A couple thing to note about the Bingleys, particularly Caroline. We saw in Chapter 4 that Caroline’s future, in the absence of a husband, is to live with her brother and take care of his house. In addition, while the Bingleys are wealth and respectable, they are from the north of England (strike one) and made their money in trade (strike two). In other words, the Bingleys are nouveau riche and not part of the landed gentry. Mr Darcy therefore would be not just a husband for Carolina but also a step up socially into the landed gentry. No wonder her claws are out for Lizzie.
Tangentially, in reading this book several times, I have always wondered about Darcy’s backstory. Yes, he’s wealthy and owns a large estate, but he doesn’t seem to be part of the aristocracy (he is not Lord Darcy). His aunt however is Lady Catherine. And how did Darcy and Bingley become friends? They don’t seem a likely match. Any way, to me Darcy is always the man of mystery
I've wondered about Darcy and Bingley becoming friends as well. I do wish we'd gotten a bit of backstory there. Although to be fair, it is difficult to dislike Bingley. He's so kind to everyone, and genuinely so. I don't think it's impossible for him to endear himself to Darcy. And likewise Darcy is a very steady character; I think they provide some balance for each other.
Oof, “in trade”. It’s my first read and I just realized that written in the first decade of the 1800s, there was likely some sort of connection with the transatlantic slave trade, as that was sort of an economic foundation of all industry at the time.
Not to forget the marauding East India Company laying the foundation of empire based on fraud, chicanery and back room negotiations. Starting as a trading entity it soon realised there was money in tax collection, and they started taking over Indian states, often by underhanded means, mostly fraud and sometimes under threat of its well equipped mercenary armies. While a prosperous India was reduced to a servile branch of empire, the process made many Englishmen very rich.
Thank you all for the close reading here! I am on the lookout for any academic sources about the trade and merchant statuses here — will share in a later week's update, if I come across any to recommend!
I’m currently reading The Siege of Krishnapur with Simon Haisell over at Footnotes and Tangents and it dovetails rather well with Austen’s novels. I had no idea of the depth of the things that the English got up to in India.
Or, god forbid, vice versa! (Why do I think that's impossible? Jane seems so wholly good—I can't imagine her ever behaving like Caroline. That's some good writing on Austen's part. I'm so thoroughly convinced of Jane's goodness!)
I did think of that! but I, like you. am thoroughly convinced of Jane's goodness. She seems to be genuine. She is not conniving, she sees somehow the good in everyone.
Caroline is absolutely throwing herself at Darcy in exactly the way he openly despises. She literally yawns over a book and then lies about how much she's been enjoying reading it even though she's just been staring at Darcy the whole time.
Mr. Bennet has once again waited until the last minute to share important information in order to amuse himself (and once again soon regrets that very source of amusement).
Mr. Collins with his "humility" and overapologizing and focus on "serious" matters acts as a foil for Lydia's brashness and overconfidence and shallow interests. He can't stop talking about Lady Catherine and her "condescension" which is ironic in its usage, because our current definition seems to fit her description. It's interesting how much he fawns over Mrs. Philips, who doesn't even seem very "elegant." He'll flatter anybody to make himself feel good. He also seems to be "condescending" to choose one of the Bennet daughters for marriage so he can feel generous about making up for the entail, even though his admiration is so flimsy that a suggestion of Jane's possible engagement has him immediately setting eyes on Elizabeth and decideding she's just as good an option - he's looking to fulfill a duty.
Wickham is another foil for Darcy with his openness and warm, friendly demeanor, but he's another character (much like Darcy) who is only described in terms of appearance at first. And then he quickly disparages Darcy and his sister despite proclaiming that "it gives [him] pain to speak ill of a Darcy." 🤔 Elizabeth keeps asking how Darcy could be so horrible and why Bingley would be friends with someone so horrible, which seem like very good questions to be asking this stranger who has just inappropriately dumped his misdealings with someone at her feet (in direct contradiction of what he said both before and after) but she's so infatuated with his charm and handsome face that she isn't really looking for answers. He tells a good story, but how much is true?
I love the moment when Elizabeth gets pushed to the wayside on the path with Bingley's sisters and Darcy and just happily runs away instead of joining them. And I love the line at the beginning of chapter fifteen: "Mr. Collins was not a sensible man..." 🤣
This is also my first rereading since discovering that I'm autistic and ADHD, and I couldn't help but notice that Bingley's descriptions of flightiness and his rapid thoughts leading to terrible handwriting sound very much like ADHD, while Darcy's dislike of dancing and conversing with people he doesn't know well, his being "too little yielding," and his strict propriety even with Wickham where he's obviously uncomfortable seem like a very autistic profile (neither of which would have been recognized as such back then, of course, but I can't help feeling like Austen unknowingly wrote neurodivergent characters, and it makes me wonder about her and her family, since she writes from life). I'll be keeping an eye on this.
"He tells a good story, but how much is true?" I wondered this, too, and I'm so glad you asked it.
"I can't help feeling like Austen unknowingly wrote neurodivergent characters." What a remarkable thing to look for as we continue our reading. Thank you for pointing this out.
Oh, I love this reading of Collins and Lydia as foils of one another—for me, it highlights the curious similarity of social naivety or even ignorance. Both seem a bit "immature" in their social statements and topics they bring up for discussion. I love thinking about how smart it is that Austen places them near each other so often!
You're also crushing that comparison of Wickham to Darcy. SO good.
I also think you're bringing a great level of awareness and attention to the portrayal of neurodivergence in these characters. (Of course, back then, it wouldn't have been discussed in the same terms, but you know.) There's something very interesting, to me about how "deviant" social behaviors are coded in the novel, and how some people seem to get away with their social strangeness more effectively than others (like Darcy being "disagreeable" while still being a desired bachelor for Caroline vs. Collins being a bore and nobody seeming to be interested in what he's got to offer, lol). It makes me wonder: How does class intersect with "deviancy" and what's deemed acceptable? Or: how do social rules rub up against individual personality? (What's the tangle, or negotiation, between the general/universal law of the land and the needs or desires or quirks or (dis)abilities of the individual?)
I definitely think class comes into it! Gender as well, of course. Mary, for example, is often just tolerated or mocked, if not fully ignored, and her deep focus on reading and wanting to be clever but fumbling for words suggests neurodivergence to me as well.
I've just started a slow-read of Anne of Green Gables (my first time!) and reading them together has made a lot of the neurodivergence and certain themes and words pop more. I'm absolutely loving it.
