"one has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it"
Pride & Prejudice | Week 7: end of Vol. 2 | on old maids, drooping apace, and dreams of a little sea-bathing
Welcome to the Closely Reading book club: a space where we closely read classic literature together and discuss assigned chapters each week.
Last week, I shared with all of you the importance of giving yourself a lot of grace if you found yourself unmotivated to read or falling behind on the schedule, and Reader: this week, I needed that reminder myself.
If you’re not aware, this Substack is a total passion project for me. It’s nowhere near my full-time job (what a dream that would be!!!!) and reading for it, writing posts, drafting new essays, brainstorming ideas, and creating resources, along with doing the fun academic research I love to bring to the experience…it all takes place in my evening and weekend time.
During the day, I work full time as a writer and strategist on a sales team — and if you know sales, you know the work can really spiral up into a frenzy every few weeks. This last week was a real *cluster* at work. I was working late, jumping on early meetings, and I found myself reaching for my novel at the end of every work day…but deciding to go for a walk or take a nap, instead. I felt really burned out and I’m grateful I could take a few nights off just to rest.
Thank you so much for your patience as I worked to get this week’s guide out. For anyone who was waiting in painful anticipation, I hope it was worth the wait. Can’t wait to meet you all in the comments!
This week, we’re discussing Pride & Prejudice volume 2, chapters 15-19 (through the end of volume 2).
Welcome to week 7 of our Pride & Prejudice read-a-long
If you have not completed our chapters for this week yet, I encourage you to do so before reading today’s guide.
Please remember to avoid spoilers in the comments.
Now let’s get to it!
This week, we experience the juicy aftermath of Darcy’s proposal and Lizzy’s return to Longbourn—and eventual departure to (drumroll…!) Pemberley.
In chronological order, here are some highlights from this week’s reading (with new characters in bold):
Elizabeth departs the Collinses home and meets up with Jane and her sisters on the trip back home
The sisters dine together as Lydia dishes about regiment gossip and lets everyone know that Wickham is back in the area
Lydia runs her mouth, gossips, spends money frivolously, worries a lot about her appearance, calls Jane an “old maid” and uses “a voice rather louder than any other person’s” (this chapter had me cracking up constantly!)
Mary tells her sisters she much prefers a book to all this boring gossip and I decided I need to pay more attention to Mary. Poor Mary!
Lizzy tells Jane about the proposal and shares (almost) all the contents of Darcy’s letter — and in a classic Jane move, she cannot believe any man could be as wicked as Wickham (it’s all in the name, isn’t it…)
Lizzy and Jane discuss character and Lizzy tells Jane that she’ll have to make a decision — she can’t go on thinking both men are good when the evidence shows that one has hurt another
This seems to profoundly shake Jane’s worldview, as she is someone who wants always to find the good in everyone.
Lizzy wonders if she should tell everyone about Wickham and reveal his true character; she also decides not to tell Jane about Darcy’s confession about Bingley because it will hurt Jane’s feelings immensely
Mrs. Bennet brings up the entail yet again, reminding us that we’re far from solving that problem
Chapter 18 was a nonstop giggle fest on my end. I took myself out to lunch and read over an iced latte and when I tell you I was having to stifle my laughter, I mean it. We got some of the funniest snark yet, including this line about Lydia:
“the death-warrant of all possibility of common sense” and I was laughing so hard!
Lizzy and Mr. Bennet have a discussion about Lydia’s behavior. It’s very awkward and I could not help but want to smack Mr. Bennet for being so inconsiderate of Jane’s and Lizzy’s reputations.
Lizzy has a final dinner with Wickham before his regiment departs and she humiliates him without him even realizing what happened. A goddess. A queen. An icon.
Lizzy joins her aunt and uncle on a sight-seeing tour…and they decide to head to Pemberley. Yes: that Pemberley. Darcy’s Pemberley.
The theme in this week’s chapters that struck me most was Lizzy’s psychological and emotional moves into deeper feeling and analysis about her own feelings and desires, her family’s particular patterns (especially her father’s behavior), and her ideas about what would make her happy in the future.
