I do love the sparkle and the wit and the deft storytelling, but there is something very different in reading this book that I can't quite put my finger on. I have had the odd sensation that I'm watching from the outside instead of being engulfed by the story. I think it goes back to that unknown narrator from the opening sentence. I'm feeling that the narrator is Austen herself and she wants me to sense her there wryly observing these characters along with me. Whatever it is, it's giving a way more contemporary feel to the novel than I ever expected.
We are also so seldom in Darcy's head...is it a matter of his awkwardness and introverted nature? It is an interesting decision on the part of JA and one I find myself continually curious about. Watching as the story develops further.
Is this where the romance novel trope of antagonistic personalities leading to love comes from? To me, this is the weakest plot point so far. Marriage is still an alliance—the idea of romantic love being a driver is a little odd, especially in that social milieu. For Mr. Darcy to declare himself without having first discussed the match with Mr. Bennet, to me, doesn’t pass the smell test. So far we’ve seen that social hierarchies and rules are rigid, and then here comes Mr. Darcy blowing it all up. It does seem a bit more realistic when Elizabeth rejects him because to her, the whole idea of him loving her is preposterous when he’s been so openly prejudiced against her due to her “inferior connections.” I have to say, she’s right to do so—what a backhanded proposal—“in spite of the fact that your family sucks, I’d like to marry you.” Who needs to go into marriage with that kind of a headwind?
Hmm. I just assumed Darcy as the counterpoint to Collins. Collins slavishly follows the rules because he needs to make a living. Darcy is so rich he can break rules as he chooses. Surely there are men like that in all eras.
I think the only rule Darcy is breaking is “marrying down.” And that’s primarily why he has been in such turmoil. Darcy is above all governed by rules a proper gentleman must follow. Plus he’s a bit full of himself
I think it was actually perfectly acceptable to propose first and then speak with the family. When Mr. Collins proposed to Lizzy, I believe he had only spoken with Mrs. Bennet as far as we can tell - which wouldn't be the same as speaking with her father, of course (🙄).
I also think that while, yes, Darcy can be blunt and less outwardly friendly, he also generally follows societal rules closely (and prides himself on doing so) but he has also expressed multiple times by this point that he finds it difficult to interact with those he doesn't know well, and his being rich has allowed him to float in his usual circles as he is comfortable for most of his life. The friction he meets with Lizzy and all her acquaintances seems new, and we see that Jane and Charlotte, at least, believe his pride is not improper (mostly, I think, because they don't take it personally).
I also am reading this through the lens of being diagnosed autistic late in life and I thoroughly relate to Darcy's character. He seems aloof when he's actually dealing with social anxiety. He's direct about sharing feelings that perhaps would've been better to keep inside his head. I don't think it forgives everything, if course, but I do think his character and the proposal as it happens in the novel all make sense given what we've seen of his character up to now.
I too find the narration in this novel fascinating. The narrator tells us almost nothing about the characters other than what Elizabeth observes and thinks. What we know about the characters is largely from their own conversation and almost always, conversations where Elizabeth is present. What do we know of Charlotte other than what she tells Elizabeth and what Elizabeth thinks of her. Same with Caroline Bingley. Same with Darcy for that matter. So not only are we largely limited to Elizabeth’s perceptions, but there is significant question as to the accuracy of her perceptions. Is she really right in her disdain for the life Charlotte has chosen? Elizabeth rejected that life, but Charlotte seems perfectly content with her life at Hunsford. I am paying a lot of attention to this notion of a limited and unreliable narrator.
After the unexpected proposal and wrestling with Darcy's letter, Elizabeth concludes that she has been "blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd". She is utterly humiliated: "But vanity, not love, has been my folly." Maybe that first meeting where Darcy refused to dance with her, commenting that she "is tolerable...but not enough to tempt me", stung more than she admitted to herself and prejudiced all her future dealings with him. Darcy's social awkwardness and real or perceived arrogance confirmed her indifference to what he thought of her. She certainly now sees how her prejudice based on appearances led to her being taken in by Wickham. She is also coming around to considering that "Jane's disappointment had in fact been the work of her nearest relations". So pride, especially a vain sort of pride, and prejudice are all over these chapters and causing havoc in the emotional and the actual lives of the characters.
I think Elizabeth is very aware of the shortcomings of her own family members’ personalities and actions but pride prevents her from accepting it - I think many of us would do the same out of love, which I don’t fault.