Haley, your posts are incredible as always. I sadly don’t have the time to read the novel this time but I’ve read it dozens of times before so I’m following along.
In your analysis section, you pointed out the words “danger” and “bewitching” and it reminded me so much of Jane and Rochester (probably because I just finished a Jane Eyre reread) and the subtext of witches, elves, fairytales, and magic. It’s making me think of the tension between Darcy and Elizabeth in a new way, through gender politics and the cultural narratives told about women and their power to ‘bewitch’ or ‘ensnare’ men.
Thanks so much Shruti! I'm so glad you're following along.
I am LOVING that tie to the witchery. There's something very intentional about that word, isn't there? Even if its sole purpose is to point to Darcy's feelings of being "ensnared" by Lizzy's delightful differences and personality, that's enough to make it quite meaningful to me. It points to questions of agency in love, doesn't it?
This is a fascinating point! I think it not only speaks to agency in love but to where women’s power lay in general. One takes power when and where it is available and I think that the association of women with supernatural power, while somewhat dangerous, was so commonly culturally accepted that it wouldn’t be unusual for any man to thing of a was “bewitching”. Now I have to go back and reread to see if there are other examples 😂
Like Shruti, I’m not currently reading P&P but still really enjoy reading your posts, Haley! I also love this quote choice about safety, danger, bewitching. not only is it just so *juicy* that Darcy feels in “danger” due to his growing affection towards Lizzy, but I love that we get to see his private interiority and all his depth of feeling that no one else has access to. It really builds the dramatic irony since we understand him and can sympathize with him better than Lizzy/other characters.
Your quote choice & Shruti’s Jane Eyre connection also reminds me of a bit in Anna Karenina that my mom pointed out during our buddy read, when Kitty notices Vronsky, who she is carrying a torch for, dancing with the married Anna. Previously, Kitty has been admiring of Anna, but seeing this side of her, where she has an innate enchanting quality that has the power to draw in male attention outside of her marriage - and thus the capacity to cause hurt by doing so - Anna suddenly looks unrecognizable to Kitty, and even “alien, demonic, enchanting”. This idea of women having witch-like, alien, demonic - in any case, supernatural, non-human - power over men speaks to the incomprehensible workings of love/affection. Nobody can understand it so they have to attribute it to outside, mysterious, even sinister-seeming forces!
hi Isabella! yes!! that intimate access we get to Darcy's private thoughts is going to be a major point in an upcoming post! it's one of the things Austen is credited with...basically *inventing* a whole new form of narrator knowledge.
I'm so glad you're following along! I love this connection to Anna. That's such a good moment when Kitty feels betrayed by Anna. And I hadn't ever noticed that Kitty deems her "enchanting." That's a damn good close reading that connects these two characters—Lizzy and Anna—in such an unexpected way. Especially because Anna becomes a social pariah for her choices, and ends up being an actual danger to herself. Where Lizzy ends up being celebrated for hers. Both are considered dangerous at one point though...wow! Lots to think about there...
Oooh I cannot wait to read that upcoming post. the power to join your read along is getting stronger haha. In any case I definitely want to continue to follow this theme of perceived danger due to the constrictions of social rules…
I love this connection between Lizzy and Anna - it's so perfectly timed as I'm also currently doing Henry Eliot's slow read of Anna K! I hadn't thought about comparing / contrasting across these two before, but now I will give it a go!
I just love the awful characters (which I definitely didn’t when I first read in my teens!). Mr Collins, Caroline Bingley, Mrs Bennet they are just so real and have fantastic dialogue. Two little things struck me. One is at the end of chapter 12 - Lydia saying a private had been flogged. I read recently that that is about the only mention of reality of war/soldiers lives being mentioned in the book and now it’s been pointed out to me it jumps out and is almost surprising. The other is more personal which is that I hadn’t noticed how specific the location of Hunsford was. Westerham the town mentioned is real and where my mum grew up. Just went on a little trip down memory lane via google maps trying to find my grandparents old house. Suspect it is a little more built up now than in Austen’s day.
There's a note about Lydia's casual mention of a soldier being flogged in my annotated edition. It says a lot about her character that she blurts it out amongst other gossip about the officers.
Also, I still cannot bring myself to like Mr. Collins, even though I am amused by him. Caroline and Mrs. Bennet are characters I feel I can understand much better now that I see how much their society has clearly shaped them. I can sympathize even when they annoy me. But Mr. Collins...😬 I just feel like he has much less excuse for his faults.
There's definitely the difference in gender, of course. As a man, he naturally has more power and freedom. He's also lucked into his current position (probably just from feeding Lady Catherine's ego, judging by the way he talks about her) and instead of being humble, he *claims* humility while actually bragging all the time and seemingly everything he does is just to make himself feel good, and any potential benefit to others compounds his puffed up idea of himself. He gives me the ick, lol.
Oh my, you're spot on with that flogging observation and I had completely glossed it! (I love close reading! There's always something amazing to find!)
It's SO amazing to me that you have such a personal connection to the setting of the novel. How special is that!
So much talking! No screens to look at when things get boring, so there is just constant chatter all the time - over dinner, in the parlor, while playing cards, seemingly everywhere. Elizabeth is very good at the required repartee, but I found my first moment of clarity as to who she is early in this week’s reading. “ Mr. Darcy smiled; but Elizabeth thought she could perceive that he was rather offended; and therefore checked her laugh.” In contrast to Caroline Bingley, who never shuts up or takes any hint that Darcy is not paying attention, Elizabeth notices his response and is considerate to what she perceives him feeling. But later when she imagines he notices her because of something wrong about her, she thinks to herself that his opinions “did not pain her” and “she liked him too little to care for his approbation”. That adds another bit of clarity to her character. She obviously does care what others think of her, even Darcy whom she proclaims not to like. I liked your question about favorite single man. Darcy? I’m warming up to him despite his apparent arrogance. That might just be protection against anyone actually knowing him. Creepy Collins? Heavens no. While Darcy says this to Bingley, not Collins, it perfectly fits him: “Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.” That the future welfare of the Bennet women may be in the hands of Collins is terrifying. With five daughters to settle and her own future uncertain, no wonder Mrs. Bennet suffers from nerves. Bingley? So far too much like Gone With the Wind’s virtuous Ashley Wilkes, and a little flighty to boot. He’s solicitous of Jane at the moment, but since he regards his quickness to act as part of his character, might he be quick to drop her? Wickham? What’s he selling? My radar is tuned in and I don’t trust his motives. These chapters skip along and are very funny, but Austen still seems to be cloaking the true feelings and motivations of most of the characters. Like in real life, we are not learning a lot by being party to the character’s thoughts, but have to glean what we want to know about them by listening in on what they are choosing to reveal to each other in all that incessant talking.
