Directions: 1) Read Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - Chapters XXXV-XLV (Pages 132-182).
2) Compose a response using 2-3 direct quotations from the text. Think about the following overarching questions in your responses: If Elizabeth dislikes Darcy so strongly, why does she weep after turning down his proposal? How does Darcy’s letter make her reconsider her own behavior and judgments? How do Elizabeth’s comments about Darcy at dinner cause Wickham concern? What does the author reveal in this section about the nature of the Bennet marriage? The novel was originally titled First Impressions. How have our first impressions been impacted at this point in the novel with regard to the following characters: Elizabeth, Jane, Mr. Darcy, Lydia, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Wickham, Charlotte, Lady Catherine, and Mr. Collins.
BBC America Presents: Where are they now?
Elizabeth Bennet
Mr. Darcy
Mr. Collins
Lydia Bennet
Mr. Bingley
Mrs. Bennet
I think Elizabeth weeps after turning down Mr.Darcy because he was very genuine about the way he feels about her, and he never takes back anything he had said; even after she criticizes him. The letter she received from him the next day is just him saying his truth and getting a chance to say everything he didn’t get to say the night before. I think it made Elizabeth step back and realize that she made assumptions about him even though she didn’t even hear his side of the story. She then realizes that even her character has flaws. Elizabeth tells Mr.Wickam that she’s gotten to know Mr.Darcy better since they spent so much time together at Rosings, and that she understands him more. She doesn’t believe that he is fully ill natured now. I think what I’ve learned in these chapters is that the older Bennett sisters are running out of time and that they need to get married. People know that the family is struggling and that the family relies on the girls getting married to get them out of poverty. On page 180 Ms. Bingley says to Elizabeth, “Pray, Miss Eliza, are not the--- shire militia removed from Meryton? They must be a great loss to your family.” As the reader you know that Ms.Bingley is envious of Elizabeth because she wants Mr.Darcy to like her instead. But everyone kind of knows that the girls are in a difficult financial situation. “Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest blush” (168). As I suspected earlier Mr.Darcy and Ms.Bennet are forming a closer relationship and are interested in each other. I predict that in the future, the two will wed. The Original title of the book, First Impressions is a fitting title as well as Pride and Prejudice. The book really is about first impressions and how they change overtime as the characters get to know one another better.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Pride and Prejudice I think Elizabeth cried so much after rejecting Darcy’s proposal because I think she still has feelings for him even though she doesn’t like him as a person. I think after she read his letter she realized how she misjudged him and she starts to see his side of things and is understanding more about why he did what he did; but, I do think she will always hold resentment against him because of what he did to the relationship between her sister Jane and Mr. Bingley. The author revealed the flaws in how the bennet’s married, because the father married Mrs. Bennet because of her looks but after years of being together he realized how little they have in common and how his and her personality doesn't match well and is why there is so much tension in the house. I think our first impressions of Mr. Darcy change greatly in these chapters because at first when we saw him elizabeth wasn’t pretty enough to tempt him but now on page 132 he says, “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” He was talking to Elizabeth about how much he loved her even though he tried not to because she doesn’t have a lot of money and is below him but still, he can’t get her out of his head. In this section we also learn a lot more about how much wit Elizabeth really has because she talks about how Mr. Darcy could have, “made the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it.” and I think in this section she shows more of her true colors.
ReplyDeleteAfter so many important events occur in such little time in the novel, the reader is left to believe that there may have always been feeling for Darcy in Elizabeth all along. It is first inferred that Elizabeth has feelings for Darcy when she breaks down and cries after turning down his marriage proposal. In this new set of chapters, the reader witnesses the rapid progression of Elizabeth's interest in Darcy, as she is seen going to his house and dining with his family and the Bingleys. When Elizabeth is touring Pemberley, the housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, begins to describe how kind a man Mr. Darcy is. The reader sees Elizabeth find interest in this new side of Mr. Darcy as the novel says, “‘In what amiable light does this place him!’ thought Elizabeth”(166). Elizabeth seems to be easing into the idea of possibly becoming friends with Mr. Darcy and, quite possibly, considering a further relationship like marriage. This new perspective of Elizabeth can be traced back to chapter 35 when Mr. Darcy wrote a letter to Elizabeth explaining the real truth about Mr. Wickham. In the letter, the key piece of information that startles Elizabeth is when the letter states, “He so far recommended himself to Georgiana, whose affectionate heart retained a strong impression of his kindness to her as a child, that she was persuaded to believe herself in love, and to consent to an elopement”(137). This section of the letter reveals to Elizabeth that she put too much trust into Wickham when he told her that Darcy stole the inheritance money from him. In reality, Mr. Wickham tried to take advantage of a young and underage Georgiana Darcy in order to gain the inheritance money meant for Georgiana from Darcy’s father. Elizabeth is shocked about this information and begins to rethink her decisions in the past few weeks. It is at this time in the novel that the reader witnesses Elizabeth start to show feelings for Mr. Darcy whom she has despised until now in the novel.
