the only way to describe it is with the letters OMG. I am sure this will cause some sort of debacle for my English teacher who is trying to make us write knowing who the register is but people, what has occurred is astounding. Mr. Darcy showed up at the Collins's house and talked with Elizabeth before he left very quickly. Just as Elizabeth is starting to understand Darcy better, Colonel Fitzwilliam informs her how it was Darcy who convinced Bingley of leaving Netherfield and therefore give up his affections toward Jane. The next time Darcy and Elizabeth met has to be the most awkward/informative/unexpected moment I have ever read, since Darcy proposed to Elizabeth and told her of his love towards her. Thinking back, maybe OMG aren't enough letters to grasp the shock of everything that has happened.

In chapter 34, after Darcy has proposed, the reaction of Elizabeth is shocking. They have a whole talk about how she hates who he is and his reactions toward that. This is the first time as a reader you notice that Elizabeth's opinion on Darcy has been formed by what she has seen (his uncomfortable moments) and what others have told her. She never suspected anything of Darcy's affections toward her and was quick in her opinions toward him. Still, putting yourself in her shoes she has all the write in the world to be pissed at him at this moment. Her surprise and judgment can be seen in the following passage:

"Her astonishment, as she reflected on what has passed, was increased by every review of it. That she should receive an offer of marriage from Mr. Darcy! That he should have been in love with her for so many months! So much in love as to wish to marry her in spite of all the objections which had made him prevent his friend's marrying her sister, and which must appear at least with equal force in his own case, was almost incredible!"(pg 145)

If you think about it as a reader we knew Darcy had some interest in Elizabeth when he mentioned her eyes many chapters back. Yet Elizabeth wasn't aware of this which added to the shock of it all. It is ironic that Darcy fell in love with Elizabeth for the reasons he pushed away Bingley from Jane. From this you can guess that because Darcy has seen what it is like to fall for someone "below your rank", he will in the end assist Bingley in helping get Jane back. This all goes back to the idea that no character in this book seems to understand and that Jane Austen is trying to imply, that love has no barriers.

Besides all of this engagement business, there is still another OMG piece of information. After being turned down by Elizabeth, Darcy believes he should explain why Wickham and he don't get along. He does this by means of a letter that Elizabeth reads way too many times. In the letter he explains how Wickham tricked his sister into eloping but he got there just in time to stop them. As a reader the last thing we knew about Wickham was that he was about to marry a woman with money and this all made it clear to Elizabeth that Wickham is truly a fortune seeker. This point is pivotal in the novel because it changes the perspective of everything. It is here that you realize how prejudice is an enormous part of the book and how even Elizabeth is affected by it. She even sees how mistaken she is shown in the following passage:

``How despicably have I acted!'' she cried. -- ``I, who have prided myself on my discernment! -- I, who have valued myself on my abilities! who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust. -- How humiliating is this discovery! -- Yet, how just a humiliation! -- Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. -- Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.'' (pg 156)

Elizabeth got hit with reality fast. From the passage you can infer that even if you believe yourself strong to those around you, this strength can also make you blind. Elizabeth was quick to judge Darcy rather than give him a chance and make her own conclusions. Darcy didn't make it easy since he is a very closed off person but he has explained he is uncomfortable with strangers. It is crazy how the opinion of one single person can manipulate the ones of the people that surround them. Jane Austen was probably trying to imply with this entire climax in her novel, that appearances deceive the true nature of reality. Elizabeth thought she had reality under her belt, but in all honesty, who really knows what is real?

1813´s Lady Gaga and Smiling

The moment has arrived. The most talked about Lady has been introduced in chapter 29. Lady Catherine De Bough has made her debut to the reader. My personal view of such said lady is as expected. She reminds me of Mr. Collins but with more class and way more critical. Oh high society how you make me sigh with your celebrities. Because that is what Lady De Bough is to the characters in Pride and Prejudice, their Lady GaGa. She represents the ultimate lifestyle and what most of the characters want.