I loved this realisation as well and noted it down as a key moment - Lizzy feeling shame and blinded and claiming never to have known herself until now.
I really enjoyed watching the two proposal scenes (after reading it, of course!) Both were incredible. In the 2005 adaptation Darcy and Elizabeth were both giving major “kiss me” energy towards the end of their discussion, despite what their words were saying - I think it was the way their eyes searched each other’s faces so intently! Oh the passion! Oh the chemistry!
I think this is why I don't like the 2005 version🤣 I can't get past all the physical romantic tension they added in and how much they deviated from the text. At this point in the novel, Elizabeth isn't into him at all and is in fact extremely offended by his proposal and everything she believes about him. She'd sooner slap than kiss him. And I don't buy that Darcy would move that close. He wouldn't feel right about anything being "improper" between them even if she hadn't rejected him. I know lots of people love it, I just feel like it's such an inaccurate interpretation that I can't personally enjoy it lol.
I completely agree. I’ve only seen the 2005 adaptation once and it deviated so far from the book that it just annoyed me. It was interesting to watch that scene alone as it is powerful but not sure Austen would recognise her characters. The 1995 scene is quite hard to watch too but just as awkward as I imagine from reading it. I am very biased as I adore the 1995 series.
100% same. I watched the series before I even read the book for the first time, because my mom loved it so much, and I just fell in love. To me, those are the characters.
lol I LOVE the 2005 version — I feel like it's a great interpretation of the text and of Lizzy's character. The 1995 is so charming, too, and I love Colin Firth as Darcy (and extra love that he reprised the role in a way, in the Bridget Jones movies!) I think the adaptations are even better once you've closely read the novel, because you can really see where some BIG decisions were made in a new way.
You are totally right on the deviation from the text, but I love the 2005 version anyway! And there are totally things that I think the 1995 gets wrong too- namely Elizabeth’s total lack of surprise/shock.
I really like the 2005 adaptation. I've watched it so many times. It's very modern, and the tomboy-ish interpretation of Elizabeth is very much what I had imagined when first read the novel many years ago. That being said, it is perhaps difficult to compare a movie to a mini series. In a 2-hour movie, dialogues have to be abbreviated, and other tropes (the rain storm here) have to be brought in to help build the atmosphere.
I really like how you're reading Knightley's version of Elizabeth as a tomboy. You've helped me realize that for me, that's what is missing in the 1995 version! I love that Lizzy's hair is messy and wind blown and tousled and imperfectly curled. It may not be accurate to the time, sure, but it's very accurate to our experience of her character and I deeply appreciate the costuming and cosmetic choices for Lizzy (and Jane!) in the 2005 version.
This is one of my all time favourite parts of the book. Both are just so on point in their dialogue. Watching the contrasting movie scenes was interesting. The classicist in me prefers 1995, however, the passion of 2005 is not to be denied.
What I absolutely am here for is the interchangeability of the words 'pride' and 'prejudice' pertaining to both Lizzy and Darcy. At various times throughout the tale both are guilty of demonstrating both their pride and prejudice. Got to love how Austen weaves this tale.
The proposal scene is one of my favourites. It's a big revelation for both of them! Darcy has been under the impression that witty, lively Lizzy was just poking a little fun at him but surely couldn't possibly hate him, while Lizzy thinks Darcy was merely being unusually polite or somehow trying to intimidate her all this time and couldn't possible be in love with her. What a wake up call lol.
The conversation is difficult for Darcy but allows him to at least begin to unpack his pride and prejudice a little bit, and leads him to write the letter that begins Elizabeth's examination of her own pride and prejudice. I love it.
I can get my thoughts recorded and move onto the next chapters. All bets are off once we start that third volume though. Plus having been the odd person never to have watched a P&P adaption, I want to finish so I can watch the films.
I also haven't seen the films! I'm not even watching these clips Haley is posting because I want to wait until I finish the book to watch in full. I don't like having the movie version of the characters impact my reading too much. But its fun reading everyone's takes on the film :)
In this section I love how Lizzy ignores the hints that Darcy likes her (unlucky chances at meeting her on walks, random questions, his staying with his aunt longer than planned…). One thing that always puzzles me is why the Darcy says to her on his first visit alone “You cannot have been always at Longbourn.” Because surely she has? I also love how she imagines what Lady Catherine would think of having her as her niece!