I feel like that's why this story is so *ready* for film and TV adaptations. It's got the best banter and dialogue and exchanges. Even the stuff we don't hear, and only hear about later (like Caroline's "wit" flowing long with Darcy or the white noise of the girls talking incessantly to one another at home), all creates the atmosphere of the novel.
"Wickham? What's he selling?" You cracked me up with that. He's got a bit of snakeoil salesman energy, doesn't he?! (So, too, does Mr. Collins for me...)
I am wondering about Darcy’s arrogant protective shell, as well, Maryann. Perhaps he is keeping others from knowing him. Perhaps he has been hurt in the past when he shared his vulnerable inner self and now feels the need to put on the armour of arrogance to protect that inner self from further hurt.
What a week! I have given up putting tabs on pages .... for every page will be tabbed! Highlights and notes will have to suffice.
Jumping right into it ... probably one of my all time literary favourite quotes (I even found it on a pendant some years ago) .... "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book?"
Book lovers of the world unite!!
Chapter 11 is one of my favourites with the rather combative declarations of Lizzy and Darcy - "...your defect is a propensity to hate everyone!" "And yours," he replied with a smile, "is wilfully to misunderstand them" = brilliant! The smile is my undoing .... hahaha.
We also have in this chapter the discussion on the differences between vanity and pride where this had also been under the microscope at the end of chapter 5. YAY for close reading.
This then relays to today's chapter 16 where the word 'pride' is mentioned on numerous occasions with Mr Wickham entering the story. I simply love that Austen uses it, supports it and gives a range of classifications to this critical word.
I also love that moment between Lizzy and Darcy! They both seem to be misunderstanding each other and can't look past their preconceived notions to the other's true intentions and feelings.
You're so welcome! I am so glad you're having fun with this reading experience!
I LOVE your favorite quote. That is a gorgeous one. I feel like I want it embroidered on a pillow or painted onto a landscape or something. It's just the coziest summary of reading pleasures. Great pick!!
And I love, also, that you pointed us to that rather FLIRTY MOMENT between Lizzy and Darcy. They're in this somewhat tenuous little debate and he SMILES at her? My knees. They are weak.
I found it interesting that, when Elizabeth is watching the meeting of Darcy and Wickham, it is mentioned that one turned white and the other red, but doesn't tell us which one. After hearing the story from Wickham, I think we are to assume he turned red. However, since this is a single account I'm sure that the tables will turn eventually and we will see that Darcy was the one wronged, or it was far more convoluted than we are initially led to believe.
Also, I was shocked in the poll to see people rooting for Darcy at this point. I understand the movie has its impression, but so far from just what's been introduced in the novel I found him a bit disgusting. Of course, I'm reading it from a more ~feminist~ time in the future, but even then it was rude to say they were walking to lose weight and he would have a better view of them from his chair. Am I reading that correctly? If so, I don't think there's much he can do to get in my favor....
One small thing I found myself forgetting about was the high status of the Bennets. I guess because they have multiple children, and speak casually to one another I see them as middle class and am always having to remind myself that they are super wealthy. The book really doesn't focus on clothing or appearance as much as I'm used to. We don't see them putting on 30 layers of clothing or having servants cinch their waists, but it is mentioned that they can't cook because they have help that does that for them. There is a large absence of descriptions of the housing, hair, outfits, etc. compared to most novels which really emphasizes, to me, that the focus is purely on the conversation and relationships between the characters above all else.
Sidenow, my speaking has improved so much! I've been reading this, The Vegetarian, and Go Tell it on the Mountain this past week and my vocabulary is certainly (previously would have said definitely) improving. I'm starting to speak like a novel, and it's so fun. I also have been learning new words using the dictionary function on my Kindle, and just discovered that tomorrow used to be to-morrow, along with to-day and to-night before we combined them. So interesting!
oh I almost forgot- I loved that the entertainment of the time was picking someone to read a novel out loud because TVs didn't exist yet. why had I never thought of that before?
I have a note on my annotated edition that discusses Darcy and Wickham's meeting, and suggests that Darcy most likely turned white from anger as he also has a description of a similar circumstance at another point in the novel, while Wickham is most likely red from embarrassment 🤔
I'm sorry! I thought since there are many potential reasons for either feeling that way that I had avoided spoiling anything. I'll be more careful about that in future! Thank you for letting me know.
no worries ! it may not even be a spoiler, i’m just worried about hearing things from elsewhere in the book. i haven’t seen the movie or anything so im going in super blind. thank u for ur kind response!
So true about voting for Darcy at this point! I freely admit to being completely biased by knowing whole story & thinking of Colin Firth (1995 BBC adaptation for me😂). But I don’t think he was being rude in the exchange you mentioned. He said they might be walking to discuss secret affairs or to show off their figures to best advantage - nothing to do with trying to lose weight. (Slightly creepy from a modern perspective perhaps!)
ah thank you for that information, i thought he was saying it about losing weight. very appreciated! i have a hard time deciphering the language of that time.
Yes! Hilary is right here. Darcy isn't commenting on their weight. He's actually being a little bit flirty and cheeky here — he's suggesting that Caroline Bingley wants to walk about the room because she knows that she looks really pretty when she's standing up straight and walking around. (So, he's basically openly admitting that he knows Caroline is flirting with him.)
Caroline also knows that having Lizzy walk with her will force a comparison. Darcy's response is funny: he clearly likes Lizzy, so he doesn't mind the two beautiful women walking around together while he writes his letter. I actually think the scene helps us to understand his character a little better — he's got a bit of humor and sarcasm here we haven't seen in other scenes.
ah thank you so much for this explanation, it’s really helpful! i was wondering why lizzie kept complimenting him after that, but now it makes more sense.
I don’t have much to add to the conversation, but I just wanted to say that I’m thoroughly enjoying this novel. In the past, I’ve tried to read classics too quickly and often found myself lost, feeling like I wasn’t truly understanding what I was reading. This time, however, I’m discovering the immense benefits of slow reading. It’s much easier to comprehend because I’m not afraid to go back and reread a passage if I feel like I didn’t fully grasp it. I also find myself looking forward to each week’s reading, eager to continue experiencing the story at a more thoughtful pace.