ReplyDeletePart of me expected Mr. Darcy to ask for Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, but I equally expected for his pride to get in the way, while he mentions it would be a disappointment to his family to marry a person with insignificant wealth to his. Mr. Darcy’s astonishment in the rejection and feelings hurt towards his character prompts him to write a letter back to Elizabeth explaining what he drove off Mr. Wickham and broke up Mr. Bingley and Jane. “ If your abhorrence of me should make my assertions valueless, you cannot be prevented by the same cause from confiding in my cousin; and that there may be the possibility of consulting him, I shall endeavor to find some opportunity of putting this letter in your hands in the course of the morning. I will only add, God bless you (138) as he concludes the letter not knowing if he’ll resurrect the relationship they once had. Elizabeth distraught, explains the whole situation to Jane once she gets back from Mr. Collins with meeting de bourge. This is where I think Jane shows her true colors if she hasn’t already. Elizabeth and Jane both intelligent, we’ve found out long before that Jane more or less kept to herself and was obedient, while Elizabeth would express her frustration but also be blinded by the good she sees in people. “I do not know when I have been more shocked,” said she. “Wickham so very bad! It is almost past belief. And poor Mr. Darcy! Dear Lizzy, only consider what he must have suffered. Such a disappointment! and with the knowledge of your ill opinion, too! and having to relate such a thing of his sister! It is really too distressing. I am sure you must feel it so” (152). Even Jane takes the letter at face value and may have not known Mr. Whickham as well as Elizabeth knew him for, she shows sympathy for Mr. Darcy even when he normally comes across as being arrogant and deceitful; it’s also not to be ignored that Jane is just as sad about the parting of Mr. Bingley as she was when it just took place, “Jane was not happy. She still cherished a very tender affection for Bingley. Having never even fancied herself in love before”. I’m interested to find out whether Bingley and Jane rekindle what was lost, how Miss Darcy is the polar opposite of Mr. Darcy, and if the whole arrangement was set up my Mr. Darcy to gain back Elizabeth’s respect and ideally love.
ReplyDeleteAfter rejecting Mr. Darcy’s proposal Elizabeth is in sorrow. After everything that Mr. Darcy has said and done to her I agree with the way she feels and how she acted. However, she weeps because she knows that Mr. Darcy is a wealthy man which is what she needs. After reading the letter Mr. Darcy gives her she realizes that she should not have fully trusted Mr. Wickham “Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined.” (142). Darcy claims that he did take care of him after his father passed away, unlike what Mr. Wickham told Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s emotions now have shifted away from anger and into regret. “But when this subject was succeeded by his account of Mr. Wickham—when she read with somewhat clearer attention a relation of events which, if true, must overthrow every cherished opinion of his worth”. (143) At dinner, Elizabeth makes Wickham concerned because he knows he lied to her. The Author reveals that Mr. Bennet like Mrs. Bennet more for her looks. As their marriage continued through the years Mr. Bennet’s love for her diminishes because of her personality. A lot has happened throughout the novel so far, which makes an impact on how we see our main characters. At the beginning we see Elizabeth and Darcy both having disagreeable impressions with each other, but now we see that Darcy has a strong interest in her and vice versa. Elizabeth's first impression of Mr. Wickham was a charming and nice man. Now Elizabeth sees him as a liar. Mrs. Bennet’s goal was to get her daughter’s married to a respectable man but her behavior has caused some difficulties. She also spoke about Charlotte in a distasteful way in front of Mr. Bingley. Lady Catherine was described as being a very likable person but when we get to know her better we see she is egotistical and feels she has power because of her wealth. Mr. Collins was introduced as being a respectable man but now we see his foolishness and true self.
ReplyDeleteDarcy’s letter tells Elizabeth Darcy’s side of the story, giving him the first chance to defend himself. This letter also goes into more detail about Darcy and Wickham’s issues, “My father supported him at school, and afterwards at Cambridge—most important assistance, as his own father, always poor from the extravagance of his wife, would have been unable to give him a gentleman’s education. My father was not only fond of this young man’s society...He had some intention, he added, of studying law, and I must be aware that the interest of one thousand pounds would be a very insufficient support therein. I rather wished, than believed him to be sincere; but, at any rate, was perfectly ready to accede to his proposal. I knew that Mr. Wickham ought not to be a clergyman; the business was therefore soon settled—he resigned all claim to assistance in the church, were it possible that he could ever be in a situation to receive it, and accepted in return three thousand pounds. All connection between us seemed now dissolved”(136). This is information that Mr. Wickham never shared with her, even though at first Elizabeth doesn’t trust what is written. Elizabeth then met with Mr. Wickham for dinner as she wasn’t going to see him for a while. “While she spoke, Wickham looked as if scarcely knowing whether to rejoice over her words, or to distrust their meaning. There was a something in her countenance which made him listen with an apprehensive and anxious attention, while she added: “When I said that he improved on acquaintance, I did not mean that his mind or his manners were in a state of improvement, but that, from knowing him better, his disposition was better understood.” Wickham’s alarm now appeared in a heightened complexion and 163 agitated look; for a few minutes he was silent, till, shaking off his embarrassment, he turned to her again, and said in the gentlest of accents ”(158). Elizabeth now sees Wickham as a liar, taking in the Darcy’s letter, as seen in this quote, Wickham seems confused about how to comprehend what Elizabeth is saying. Austen reveals that Mr. Bennet initially married Mrs. Bennet just for her looks, and that as time went on, he noticed they had little to nothing in common.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading chapters 26 through 45, I've noticed that even after she receives and reads the letter, Elizabeth still is mad at Darcy, but is even more mad and knows Wickham is a liar. “My father supported him at school, and afterwards at Cambridge—most important assistance, as his own father, always poor from the extravagance of his wife, would have been unable to give him a gentleman’s education. My father was not only fond of this young man’s society...He had some intention, he added, of studying law, and I must be aware that the interest of one thousand pounds would be a very insufficient support therein. I rather wished, than believed him to be sincere; but, at any rate, was perfectly ready to accede to his proposal. I knew that Mr. Wickham ought not to be a clergyman; the business was therefore soon settled—he resigned all claim to assistance in the church, were it possible that he could ever be in a situation to receive it, and accepted in return three thousand pounds. All connection between us seemed now dissolved”(136). Darcy tries to explain that he tried to take care of his father and how Wickham is a liar and a cheat who tries to get back at Darcy anyway possible. Later in these chapters we find out that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet married for love, but not "love" more in the way that Mr. Bennet thought she was pretty.