Interesting about nicknames. I think that Caroline Bingley mostly calls her Miss Eliza - I’d never noticed that Charlotte called her Eliza too. I’m fairly sure that in the 1995 series she calls her Lizzy whereas Miss Bingley has a wonderful sneering way of saying Eliza (& feels impertinent that she shortens her name…).
Charlotte does call her Eliza in the BBC series, but she does so with affection and obvious years of closeness, whereas Caroline has only known her a brief time and is being, as you mentioned, very impertinent in using such a familiar name. I think the contrast between Charlotte's relationship with her sets this off really brilliantly and just highlights how rude and disrespectful Caroline really is.
Elizabeth’s reading of the letter also immediately reminded about the reader question about Austen directing us how to read! I love how she gave us the letter in its own chapter and Elizabeth’s reaction in a separate one, and that we get her reactions as she reads the letter instead of after it. I tore through both and loved them both.
Because of this, I think my favorite line was, “Colonel Fitzwilliam was no longer an object. She could think only of her letter.” I love that it’s HER letter in this line. It really underscores that obsession. I’m so hooked on this book!!
that really is a very interesting finishing line for the chapter, especially Elizabeth begins reading the letter "[w]ith a strong prejudice against every thing he might say ..."
I finally "get" the power of movies. The Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth scene brings Austen's words to life in 3D that I didn't see in my minds eye when I just read the passage. Likewise, the screen writer in Joe Wright's version brought a different to the "scene" Austen created with the dialogue. Wow!
I loved the question about nicknames and understanding them through the lense of intimacy.
I always thought Victorian convention was that the eldest (unmarried) daughter present was Miss [Last Name] and any younger sisters would be Miss [First Name Maybe Last Name]. So it would make sense that Carolyn Bingley would call Elizabeth, Miss Elizabeth when Jane was around, and she would be Miss Bennet at Rosings.
There are a lot of moments in the novel leading up to this proposal that lead us to depend upon Elizabeth as a reliable judge of character. She is repeatedly shown perceiving & remarking on the blindness of others failing to perceive something that is so obvious to her, which leads us to believe she has a gift of perceptive discernment of character. She says of Jane “to be honestly so blind to the follies and nonsense of others!” (Just one of many examples) and is said to have more “quickness of observation than her sister.” (The narrator says this, it’s not just Elizabeth’s pride!) That sets us up for the irony of this moment she has realizing she was wrong and “wondered it had escaped her before.”
I’m fascinated by her reflections on good looks equaling virtue. She realizes she only thought wickham was a good guy because of his countenance, voice, and manner. Basically, because he was charming and good looking. So good looks make her more likely to assume good character, but good looks aren’t everything, because Darcy is handsome and she didn’t assume the same good of him. So good looks PLUS charm is the key? Also the “general approbation” of the neighborhood had additional great effect. But she’s realizing all of these things that she based her judgement of good character upon are hollow and that she’d actually never heard anything substantial against Darcy’s character. Other than a haughty manner and the general disapproval of the neighborhood, his character is actually good!
I wonder what Darcy thought Elizabeth’s opinion of him was leading up to this proposal. Since he was unaware of her two big “reasons” for not liking him, based solely on their interactions, what vibes was she giving out? Sometimes they seem to have flirty encounters, (the dance, other banter- but are those more flirty in the movie than the actual novel?) but others, she is rude or dismissive or deliberately misunderstands him. He indicates suspecting her of liking Wickham and even Colonel Fitzwilliam, so I can’t imagine he suspects she returns his feelings, and they don’t seem to be having loads of positive interactions. Does he believe her to reciprocate his love, or does he sense her dislike? Does he expect her to accept his proposal solely because of his status and wealth, irregardless of affection? I wonder why before professing his love he didn’t approach her with a “why don’t you like me?” first.
Anybody catching Donald Trump vibes from Lady Catherine with her “nobody feels the loss of friends as much as I do”?? Nobody feels, does or thinks XYZ as much as I do!
I do love the sparkle and the wit and the deft storytelling, but there is something very different in reading this book that I can't quite put my finger on. I have had the odd sensation that I'm watching from the outside instead of being engulfed by the story. I think it goes back to that unknown narrator from the opening sentence. I'm feeling that the narrator is Austen herself and she wants me to sense her there wryly observing these characters along with me. Whatever it is, it's giving a way more contemporary feel to the novel than I ever expected.