I had to go for a google after reading these lines. “Lydia talked incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the fish she had won; ”
Turns out they were actual little fish they used like poker chips (why fish- no idea?) Also reminds us of how young Lydia is. I’ve read this book dozens of times but still finding new things…
Okay, mind blown. Tiny fish poker chips. I am wondering so much, now, about why it is fish (maybe different towns had different shapes? What were they made of? Wood? Were they traded for actual cash at some point!?)
The more I read, I can see why Jane Austen almost titled this book “First Impressions,” especially in these chapters where we meet two men with very opposite “first impressions”. Mr. Collins, who is not a sensible man, and was actually “hoped” to be unsensible from Mr. Bennet (always looking to be amused!), and Mr. Wickham who “wanted only regimentals to make him completely charming.” (and all the women are charmed by him-even Lizzie!)
Now it seems like we have a pretty good cast of “single men in want of a wife”- Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins and Mr. Wickham- and plenty of available single women! Will there be more??
Our first impression of most characters seems to be what we continue to see in their overall actions, and how others view them, but we are starting to see that some things might not be as they seem- such as Wickham and Darcy’s interaction. Can’t wait to see whose first impression stays the same and whose might change, and why??
It makes me wonder how much first impressions play in our own lives, and if we can allow our erroneous ones to change? The first time my now good friend and I met at a park years ago, my slightly older rambunctious children were climbing all over everything, and her children were content to hide behind her legs. She went away that day thinking that we would never be great friends, and she would never take me up on my offer to watch her kids while she volunteered at the school, but fortunately, in time, she realized how wrong her first impression was, and we and our kids have been great friends for years.
Oh, excellent ideas here. I love your summary of the setup: many bachelors and many girls. It reminds me of the ballroom, when Darcy is encouraged to dance because there are many ladies without a partner—and he refuses. Ha.
I really like the way you're weaving the novel's theme of "first impressions" into your own life, as well. Closely reading tends to make novels feel a lot more close to my own life and experience--as if I can see how the plot or the characters reveal something in me, too, as I'm reading and not just the text itself. Nice work on all of these connections!
My favourite quote contains a juxtaposition between pride and virtue:
"It is wonderful," replied Wickham, "for almost all his actions may be traced to pride; - and pride has often been his best friend. It has connected him nearer with virtue than any other feeling."
I love how you have written about the "safe" and "danger" quotes, Hayley. I am interested in how Darcy attempts to control himself. If the danger he feels is the risk of being overpowered, or losing control, he seems determined to avoid this "he wisely resolved to be particularly careful" and "steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke..." And yet, he can't control his reaction at meeting Mr Wickham. I think the narration around this scene is fascinating, especially when you reflect on it after reading Mr Wickham's and Lizzy's conversation about Darcy. Mr Wickham seems to suggest that Lizzy may be one of the few who Darcy can not fool with his behaviour. Wickam observes Lizzy's powers of observation; he's quick to realise that she can see beneath the facade. I also love how Austen shows the interest in gossip "it was impossible not to long to know" and yet Lizzy is too well-mannered to make inquire further on delicate matters.
As for the voting, I chose Darcy for his complexity, rather than likability. I think I will read the next section closely looking at his attempts to exercise self-control and note when he appears at ease (like these past moments of playful banter) or destabilised.
There are so many great comments already that align with different things I annotated and noted in my own readings. Here are a few things for me that stood out in this reading.
-I was paying particular attention (I am going to start calling people "a particular friend" if I'm not careful) to how action and inaction are described, mainly through a gendered lens. I noticed this, especially when the Bennett sisters were at Netherfield. The men in these scenes are described as "doing"; they read, write, and play games. Whereas the women "watch" and "observe".
This scene is in direct comparison to how Elizabeth describes the women when the men are out of the room. Elizabeth describes them as "they could describe an entertainment with accuracy, relate an anecdote with humor, and laugh at their acquaintance with spirit." But uh oh, here come the men!
Now Caroline is again 'watching' as Darcy 'progresses' through his book.
-Austen's roasting of Collins is one of my favorite things about this section. I love how the biggest criticism she crafts about Collins is that 'he doesn't read novels'. Where Darcy is often found with a book. We know who should / shouldn't be trusted.
My favorite quote: "this is too much, to remember at night all the foolish things that were said in the morning" - Bingley
If you have seen the movie Fire Island, which is a gay retelling of Pride and Prejudice -- the way they portray Bingley is a really loveable, naive, and air-headed character. Basically a golden retriever. This quote definitely aligns with this interpretation.
This week was all about the parade of men. I am still choosing to follow the story of men through this read and this week I can't help but giggle at our 'prospects'. Are we, as doubly-fictional participants in this narrative, really supposed to choose between the grump, the goof, the misfortuned and the man who practices his compliments? We, the women, are the one's in 'danger'.
In last week's reading we were lead through most of our female characters, ranging from the the soft and dedicated Mary to the scheming Miss Bingley. As readers, we were understanding of Darcey's hesitance if this was the company from which he grew his opinions. Someone mentioned one of my favourite lines from him, "My temper would perhaps be called resentful. - My good opinion once lost is lost for ever." and I see his character only through that lens, neither proud or distasteful, but someone who is constantly shown the underbelly of their society and is on guard against it. Poor Mr Darcy.
I thought Mr Collins description on the page should be noted in comparison to how he is portrayed in the Knightley version. Without the description we can read him as softer or less imposing, but Austen says he is 'tall, heavy' and his aura 'grave and stately'. That description changes the tone that I hear him in for the first time in all of my reads. It feels like an entirely different kind of man joining us for dinner.
Lastly, I was newly disappointed in Lizzie and her conversation with Whickham. For all of her distaste for the Bingley sisters, she listened to his obvious gossip. Her observation of him, 'A young man too, like you, whose very countenance may vouch for your being amiable' is problematic and a clear moment where we are yelling at the pages. She should know better than to take someone's 'countenance' as law.
I feel as though 'we', now more than ever, have very few prospects.
A couple thing to note about the Bingleys, particularly Caroline. We saw in Chapter 4 that Caroline’s future, in the absence of a husband, is to live with her brother and take care of his house. In addition, while the Bingleys are wealth and respectable, they are from the north of England (strike one) and made their money in trade (strike two). In other words, the Bingleys are nouveau riche and not part of the landed gentry. Mr Darcy therefore would be not just a husband for Carolina but also a step up socially into the landed gentry. No wonder her claws are out for Lizzie.