Elizabeth decided to go and see Charlotte in her new house in Hunsford. Lady Catherine knowing her servant Mr. Collins had guests invited them to her humble abode. This basically was a dinner in which Lady Catherine showed how much better she is than everyone. For example in page 23 we find her criticizing the Bennet girl's upbringing. Elizabeth shares that her and her sisters don't draw, only one plays and sings, and they never had a governess. This is all blasphemous to Lady Catherine who doesn't hold back when seeming shocked by their upbringing. From all this we can infer that Lady Catherine is very high in her ranks compared to the Bennet´s and that she is old school about how people are brought up. She seems like a traditional woman who likes to get into peoples business.

Lady Catherine is a relative of Mr. Darcy and he appeared when Elizabeth was in town, along with his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. Elizabeth mingled with Fitzwilliam and they got along perfectly. It starts to get interesting when Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, and Fitzwilliam are gathered around the pianoforte. This is what occurred:

"I am not afraid of you," said he, smilingly.

"Pray let me hear what you have to accuse him of," cried Colonel Fitzwilliam. "I should like to know how he behaves among strangers."

"You shall hear then--but prepare yourself for something very dreadful. The first time of my ever seeing him in Hertfordshire, you must know, was at a ball--and at this ball, what do you think he did? He danced only four dances, though gentlemen were scarce; and, to my certain knowledge, more than one young lady was sitting down in want of a partner. Mr. Darcy, you cannot deny the fact."

"I had not at that time the honour of knowing any lady in the assembly beyond my own party."

"True; and nobody can ever be introduced in a ball-room. Well, Colonel Fitzwilliam, what do I play next? My fingers wait your orders."

"Perhaps," said Darcy, "I should have judged better, had I sought an introduction; but I am ill-qualified to recommend myself to strangers."

"Shall we ask your cousin the reason of this?" said Elizabeth, still addressing Colonel Fitzwilliam. "Shall we ask him why a man of sense and education, and who has lived in the world, is ill qualified to recommend himself to strangers?"

"I can answer your question," said Fitzwilliam, "without applying to him. It is because he will not give himself the trouble."

"I certainly have not the talent which some people possess," said Darcy, "of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done."

"My fingers," said Elizabeth, "do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault--because I will not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe MY fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution."

Darcy smiled and said, "You are perfectly right. You have employed your time much better. No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you can think anything wanting. We neither of us perform to strangers." (page 132, Pride and Prejudice)}

This passage caught my attention because it is the first time Darcy is described as smiling, as well as sharing personal thoughts to the people with him and revealing a little more about him to the reader. From the passage we can imply that Darcy somehow respects Elizabeth and she is not as tormented by him as she pretends to be. I believe it is very interesting how Elizabeth her skills on the pianoforte with Darcy's social skills. She makes it seem as if they are connected by their lack of practice in the fields they are talking about but does it in a way that strikes Darcy and makes him smile once again. I think that Darcy is just painfully shy and is lacking some social skills, not only that but he is very demanding of the world around him. And Elizabeth who knows her world all too well can joke about him being shy and describing it as "something dreadful" in a teasing way. Even if they don't admit it to themselves the reader can certainly imply that Darcy and Elizabeth share more in common than what they think.

Will You Marry Me? I Have Lots of Money

The plot is thickening in Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth was proposed to by Mr. Collins but she kindly refused him. Mr. Bingley has vanished into thin air and Jane has been left with only her feelings, boiling inside her. The departure of the Bingley party left those they met with aspirations for a better life that, up to now, will fade away into oblivion.

Humans have qualities we hide. We have a little bit of darkness within ourselves. It must be left over from Adam and Eve, that tingle within that pushes is us to want more than what we have Charlotte Lucas is Elizabeth Bennet's dear friend. It must have been popular in 1813 to be someone's dear friend and get engaged to their rich cousin who proposed to them shortly before considering you. That's right. Mr. Collins after being scared by Elizabeth´s rejection poured his heart out to Charlotte and became attracted to her. What Charlotte did " was very amiable , but Charlottes kindness extended farther than Elizabeth had any conception of; its object was nothing less than to secure her from any return of Mr. Collins´s addresses by engaging them towards herself." (pg 92). From this quote we can imply that Charlotte knew what she wanted as soon as she found out that Elizabeth had no desire to marry Collins. All along she wanted something for herself.