We are also so seldom in Darcy's head...is it a matter of his awkwardness and introverted nature? It is an interesting decision on the part of JA and one I find myself continually curious about. Watching as the story develops further.
Is this where the romance novel trope of antagonistic personalities leading to love comes from? To me, this is the weakest plot point so far. Marriage is still an alliance—the idea of romantic love being a driver is a little odd, especially in that social milieu. For Mr. Darcy to declare himself without having first discussed the match with Mr. Bennet, to me, doesn’t pass the smell test. So far we’ve seen that social hierarchies and rules are rigid, and then here comes Mr. Darcy blowing it all up. It does seem a bit more realistic when Elizabeth rejects him because to her, the whole idea of him loving her is preposterous when he’s been so openly prejudiced against her due to her “inferior connections.” I have to say, she’s right to do so—what a backhanded proposal—“in spite of the fact that your family sucks, I’d like to marry you.” Who needs to go into marriage with that kind of a headwind?
Hmm. I just assumed Darcy as the counterpoint to Collins. Collins slavishly follows the rules because he needs to make a living. Darcy is so rich he can break rules as he chooses. Surely there are men like that in all eras.
I think the only rule Darcy is breaking is “marrying down.” And that’s primarily why he has been in such turmoil. Darcy is above all governed by rules a proper gentleman must follow. Plus he’s a bit full of himself
These are small-town country gentry—chapter 30 sets up the incredible dullness of their lives very effectively.
I think it was actually perfectly acceptable to propose first and then speak with the family. When Mr. Collins proposed to Lizzy, I believe he had only spoken with Mrs. Bennet as far as we can tell - which wouldn't be the same as speaking with her father, of course (🙄).
I also think that while, yes, Darcy can be blunt and less outwardly friendly, he also generally follows societal rules closely (and prides himself on doing so) but he has also expressed multiple times by this point that he finds it difficult to interact with those he doesn't know well, and his being rich has allowed him to float in his usual circles as he is comfortable for most of his life. The friction he meets with Lizzy and all her acquaintances seems new, and we see that Jane and Charlotte, at least, believe his pride is not improper (mostly, I think, because they don't take it personally).
I also am reading this through the lens of being diagnosed autistic late in life and I thoroughly relate to Darcy's character. He seems aloof when he's actually dealing with social anxiety. He's direct about sharing feelings that perhaps would've been better to keep inside his head. I don't think it forgives everything, if course, but I do think his character and the proposal as it happens in the novel all make sense given what we've seen of his character up to now.
I too find the narration in this novel fascinating. The narrator tells us almost nothing about the characters other than what Elizabeth observes and thinks. What we know about the characters is largely from their own conversation and almost always, conversations where Elizabeth is present. What do we know of Charlotte other than what she tells Elizabeth and what Elizabeth thinks of her. Same with Caroline Bingley. Same with Darcy for that matter. So not only are we largely limited to Elizabeth’s perceptions, but there is significant question as to the accuracy of her perceptions. Is she really right in her disdain for the life Charlotte has chosen? Elizabeth rejected that life, but Charlotte seems perfectly content with her life at Hunsford. I am paying a lot of attention to this notion of a limited and unreliable narrator.
Yes, we are looking and listening over Elizabeth’s shoulder the entire time!
After the unexpected proposal and wrestling with Darcy's letter, Elizabeth concludes that she has been "blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd". She is utterly humiliated: "But vanity, not love, has been my folly." Maybe that first meeting where Darcy refused to dance with her, commenting that she "is tolerable...but not enough to tempt me", stung more than she admitted to herself and prejudiced all her future dealings with him. Darcy's social awkwardness and real or perceived arrogance confirmed her indifference to what he thought of her. She certainly now sees how her prejudice based on appearances led to her being taken in by Wickham. She is also coming around to considering that "Jane's disappointment had in fact been the work of her nearest relations". So pride, especially a vain sort of pride, and prejudice are all over these chapters and causing havoc in the emotional and the actual lives of the characters.
I think Elizabeth is very aware of the shortcomings of her own family members’ personalities and actions but pride prevents her from accepting it - I think many of us would do the same out of love, which I don’t fault.
I loved this realisation as well and noted it down as a key moment - Lizzy feeling shame and blinded and claiming never to have known herself until now.
I really enjoyed watching the two proposal scenes (after reading it, of course!) Both were incredible. In the 2005 adaptation Darcy and Elizabeth were both giving major “kiss me” energy towards the end of their discussion, despite what their words were saying - I think it was the way their eyes searched each other’s faces so intently! Oh the passion! Oh the chemistry!