Tangentially, in reading this book several times, I have always wondered about Darcy’s backstory. Yes, he’s wealthy and owns a large estate, but he doesn’t seem to be part of the aristocracy (he is not Lord Darcy). His aunt however is Lady Catherine. And how did Darcy and Bingley become friends? They don’t seem a likely match. Any way, to me Darcy is always the man of mystery
I've wondered about Darcy and Bingley becoming friends as well. I do wish we'd gotten a bit of backstory there. Although to be fair, it is difficult to dislike Bingley. He's so kind to everyone, and genuinely so. I don't think it's impossible for him to endear himself to Darcy. And likewise Darcy is a very steady character; I think they provide some balance for each other.
Oof, “in trade”. It’s my first read and I just realized that written in the first decade of the 1800s, there was likely some sort of connection with the transatlantic slave trade, as that was sort of an economic foundation of all industry at the time.
That’s a good thought. It hadn’t occurred to me. I always took “trade” as a general description of being a merchant
Not to forget the marauding East India Company laying the foundation of empire based on fraud, chicanery and back room negotiations. Starting as a trading entity it soon realised there was money in tax collection, and they started taking over Indian states, often by underhanded means, mostly fraud and sometimes under threat of its well equipped mercenary armies. While a prosperous India was reduced to a servile branch of empire, the process made many Englishmen very rich.
Thank you all for the close reading here! I am on the lookout for any academic sources about the trade and merchant statuses here — will share in a later week's update, if I come across any to recommend!
@Poonam @haleylarsen, phd
I’m currently reading The Siege of Krishnapur with Simon Haisell over at Footnotes and Tangents and it dovetails rather well with Austen’s novels. I had no idea of the depth of the things that the English got up to in India.
Like you said, Caroline would be happy to keep house for her brother, but what might happen to her if her brother got married?
In all likelihood, she would live with her brother and her new sister in a very subordinate position. But Jane is so sweet. How bad could it be!?
If it was Jane, maybe she would rub off on Caroline!
Or, god forbid, vice versa! (Why do I think that's impossible? Jane seems so wholly good—I can't imagine her ever behaving like Caroline. That's some good writing on Austen's part. I'm so thoroughly convinced of Jane's goodness!)
I did think of that! but I, like you. am thoroughly convinced of Jane's goodness. She seems to be genuine. She is not conniving, she sees somehow the good in everyone.
Oh my gosh, where to even start!
Caroline is absolutely throwing herself at Darcy in exactly the way he openly despises. She literally yawns over a book and then lies about how much she's been enjoying reading it even though she's just been staring at Darcy the whole time.
Mr. Bennet has once again waited until the last minute to share important information in order to amuse himself (and once again soon regrets that very source of amusement).
Mr. Collins with his "humility" and overapologizing and focus on "serious" matters acts as a foil for Lydia's brashness and overconfidence and shallow interests. He can't stop talking about Lady Catherine and her "condescension" which is ironic in its usage, because our current definition seems to fit her description. It's interesting how much he fawns over Mrs. Philips, who doesn't even seem very "elegant." He'll flatter anybody to make himself feel good. He also seems to be "condescending" to choose one of the Bennet daughters for marriage so he can feel generous about making up for the entail, even though his admiration is so flimsy that a suggestion of Jane's possible engagement has him immediately setting eyes on Elizabeth and decideding she's just as good an option - he's looking to fulfill a duty.
Wickham is another foil for Darcy with his openness and warm, friendly demeanor, but he's another character (much like Darcy) who is only described in terms of appearance at first. And then he quickly disparages Darcy and his sister despite proclaiming that "it gives [him] pain to speak ill of a Darcy." 🤔 Elizabeth keeps asking how Darcy could be so horrible and why Bingley would be friends with someone so horrible, which seem like very good questions to be asking this stranger who has just inappropriately dumped his misdealings with someone at her feet (in direct contradiction of what he said both before and after) but she's so infatuated with his charm and handsome face that she isn't really looking for answers. He tells a good story, but how much is true?
I love the moment when Elizabeth gets pushed to the wayside on the path with Bingley's sisters and Darcy and just happily runs away instead of joining them. And I love the line at the beginning of chapter fifteen: "Mr. Collins was not a sensible man..." 🤣
This is also my first rereading since discovering that I'm autistic and ADHD, and I couldn't help but notice that Bingley's descriptions of flightiness and his rapid thoughts leading to terrible handwriting sound very much like ADHD, while Darcy's dislike of dancing and conversing with people he doesn't know well, his being "too little yielding," and his strict propriety even with Wickham where he's obviously uncomfortable seem like a very autistic profile (neither of which would have been recognized as such back then, of course, but I can't help feeling like Austen unknowingly wrote neurodivergent characters, and it makes me wonder about her and her family, since she writes from life). I'll be keeping an eye on this.
"He tells a good story, but how much is true?" I wondered this, too, and I'm so glad you asked it.
"I can't help feeling like Austen unknowingly wrote neurodivergent characters." What a remarkable thing to look for as we continue our reading. Thank you for pointing this out.
Oh, I love this reading of Collins and Lydia as foils of one another—for me, it highlights the curious similarity of social naivety or even ignorance. Both seem a bit "immature" in their social statements and topics they bring up for discussion. I love thinking about how smart it is that Austen places them near each other so often!
You're also crushing that comparison of Wickham to Darcy. SO good.
I also think you're bringing a great level of awareness and attention to the portrayal of neurodivergence in these characters. (Of course, back then, it wouldn't have been discussed in the same terms, but you know.) There's something very interesting, to me about how "deviant" social behaviors are coded in the novel, and how some people seem to get away with their social strangeness more effectively than others (like Darcy being "disagreeable" while still being a desired bachelor for Caroline vs. Collins being a bore and nobody seeming to be interested in what he's got to offer, lol). It makes me wonder: How does class intersect with "deviancy" and what's deemed acceptable? Or: how do social rules rub up against individual personality? (What's the tangle, or negotiation, between the general/universal law of the land and the needs or desires or quirks or (dis)abilities of the individual?)
I definitely think class comes into it! Gender as well, of course. Mary, for example, is often just tolerated or mocked, if not fully ignored, and her deep focus on reading and wanting to be clever but fumbling for words suggests neurodivergence to me as well.
I've just started a slow-read of Anne of Green Gables (my first time!) and reading them together has made a lot of the neurodivergence and certain themes and words pop more. I'm absolutely loving it.
Haley, your posts are incredible as always. I sadly don’t have the time to read the novel this time but I’ve read it dozens of times before so I’m following along.