In chapter 15, for example, Elizabeth ponders that Charlotte has not chosen to marry Collins ignorantly: “she had chosen it with her eyes open.” For the first time—perhaps thanks time passing and immediate reactions ebbing—Elizabeth better understands Charlotte’s decision to marry the buffoonish Mr. Collins. And she even starts to respect the choice.
Later in that same chapter, Elizabeth considers the many dynamics at play in telling Jane about the Darcy proposal. She knows the news has “the power of astonishment,” while she likewise admits that Darcy’s proposal gratified her own vanity. This made me laugh out loud: Lizzy admits to herself that being proposed to by the wealthy, stoic man who bruised her ego months ago was deliciously satisfying, even if she (perhaps especially because she) turned him down.
Elizabeth also considers that talking to Jane about Darcy may spark memories of Bingley — a painful reminder of the fact that Jane did not receive a very much desired proposal while Lizzy is already on her second refusal in mere weeks.
In the last two chapters of this section, Elizabeth also ponders her father’s apparent failures as a husband and the unhappiness of her parents’ relationship. She thinks about her own future; she wonders about the kind of partnership and support she most wants; she frets about Lydia’s frivolity. Elizabeth seems to keenly recognize—in the wake of Darcy’s proposal and letter—the facts of society and system in her life.
Lizzy begins to grapple more deeply, in these chapters, with her situation in what feels, to me, a much more grounded, realistic, and logical way.
She’s worrying about how Lydia’s behavior will damage the family’s reputation. She is turning a more critical eye onto her father’s aloof behavior and her mother’s neuroses and lack of individuality. She is more sensitive now, despite her constant protestations about Darcy’s judgements and pride, that her own position is precarious and that, despite having hopes and dreams for her future relationship, she may struggle to attain her desires.
And then, oh then, she gets to toy with Wickham like a mouse in the grip of a bored cat. I could not help but feel that her hilariously dismissive baiting of Wickham was her way of revealing to him that she has seen through his act and that she recognizes how much she allowed his charm and appearance of goodness to cloud her increasingly clear vision of the future.
As I’m writing this, I’m thinking more and more that the theme for me in this set of chapters was clarity.
Lizzy’s vision is changing, even maturing. And when I wonder about why and how these changes have come about, I believe I have Mr. Darcy to thank. His proposal stunned her and made her feel complimented; his letter likewise stunned her and made her realize how much she did not know. He has invited her to recognize that the world is wider and more astonishing than she perhaps knew before; he has challenged her worldview and, in a surprising turn of events, she seems to be embracing—rather than teasingly dismissing—these changes within herself.
There is a tempering of pride and a questioning of prejudice.
Long story short: Darcy’s letter has awakened a new level of self awareness in Lizzy and I am so here for it.
Okay: real talk. Are ya’ll using the exercises? Are they helpful? What do you want some guidance on? I’d love to make these more actionable or meaningful for you! Let me know what you’d like to see.
In lieu of specific activities this week, allow me to point you back to the note-taking outline I’ve created to help you compile your thoughts each week.
Every week, I share my favorite sentence. And I invite you to do the same in the comments.
“She saw that he wanted to engage her on the old subject of his grievances, and she was in no humour to indulge him.”
I love a woman with boundaries.
This sentence comes from that devastatingly embarrassing scene for Wickham (who frankly is too stupid and arrogant to even realize the extent of Lizzy’s wreckage of him).
As someone who was raised to always give men room for their grievances and to gently hear them out and offer endless support, I love that Lizzy basically says “shut up” and waves Wickham goodbye. She won’t indulge him and removes herself from being trapped as his rapt audience. There’s perhaps no greater revenge than that for a man like Wickham, is there?
A few questions came in this week! Let’s cover them.
Question:
Rebecca Romney's book is all over my feeds. I don't know if looking up things about P&P has triggered the algorithms or if it's just really trending. I'm wondering if you might be thinking about reading and/or posting about it at some point. It's unavailable through my free channels and pretty pricey at the moment so I don't expect to be digging into it any time soon.
Answer:
It’s been on my feeds a lot, too! And I do believe it’s trending—with considerable hype. I read a really similar book about Edith Wharton by the scholar Sheila Liming a few years ago, and I loved learning about Wharton’s personal library. So I’ll definitely be getting ac copy of Romney’s book. I’ll let you know how it is!