I think this is why I don't like the 2005 version🤣 I can't get past all the physical romantic tension they added in and how much they deviated from the text. At this point in the novel, Elizabeth isn't into him at all and is in fact extremely offended by his proposal and everything she believes about him. She'd sooner slap than kiss him. And I don't buy that Darcy would move that close. He wouldn't feel right about anything being "improper" between them even if she hadn't rejected him. I know lots of people love it, I just feel like it's such an inaccurate interpretation that I can't personally enjoy it lol.
I completely agree. I’ve only seen the 2005 adaptation once and it deviated so far from the book that it just annoyed me. It was interesting to watch that scene alone as it is powerful but not sure Austen would recognise her characters. The 1995 scene is quite hard to watch too but just as awkward as I imagine from reading it. I am very biased as I adore the 1995 series.
100% same. I watched the series before I even read the book for the first time, because my mom loved it so much, and I just fell in love. To me, those are the characters.
lol I LOVE the 2005 version — I feel like it's a great interpretation of the text and of Lizzy's character. The 1995 is so charming, too, and I love Colin Firth as Darcy (and extra love that he reprised the role in a way, in the Bridget Jones movies!) I think the adaptations are even better once you've closely read the novel, because you can really see where some BIG decisions were made in a new way.
I can definitely see why you'd like it! I don't even think it's bad, my brain just gets stuck on everything that's different and I can't enjoy it.
I love Colin Firth so much but I also didn't really vibe with Bridget Jones lol. But I don't want to yuck someone else's yum - it just wasn't for me!
You are totally right on the deviation from the text, but I love the 2005 version anyway! And there are totally things that I think the 1995 gets wrong too- namely Elizabeth’s total lack of surprise/shock.
That's fair! I'm looking forward to watching the 1995 again after finishing the slow-read and comparing!
I really like the 2005 adaptation. I've watched it so many times. It's very modern, and the tomboy-ish interpretation of Elizabeth is very much what I had imagined when first read the novel many years ago. That being said, it is perhaps difficult to compare a movie to a mini series. In a 2-hour movie, dialogues have to be abbreviated, and other tropes (the rain storm here) have to be brought in to help build the atmosphere.
so it's hard to be completely faithful to the book.
I really like how you're reading Knightley's version of Elizabeth as a tomboy. You've helped me realize that for me, that's what is missing in the 1995 version! I love that Lizzy's hair is messy and wind blown and tousled and imperfectly curled. It may not be accurate to the time, sure, but it's very accurate to our experience of her character and I deeply appreciate the costuming and cosmetic choices for Lizzy (and Jane!) in the 2005 version.
In terms of casting, Daniel Day Lewis for Darcy.
This is one of my all time favourite parts of the book. Both are just so on point in their dialogue. Watching the contrasting movie scenes was interesting. The classicist in me prefers 1995, however, the passion of 2005 is not to be denied.
What I absolutely am here for is the interchangeability of the words 'pride' and 'prejudice' pertaining to both Lizzy and Darcy. At various times throughout the tale both are guilty of demonstrating both their pride and prejudice. Got to love how Austen weaves this tale.
And yet interesting that the books original title was First Impressions...which completing dovetails with the shifts of pride and prejudice.
The proposal scene is one of my favourites. It's a big revelation for both of them! Darcy has been under the impression that witty, lively Lizzy was just poking a little fun at him but surely couldn't possibly hate him, while Lizzy thinks Darcy was merely being unusually polite or somehow trying to intimidate her all this time and couldn't possible be in love with her. What a wake up call lol.
The conversation is difficult for Darcy but allows him to at least begin to unpack his pride and prejudice a little bit, and leads him to write the letter that begins Elizabeth's examination of her own pride and prejudice. I love it.
Anyone else get too excited and finish the book last week? Maybe I am not suited for closely reading. I’m 150 pages into Middlemarch now, lol.
I can hardly wait for Haley to post on Mondays so
I can get my thoughts recorded and move onto the next chapters. All bets are off once we start that third volume though. Plus having been the odd person never to have watched a P&P adaption, I want to finish so I can watch the films.
I also haven't seen the films! I'm not even watching these clips Haley is posting because I want to wait until I finish the book to watch in full. I don't like having the movie version of the characters impact my reading too much. But its fun reading everyone's takes on the film :)
I’m waiting until I finish as well.