In your analysis section, you pointed out the words “danger” and “bewitching” and it reminded me so much of Jane and Rochester (probably because I just finished a Jane Eyre reread) and the subtext of witches, elves, fairytales, and magic. It’s making me think of the tension between Darcy and Elizabeth in a new way, through gender politics and the cultural narratives told about women and their power to ‘bewitch’ or ‘ensnare’ men.
Thanks so much Shruti! I'm so glad you're following along.
I am LOVING that tie to the witchery. There's something very intentional about that word, isn't there? Even if its sole purpose is to point to Darcy's feelings of being "ensnared" by Lizzy's delightful differences and personality, that's enough to make it quite meaningful to me. It points to questions of agency in love, doesn't it?
This is a fascinating point! I think it not only speaks to agency in love but to where women’s power lay in general. One takes power when and where it is available and I think that the association of women with supernatural power, while somewhat dangerous, was so commonly culturally accepted that it wouldn’t be unusual for any man to thing of a was “bewitching”. Now I have to go back and reread to see if there are other examples 😂
Like Shruti, I’m not currently reading P&P but still really enjoy reading your posts, Haley! I also love this quote choice about safety, danger, bewitching. not only is it just so *juicy* that Darcy feels in “danger” due to his growing affection towards Lizzy, but I love that we get to see his private interiority and all his depth of feeling that no one else has access to. It really builds the dramatic irony since we understand him and can sympathize with him better than Lizzy/other characters.
Your quote choice & Shruti’s Jane Eyre connection also reminds me of a bit in Anna Karenina that my mom pointed out during our buddy read, when Kitty notices Vronsky, who she is carrying a torch for, dancing with the married Anna. Previously, Kitty has been admiring of Anna, but seeing this side of her, where she has an innate enchanting quality that has the power to draw in male attention outside of her marriage - and thus the capacity to cause hurt by doing so - Anna suddenly looks unrecognizable to Kitty, and even “alien, demonic, enchanting”. This idea of women having witch-like, alien, demonic - in any case, supernatural, non-human - power over men speaks to the incomprehensible workings of love/affection. Nobody can understand it so they have to attribute it to outside, mysterious, even sinister-seeming forces!
hi Isabella! yes!! that intimate access we get to Darcy's private thoughts is going to be a major point in an upcoming post! it's one of the things Austen is credited with...basically *inventing* a whole new form of narrator knowledge.
I'm so glad you're following along! I love this connection to Anna. That's such a good moment when Kitty feels betrayed by Anna. And I hadn't ever noticed that Kitty deems her "enchanting." That's a damn good close reading that connects these two characters—Lizzy and Anna—in such an unexpected way. Especially because Anna becomes a social pariah for her choices, and ends up being an actual danger to herself. Where Lizzy ends up being celebrated for hers. Both are considered dangerous at one point though...wow! Lots to think about there...
Oooh I cannot wait to read that upcoming post. the power to join your read along is getting stronger haha. In any case I definitely want to continue to follow this theme of perceived danger due to the constrictions of social rules…
I love this connection between Lizzy and Anna - it's so perfectly timed as I'm also currently doing Henry Eliot's slow read of Anna K! I hadn't thought about comparing / contrasting across these two before, but now I will give it a go!
Sorry to point out a mistake in your post (which is a great read), but I think the aunt should be Mrs Phillips not Mrs Hurst? 😊
You’re absolutely right!! I need to make an update. Thank you!!
I just love the awful characters (which I definitely didn’t when I first read in my teens!). Mr Collins, Caroline Bingley, Mrs Bennet they are just so real and have fantastic dialogue. Two little things struck me. One is at the end of chapter 12 - Lydia saying a private had been flogged. I read recently that that is about the only mention of reality of war/soldiers lives being mentioned in the book and now it’s been pointed out to me it jumps out and is almost surprising. The other is more personal which is that I hadn’t noticed how specific the location of Hunsford was. Westerham the town mentioned is real and where my mum grew up. Just went on a little trip down memory lane via google maps trying to find my grandparents old house. Suspect it is a little more built up now than in Austen’s day.
There's a note about Lydia's casual mention of a soldier being flogged in my annotated edition. It says a lot about her character that she blurts it out amongst other gossip about the officers.
Also, I still cannot bring myself to like Mr. Collins, even though I am amused by him. Caroline and Mrs. Bennet are characters I feel I can understand much better now that I see how much their society has clearly shaped them. I can sympathize even when they annoy me. But Mr. Collins...😬 I just feel like he has much less excuse for his faults.
Oh oh oh! Why does he have less excuse?! That's good stuff right there.
There's definitely the difference in gender, of course. As a man, he naturally has more power and freedom. He's also lucked into his current position (probably just from feeding Lady Catherine's ego, judging by the way he talks about her) and instead of being humble, he *claims* humility while actually bragging all the time and seemingly everything he does is just to make himself feel good, and any potential benefit to others compounds his puffed up idea of himself. He gives me the ick, lol.
Oh my, you're spot on with that flogging observation and I had completely glossed it! (I love close reading! There's always something amazing to find!)
It's SO amazing to me that you have such a personal connection to the setting of the novel. How special is that!
So much talking! No screens to look at when things get boring, so there is just constant chatter all the time - over dinner, in the parlor, while playing cards, seemingly everywhere. Elizabeth is very good at the required repartee, but I found my first moment of clarity as to who she is early in this week’s reading. “ Mr. Darcy smiled; but Elizabeth thought she could perceive that he was rather offended; and therefore checked her laugh.” In contrast to Caroline Bingley, who never shuts up or takes any hint that Darcy is not paying attention, Elizabeth notices his response and is considerate to what she perceives him feeling. But later when she imagines he notices her because of something wrong about her, she thinks to herself that his opinions “did not pain her” and “she liked him too little to care for his approbation”. That adds another bit of clarity to her character. She obviously does care what others think of her, even Darcy whom she proclaims not to like. I liked your question about favorite single man. Darcy? I’m warming up to him despite his apparent arrogance. That might just be protection against anyone actually knowing him. Creepy Collins? Heavens no. While Darcy says this to Bingley, not Collins, it perfectly fits him: “Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.” That the future welfare of the Bennet women may be in the hands of Collins is terrifying. With five daughters to settle and her own future uncertain, no wonder Mrs. Bennet suffers from nerves. Bingley? So far too much like Gone With the Wind’s virtuous Ashley Wilkes, and a little flighty to boot. He’s solicitous of Jane at the moment, but since he regards his quickness to act as part of his character, might he be quick to drop her? Wickham? What’s he selling? My radar is tuned in and I don’t trust his motives. These chapters skip along and are very funny, but Austen still seems to be cloaking the true feelings and motivations of most of the characters. Like in real life, we are not learning a lot by being party to the character’s thoughts, but have to glean what we want to know about them by listening in on what they are choosing to reveal to each other in all that incessant talking.
