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.