In this section I love how Lizzy ignores the hints that Darcy likes her (unlucky chances at meeting her on walks, random questions, his staying with his aunt longer than planned…). One thing that always puzzles me is why the Darcy says to her on his first visit alone “You cannot have been always at Longbourn.” Because surely she has? I also love how she imagines what Lady Catherine would think of having her as her niece!
Interesting about nicknames. I think that Caroline Bingley mostly calls her Miss Eliza - I’d never noticed that Charlotte called her Eliza too. I’m fairly sure that in the 1995 series she calls her Lizzy whereas Miss Bingley has a wonderful sneering way of saying Eliza (& feels impertinent that she shortens her name…).
Charlotte does call her Eliza in the BBC series, but she does so with affection and obvious years of closeness, whereas Caroline has only known her a brief time and is being, as you mentioned, very impertinent in using such a familiar name. I think the contrast between Charlotte's relationship with her sets this off really brilliantly and just highlights how rude and disrespectful Caroline really is.
Elizabeth’s reading of the letter also immediately reminded about the reader question about Austen directing us how to read! I love how she gave us the letter in its own chapter and Elizabeth’s reaction in a separate one, and that we get her reactions as she reads the letter instead of after it. I tore through both and loved them both.
Because of this, I think my favorite line was, “Colonel Fitzwilliam was no longer an object. She could think only of her letter.” I love that it’s HER letter in this line. It really underscores that obsession. I’m so hooked on this book!!
that really is a very interesting finishing line for the chapter, especially Elizabeth begins reading the letter "[w]ith a strong prejudice against every thing he might say ..."
I finally "get" the power of movies. The Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth scene brings Austen's words to life in 3D that I didn't see in my minds eye when I just read the passage. Likewise, the screen writer in Joe Wright's version brought a different to the "scene" Austen created with the dialogue. Wow!
Getting here a little late. :laughing
I loved the question about nicknames and understanding them through the lense of intimacy.
I always thought Victorian convention was that the eldest (unmarried) daughter present was Miss [Last Name] and any younger sisters would be Miss [First Name Maybe Last Name]. So it would make sense that Carolyn Bingley would call Elizabeth, Miss Elizabeth when Jane was around, and she would be Miss Bennet at Rosings.
There are a lot of moments in the novel leading up to this proposal that lead us to depend upon Elizabeth as a reliable judge of character. She is repeatedly shown perceiving & remarking on the blindness of others failing to perceive something that is so obvious to her, which leads us to believe she has a gift of perceptive discernment of character. She says of Jane “to be honestly so blind to the follies and nonsense of others!” (Just one of many examples) and is said to have more “quickness of observation than her sister.” (The narrator says this, it’s not just Elizabeth’s pride!) That sets us up for the irony of this moment she has realizing she was wrong and “wondered it had escaped her before.”
I’m fascinated by her reflections on good looks equaling virtue. She realizes she only thought wickham was a good guy because of his countenance, voice, and manner. Basically, because he was charming and good looking. So good looks make her more likely to assume good character, but good looks aren’t everything, because Darcy is handsome and she didn’t assume the same good of him. So good looks PLUS charm is the key? Also the “general approbation” of the neighborhood had additional great effect. But she’s realizing all of these things that she based her judgement of good character upon are hollow and that she’d actually never heard anything substantial against Darcy’s character. Other than a haughty manner and the general disapproval of the neighborhood, his character is actually good!
I wonder what Darcy thought Elizabeth’s opinion of him was leading up to this proposal. Since he was unaware of her two big “reasons” for not liking him, based solely on their interactions, what vibes was she giving out? Sometimes they seem to have flirty encounters, (the dance, other banter- but are those more flirty in the movie than the actual novel?) but others, she is rude or dismissive or deliberately misunderstands him. He indicates suspecting her of liking Wickham and even Colonel Fitzwilliam, so I can’t imagine he suspects she returns his feelings, and they don’t seem to be having loads of positive interactions. Does he believe her to reciprocate his love, or does he sense her dislike? Does he expect her to accept his proposal solely because of his status and wealth, irregardless of affection? I wonder why before professing his love he didn’t approach her with a “why don’t you like me?” first.
Love that 2005 scene. The sexual tension!
Anybody catching Donald Trump vibes from Lady Catherine with her “nobody feels the loss of friends as much as I do”?? Nobody feels, does or thinks XYZ as much as I do!