SO. MUCH. TALKING.
I feel like that's why this story is so *ready* for film and TV adaptations. It's got the best banter and dialogue and exchanges. Even the stuff we don't hear, and only hear about later (like Caroline's "wit" flowing long with Darcy or the white noise of the girls talking incessantly to one another at home), all creates the atmosphere of the novel.
"Wickham? What's he selling?" You cracked me up with that. He's got a bit of snakeoil salesman energy, doesn't he?! (So, too, does Mr. Collins for me...)
I am wondering about Darcy’s arrogant protective shell, as well, Maryann. Perhaps he is keeping others from knowing him. Perhaps he has been hurt in the past when he shared his vulnerable inner self and now feels the need to put on the armour of arrogance to protect that inner self from further hurt.
What a week! I have given up putting tabs on pages .... for every page will be tabbed! Highlights and notes will have to suffice.
Jumping right into it ... probably one of my all time literary favourite quotes (I even found it on a pendant some years ago) .... "How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way! I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book?"
Book lovers of the world unite!!
Chapter 11 is one of my favourites with the rather combative declarations of Lizzy and Darcy - "...your defect is a propensity to hate everyone!" "And yours," he replied with a smile, "is wilfully to misunderstand them" = brilliant! The smile is my undoing .... hahaha.
We also have in this chapter the discussion on the differences between vanity and pride where this had also been under the microscope at the end of chapter 5. YAY for close reading.
This then relays to today's chapter 16 where the word 'pride' is mentioned on numerous occasions with Mr Wickham entering the story. I simply love that Austen uses it, supports it and gives a range of classifications to this critical word.
Thank you Hayley!
I also love that moment between Lizzy and Darcy! They both seem to be misunderstanding each other and can't look past their preconceived notions to the other's true intentions and feelings.
You're so right. It's totally the title coming to life right there!
You're so welcome! I am so glad you're having fun with this reading experience!
I LOVE your favorite quote. That is a gorgeous one. I feel like I want it embroidered on a pillow or painted onto a landscape or something. It's just the coziest summary of reading pleasures. Great pick!!
And I love, also, that you pointed us to that rather FLIRTY MOMENT between Lizzy and Darcy. They're in this somewhat tenuous little debate and he SMILES at her? My knees. They are weak.
I found it interesting that, when Elizabeth is watching the meeting of Darcy and Wickham, it is mentioned that one turned white and the other red, but doesn't tell us which one. After hearing the story from Wickham, I think we are to assume he turned red. However, since this is a single account I'm sure that the tables will turn eventually and we will see that Darcy was the one wronged, or it was far more convoluted than we are initially led to believe.
Also, I was shocked in the poll to see people rooting for Darcy at this point. I understand the movie has its impression, but so far from just what's been introduced in the novel I found him a bit disgusting. Of course, I'm reading it from a more ~feminist~ time in the future, but even then it was rude to say they were walking to lose weight and he would have a better view of them from his chair. Am I reading that correctly? If so, I don't think there's much he can do to get in my favor....
One small thing I found myself forgetting about was the high status of the Bennets. I guess because they have multiple children, and speak casually to one another I see them as middle class and am always having to remind myself that they are super wealthy. The book really doesn't focus on clothing or appearance as much as I'm used to. We don't see them putting on 30 layers of clothing or having servants cinch their waists, but it is mentioned that they can't cook because they have help that does that for them. There is a large absence of descriptions of the housing, hair, outfits, etc. compared to most novels which really emphasizes, to me, that the focus is purely on the conversation and relationships between the characters above all else.
Sidenow, my speaking has improved so much! I've been reading this, The Vegetarian, and Go Tell it on the Mountain this past week and my vocabulary is certainly (previously would have said definitely) improving. I'm starting to speak like a novel, and it's so fun. I also have been learning new words using the dictionary function on my Kindle, and just discovered that tomorrow used to be to-morrow, along with to-day and to-night before we combined them. So interesting!
oh I almost forgot- I loved that the entertainment of the time was picking someone to read a novel out loud because TVs didn't exist yet. why had I never thought of that before?
I have a note on my annotated edition that discusses Darcy and Wickham's meeting, and suggests that Darcy most likely turned white from anger as he also has a description of a similar circumstance at another point in the novel, while Wickham is most likely red from embarrassment 🤔
thank you for sharing! i think it’s a little teetering on a spoiler tho, and this is my first time reading it.
I'm sorry! I thought since there are many potential reasons for either feeling that way that I had avoided spoiling anything. I'll be more careful about that in future! Thank you for letting me know.
no worries ! it may not even be a spoiler, i’m just worried about hearing things from elsewhere in the book. i haven’t seen the movie or anything so im going in super blind. thank u for ur kind response!
So true about voting for Darcy at this point! I freely admit to being completely biased by knowing whole story & thinking of Colin Firth (1995 BBC adaptation for me😂). But I don’t think he was being rude in the exchange you mentioned. He said they might be walking to discuss secret affairs or to show off their figures to best advantage - nothing to do with trying to lose weight. (Slightly creepy from a modern perspective perhaps!)
ah thank you for that information, i thought he was saying it about losing weight. very appreciated! i have a hard time deciphering the language of that time.
Yes! Hilary is right here. Darcy isn't commenting on their weight. He's actually being a little bit flirty and cheeky here — he's suggesting that Caroline Bingley wants to walk about the room because she knows that she looks really pretty when she's standing up straight and walking around. (So, he's basically openly admitting that he knows Caroline is flirting with him.)
Caroline also knows that having Lizzy walk with her will force a comparison. Darcy's response is funny: he clearly likes Lizzy, so he doesn't mind the two beautiful women walking around together while he writes his letter. I actually think the scene helps us to understand his character a little better — he's got a bit of humor and sarcasm here we haven't seen in other scenes.
ah thank you so much for this explanation, it’s really helpful! i was wondering why lizzie kept complimenting him after that, but now it makes more sense.
I don’t have much to add to the conversation, but I just wanted to say that I’m thoroughly enjoying this novel. In the past, I’ve tried to read classics too quickly and often found myself lost, feeling like I wasn’t truly understanding what I was reading. This time, however, I’m discovering the immense benefits of slow reading. It’s much easier to comprehend because I’m not afraid to go back and reread a passage if I feel like I didn’t fully grasp it. I also find myself looking forward to each week’s reading, eager to continue experiencing the story at a more thoughtful pace.