Question:
In chapter 10/33 during the conversation between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Lizzy, she queries him and he replies, “These are home questions….” What is the meaning of that phrase?
Answer:
This is a fantastic question—and those close reading skills are on display! Nice catch here. I’m unfamiliar with the phrase. From the context of conversation—in which Lizzy is ribbing Colonel Fitzwilliam a bit for not truly understanding the plight of the impoverished—I wonder if he’s basically saying “these are very direct or targeted questions,” as in, “these questions really drive home at the issue.”
I googled the phrase and, unsurprisingly, all the results were about Pride and Prejudice. A few sources suggested that “home questions” may be questions about home and family — or, intimate questions that aren’t appropriate for the public sphere.
Hmm. Fun question. What do you all think? Any additional context or thoughts to bring to this excellent question?
Question:
I am interested in the use of italics (assuming all editions have it). It is during the proposal scene for example: “why with so little 'endeavour’”... or ... “was not this some excuse for incivility, if I 'was' uncivil?”
Answer:
Great question! Italics are typically used for emphasis in novels. They help us know which words the speaker is adding energy, feeling, or double meaning to. So, in the quotes you shared, we can use the italics to see where Darcy and Elizabeth are adding extra feeling or emphasis to their words.
Read the lines aloud to help you “hear” the italics. When Elizabeth puts in the emphasis on “if I was uncivil,” she’s implying—especially with the emphasis on “was”—that she doubts that she actually did behave uncivilly and that Darcy is making a wild accusation by saying so. In this instance, reading it aloud can help you understand Lizzy’s tone. Her “was” is a bit of an eye roll.
Question
I’m a bit behind, so feel free not to answer this question as we’re past it, but in vol 2 ch 6, Lady Catherine says “I see no occasion for entailing estates from the female line. —it was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis de Bourgh’s family.” I thought estates were entailed because females could not legally own or inherit property? So how is it that Lady Catherine inherited her late husband’s estate and is allowed to live there without a male owner?
Answer
Great question! And worth answering for sure, especially because as we see this week, the entail continues to haunt the Bennet family.
You’re right that entails were created to keep women from owning or inheriting property. But Rosings has no entail. Lady Catherine’s husband decided he wanted his estate to pass to his wife and daughter. He, a powerful land owner and nobleman, had the right to allow his estate to pass to whomever he chose, and he chose his wife.
(The rich back then, in many ways like today, could make themselves exceptions to the laws that governed everyone else.)
Want to submit a question for next time? Here’s the form.
WEEK 8 | Monday, March 10
Read volume 3, chapters 1-6
(Continuous chapters: 43-48)
Here we go, off into Volume 3!!!
The full schedule is available here:
Meet me in the comments
What was your favorite part of these chapters?
What was your least favorite part?
What do you think will happen next? (No spoilers if you already know!)
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‘Til next time…happy reading!
This book, this group, Haley’s guidance and thoughts - what a pleasure!
Something that stood out to me this week - Mr. Bennet sort of blew my mind rationalizing his reasoning for allowing Lydia to go to Brighton to Lizzy. “Lydia will never be easy till she has exposed herself in some public place or other, and we can never expect her to do it with so little expense or inconvenience to her family as under the present circumstances.” So….he feels she is going to make a fool of herself in public sooner or later and he rather it occur far from home when he isn’t around to witness it. Makes sense, but “WOW Mr. B!”
First: Look after yourself, Haley... Hope things calm down soon... Second: Although I watched the serial when it came out, I've not actually read this novel for -- gulp -- 50 years... And I'd completely forgotten (and have therefore been surprised by) the family dynamics. Back then I thought Mrs Bennet a silly old bat, and Mr Bennet an enviably cool customer, sailing calmly above the chaos around him, and staying detached and witty. Now I feel a bit sorry for Mrs B, who probably couldn't really help the limited education that led to her "weak understanding and illiberal mind". (She actually sounds as though she was once a bit like Lydia, captivating Mr B "by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humor which youth and beauty generally give".) Mr B, on the other hand, is now annoying me very much with his totally irresponsible hands-off approach, his refusal to take anything seriously, and his readiness to expose "his wife to the contempt of her own children".