Charlotte´s reasons for wanting the marriage weren't as cruel as they sound. She was 27 years old and back in 1813 that is the equivalent of 45. What man wants to marry a 45 year old woman today? She understood that her time was almost over and since Elizabeth had made it clear she was not attracted to him, she actually got the scraps of what Elizabeth didn't want. Charlotte herself describes Mr. Collins as "neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary." (pg 93). Conformism is not a trait to admire but in Charlotte's case, it is nothing but a reality. Along with this Austen expresses in the book that Charlotte didn't desire love or romance, she just wanted a comfortable home and a good life.

The material rules over anything apparently. Elizabeth decided not to marry this man because he is just annoying to everybody around him yet Charlotte blocks him out and only wants what he possesses. Jane Austen shows a perfect picture of the material desires people have and how society pushed people to aspire for the material over anything else. It is because Adam and Eve bit the apple that humans were kicked out from paradise and it is because of our history that the material is put on a pedestal. The difference between today and those times is that instead of a carriage we want a Ferrari or a BMW. Instead of a new corset we want the best liposuction. Even to this day there are still Charlottes around the world that will do anything for money and like her, marry not because of what it represents but what it can give you.

Power and Decisions

In Pride and Prejudice, women all over are seeking husbands as well as their parents are trying to marry them off to the best payed. The novel is almost like reading the script of that really cheesy T.V show "The Bachelorette". There would also be a little mix of Gossip Girl in there as well, what with all the high society, rich, spoiled, and deceiving people. The women in this novel show strength toward making their decisions on marriage and other affairs, yet they act so dim in front of gentlemen. Take Miss. Bingley for example, when she is around Darcy tried to show a side of herself that does not exist. Or even Elizabeth who has developed some feelings for Mr. Wickham and loses herself a little in her fondness towards him.

Jane Bennet has everything set for her. As soon as Mr. Bingley showed up, he began paying lots of attention to her. In balls they danced gaily and enjoyed each other's company while being surrounded by swarms of people. Mr. Bingley is a really easy going man, he has the riches but is still very down to earth about his feelings. Jane as well is also more accepting and less judgmental than some of her other sisters. Instead of seeing one side of the story she tries to come up with more explanations than just conforming to one side of the story. This quote shows Jane's sensibility toward affairs that don't concern her: "They have both…been deceived, I dare say, in some way or other of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps misrepresented to the other. It is in short, impossible of us to conjecture the cause of circumstances which may have alienated them, without actual blame on either side." (pg 64) From this quote you could infer that Jane rather see the big picture than just simple snapshots that don't convey the full message. Jane though, still a woman of her time needs reassuring herself. In chapter 21 she receives a letter from Miss. Bingley and finds herself disconcerted with the information disclosed. She calls to Elizabeth to help her analyze and it is in this case, when matters affect her directly, does she have a small moment of judging.

What does one do when a gentleman requests you but you don't want him? This is all part of those decisions that women made in these times. Mr. Collins gets the spirit to propose to Elizabeth but she refuses him. This part was actually comical because no matter how many times Elizabeth insisted she wouldn't marry him he kept saying that he "must therefore conclude that you are not serious of your rejection of me. I shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females."(pg 83). As a reader, you know what a proud man Mr. Collins is. He does not want to face rejection because he is too proud but Elizabeth taking the decision under her power has a permanent refusal for him. Even after he mother menaces her with never speaking to her again she stands her ground and then gains the support of her father.

Women have always been somehow powerless under men's influence. Yet the Bennet girls and even Jane Austen herself began to raise the bar for how women should stand up and be more powerful.

See Through the Fakeness

In chapters 10 to 17 we learn more about the Bingley family and Mr. Darcy. The Bingley women are proud and esteem themselves above all others. Miss Bingley in particular finds herself fit to be with Mr. Darcy. In these chapters, she tries to get his attention by reading and criticizing the lower class of the Bennet family. The fakeness she has when she is around him could easily be connected with the rest of the family. The practice of"liking" the same things as the person who holds your interest is nothing odd to women. Miss Bingley thinks that by seeming equal to Mr. Darcy he will take a fancy on her but he is too busy admiring Elizabeth.