Haley, I believe you mean Mrs. Phillips when you mention Mrs. Hurst in your summary.
Yes! I need to make an update :)
I loved your insights this week, it’s adding so much to my (first time!) read of this book! Thank you!
Thanks Whitney!! I'm so glad you're enjoying your first read of this novel!
I had to go for a google after reading these lines. “Lydia talked incessantly of lottery tickets, of the fish she had lost and the fish she had won; ”
Turns out they were actual little fish they used like poker chips (why fish- no idea?) Also reminds us of how young Lydia is. I’ve read this book dozens of times but still finding new things…
Okay, mind blown. Tiny fish poker chips. I am wondering so much, now, about why it is fish (maybe different towns had different shapes? What were they made of? Wood? Were they traded for actual cash at some point!?)
There’s a picture here. So pretty 😊I’m a bit hazy on the details but it’s really intriguing https://janeaustens.house/object/lottery-fish/
The more I read, I can see why Jane Austen almost titled this book “First Impressions,” especially in these chapters where we meet two men with very opposite “first impressions”. Mr. Collins, who is not a sensible man, and was actually “hoped” to be unsensible from Mr. Bennet (always looking to be amused!), and Mr. Wickham who “wanted only regimentals to make him completely charming.” (and all the women are charmed by him-even Lizzie!)
Now it seems like we have a pretty good cast of “single men in want of a wife”- Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins and Mr. Wickham- and plenty of available single women! Will there be more??
Our first impression of most characters seems to be what we continue to see in their overall actions, and how others view them, but we are starting to see that some things might not be as they seem- such as Wickham and Darcy’s interaction. Can’t wait to see whose first impression stays the same and whose might change, and why??
It makes me wonder how much first impressions play in our own lives, and if we can allow our erroneous ones to change? The first time my now good friend and I met at a park years ago, my slightly older rambunctious children were climbing all over everything, and her children were content to hide behind her legs. She went away that day thinking that we would never be great friends, and she would never take me up on my offer to watch her kids while she volunteered at the school, but fortunately, in time, she realized how wrong her first impression was, and we and our kids have been great friends for years.
Oh, excellent ideas here. I love your summary of the setup: many bachelors and many girls. It reminds me of the ballroom, when Darcy is encouraged to dance because there are many ladies without a partner—and he refuses. Ha.
I really like the way you're weaving the novel's theme of "first impressions" into your own life, as well. Closely reading tends to make novels feel a lot more close to my own life and experience--as if I can see how the plot or the characters reveal something in me, too, as I'm reading and not just the text itself. Nice work on all of these connections!
My favourite quote contains a juxtaposition between pride and virtue:
"It is wonderful," replied Wickham, "for almost all his actions may be traced to pride; - and pride has often been his best friend. It has connected him nearer with virtue than any other feeling."
I love how you have written about the "safe" and "danger" quotes, Hayley. I am interested in how Darcy attempts to control himself. If the danger he feels is the risk of being overpowered, or losing control, he seems determined to avoid this "he wisely resolved to be particularly careful" and "steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke..." And yet, he can't control his reaction at meeting Mr Wickham. I think the narration around this scene is fascinating, especially when you reflect on it after reading Mr Wickham's and Lizzy's conversation about Darcy. Mr Wickham seems to suggest that Lizzy may be one of the few who Darcy can not fool with his behaviour. Wickam observes Lizzy's powers of observation; he's quick to realise that she can see beneath the facade. I also love how Austen shows the interest in gossip "it was impossible not to long to know" and yet Lizzy is too well-mannered to make inquire further on delicate matters.
As for the voting, I chose Darcy for his complexity, rather than likability. I think I will read the next section closely looking at his attempts to exercise self-control and note when he appears at ease (like these past moments of playful banter) or destabilised.
There are so many great comments already that align with different things I annotated and noted in my own readings. Here are a few things for me that stood out in this reading.
-I was paying particular attention (I am going to start calling people "a particular friend" if I'm not careful) to how action and inaction are described, mainly through a gendered lens. I noticed this, especially when the Bennett sisters were at Netherfield. The men in these scenes are described as "doing"; they read, write, and play games. Whereas the women "watch" and "observe".
This scene is in direct comparison to how Elizabeth describes the women when the men are out of the room. Elizabeth describes them as "they could describe an entertainment with accuracy, relate an anecdote with humor, and laugh at their acquaintance with spirit." But uh oh, here come the men!
Now Caroline is again 'watching' as Darcy 'progresses' through his book.
-Austen's roasting of Collins is one of my favorite things about this section. I love how the biggest criticism she crafts about Collins is that 'he doesn't read novels'. Where Darcy is often found with a book. We know who should / shouldn't be trusted.
My favorite quote: "this is too much, to remember at night all the foolish things that were said in the morning" - Bingley
If you have seen the movie Fire Island, which is a gay retelling of Pride and Prejudice -- the way they portray Bingley is a really loveable, naive, and air-headed character. Basically a golden retriever. This quote definitely aligns with this interpretation.
This week was all about the parade of men. I am still choosing to follow the story of men through this read and this week I can't help but giggle at our 'prospects'. Are we, as doubly-fictional participants in this narrative, really supposed to choose between the grump, the goof, the misfortuned and the man who practices his compliments? We, the women, are the one's in 'danger'.
In last week's reading we were lead through most of our female characters, ranging from the the soft and dedicated Mary to the scheming Miss Bingley. As readers, we were understanding of Darcey's hesitance if this was the company from which he grew his opinions. Someone mentioned one of my favourite lines from him, "My temper would perhaps be called resentful. - My good opinion once lost is lost for ever." and I see his character only through that lens, neither proud or distasteful, but someone who is constantly shown the underbelly of their society and is on guard against it. Poor Mr Darcy.
I thought Mr Collins description on the page should be noted in comparison to how he is portrayed in the Knightley version. Without the description we can read him as softer or less imposing, but Austen says he is 'tall, heavy' and his aura 'grave and stately'. That description changes the tone that I hear him in for the first time in all of my reads. It feels like an entirely different kind of man joining us for dinner.
Lastly, I was newly disappointed in Lizzie and her conversation with Whickham. For all of her distaste for the Bingley sisters, she listened to his obvious gossip. Her observation of him, 'A young man too, like you, whose very countenance may vouch for your being amiable' is problematic and a clear moment where we are yelling at the pages. She should know better than to take someone's 'countenance' as law.
I feel as though 'we', now more than ever, have very few prospects.