The setting in which the characters of Pride and Prejudice are, is of deceit and fakeness. Each character has something to gain from every conversation whether it is marriage or the latest gossip. A character who does not inspire much trust from me is Mr. Collins. He arrives with an idea of apology but it seems he has more under his sleeve. He is the heir to Mr. Bennets estate and has been unheard of for years. The description given by the book of this character is perfect to his manner: "mingling with a very good opinion of himself, of his authority as a clergyman, and his rights as a rector, made him altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self importance and humility" (pg 53). With this passage the reader can infer that Mr. Collins while having humility also seems to have an air of superiority to his cousins. The word "obsequiousness" adds to his persona because while he is esteemed of himself he also seems helpful and obedient. Evidence of this is in his manner of speaking of Lady Catherine, his patroness, shows a positive side to him.

The story of Darcy is also catapulted in these chapters. When the ladies run into Mr. Wickham in town, they invite his to dinner at their aunts. In this affair Elizabeth learns more about the awkward run-in the two gentlemen had the day before. It turns out that according to Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy´s father was going to leave him the fortune that is now Darcy's. Mr. Darcy being the son thought the money should be his and managed to find something in the will that made him the proprietor of the money. All that is discussed gives a little more depth into understanding who Darcy is. Maybe the reasons he mistrusts everyone is because his own father was willing to give his money to someone outside of the family and this scarred Darcy.

 

Vanity and Pride

In the first 30 pages of the novel by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, the reader finds themselves transported to a very different era. These were the times when mothers married their daughters to men that earned above average in the high society. The story begins by introducing the Bennet household and the coming of Mr. Bingley to Netherfield, as being an important affair. Mrs. Bennet is determined to marrying one of her daughters to Mr. Bingley so that they will all benefit from the money and her daughter will be set for life. This is the catalyst to the beginning of the novel because while Jane gets Mr. Bingley´s favor, her sisters are also having their own hearts set on other men.

Elizabeth Bennet, stands out from the rest of her sisters. She holds different opinions about marriage and women being the way they are at these times. She is particularly disturbed by Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley´s unfriendly companion, who criticizes and holds himself above all others. Yet he is bewitched by Elizabeths way of being and in these first thirty pages, the reader can see he is somewhat interested in her views and curious about her. Mr. Darcy himself has certain opinions on the society he lives in. For example this quote from when he discusses Elizabeth with Miss Bingley, "That is exactly the question which I expected you to ask. A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment."(pg 19). This makes the reader infer that Mr. Darcy has specific views on women and what they think about. There is also another example in page 28 when accomplished women are being discussed and Darcy demeans the accomplishments being discussed common and replies he only knows about a dozen women who can truly be considered accomplished. From Mr. Darcy's closed of attitude and his views, it can be inferred that he is looking for a woman who stands out form the status quo, like Elizabeth Bennet.

Another aspect that stands out in these pages is the gossip. The ladies present themselves cordial to people's faces but as soon as they are with someone they trust, they share their real opinions on the people they were cordial to. An example of this is found in page 25 when the Bingleys are discussing Elizabeth right after she leaves the room. Mrs. Hurst and her daughters start trashing on Elizabeth and her manners as inappropriate as well as he appearance. From what is said the reader can infer that Mr. Bingley does not share the same views as the rest of his household when he praises Elizabeth's attention to her sister. It can also be inferred that the Bingley household feels superior to those that surround them because they are more city than country. They especially were shocked by the fact that Elizabeth walked which is something common to the inhabitants of the area but to them seemed to show lower class.

Close reading:

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used as synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." (pg 14)

From the quote above the reader can infer that vanity and pride are a very thin line in the times the novel is based in. While some people are thought of as proud others are thought of as vain. While a person can hold themselves in high esteem they do not care what others around them think. These are the Mr. Darcy's and Elizabeth's of society, who hold their views like flags not caring what others say. Then there are the vain people who would be the Mrs. Bennets and the Bingley women who rely too much on other people's opinions on them and their own opinions on other people. While a person could be both vain and proud it is those that are proud only that stand out from the rest.