ReplyDeleteNick Criniti
ReplyDeleteElizabeth starts to cry after turning down Darcys proposal because of one reason in my opinion. I fell like she cried because she was furious that Darcy broke up the relationship of her sister Jane and Darcys friend Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth has had a lot of different emotions throughout the last couple chapters and I think another proposal was probably a lot to handle. “Yet, how just a humiliation! Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind!” Elizabeth starts to notice her self that maybe if she was in a relationship she would be more happy. Darcys letter could make Elizabeth reconsider and I some what feel bad for Darcy because in his childhood his relationship with Mr. Bingley affected the way that their relationship is now. "I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities!” She knows that her decision are some what of a wrong doing and cant fix it now.
I think Austen made a good call when she changed the title from First Impressions to Pride and Prejudice. I think if it was called First Impressions, it would have given too much away that maybe first impressions of people wouldn’t be your final impression of them. Our first impression of Mr. Darcy seems to be that he’s a very cold-hearted person who doesn’t forgive people after they have done him wrong. We think he’s like this because it is just the way he is but I think he began to not trust people after Wickam was with his fifteen-year-old sister. On 136, in Mr. Darcy’s letter, he writes, “I rather wished than believed him to be sincere” and I think that’s Austen’s way of telling us why Darcy is like this. I think it’s so hard for him to trust people after this man who was like his brother betrayed him in so many ways. I think another impression that would have been ruined in a way if it was called First impressions would have been Lizzy. At the beginning of the book, we thought that she was the reason in her relationship with Jane. She was never going to be the one who is so blindly in love so that she can't think straight. But on 141 she says, “I, who have prided myself on my discernment!... Had I been in love, I could have been more wretchedly blind!” We are starting to see that Lizzy herself wasn’t taking her own advice and is now paying the price. She told Jane that she didn’t know Bingley for a lot of time so she can’t say he’s the one and now here she was saying the same thing about Wickam and look how he deceived her. First Impressions would have given some of the mystery away but with the title Pride and Prejudice, it doesn’t as much. You only start to realize the meaning of the title after you start the book. Austen sets it up perfectly in the scene where they are talking about their flaws to reveal that Darcy is the “pride” and Elizabeth is the “prejudice”.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading chapters 35 to 45 I think Elizabeth weeps after turning down his proposal because she realized that his proposal and his feelings were genuine and he truly cared for her. She also probably feels the same way about him but she can’t morally be with him because of how he treated her family and Jane and the people he was around and even how he treated her. With the letter, she reconsiders her behavior because she realizes he’s not as horrible a person as she had previously thought he was. The letter made her realize how wrong she was to judge Darcy based on what Wickham had said especially since she had really just met him and she hadn’t heard both sides of the story. She also realizes that he was kind of right about Jane and Bingley and he was just trying to do the best for his friend. Elizabeth’s comments at dinner cause Wickham concern because they sort of showed that Elizabeth knew that he was really lying. While talking about his cousins manner being different than Darcy’s, Elizabeth mentions "Yes, very different. But I think Mr. Darcy improves upon acquaintance"(158) which shows Wickham how much her opinions have changed since they discussed him last. The author reveals about the marriage of the Bennets that their marriage is flawed on both ends with both Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and it wasn’t just one of their faults and Elizabeth sees this now. She realizes that her father is “very little otherwise indebted, than as her ignorance and folly had contributed to his amusement”(159) to his wife. I think our first impressions of Mr. Wickham have changed the most drastically of all of the characters because we all thought he was going to be the perfect man for Elizabeth and they were going to fall in love and we also felt bad for him that Darcy was so rude to him but with the insight that Mr. Darcy gave us, we learned all that to be wrong and now Wickham is basically the enemy.
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading these few chapters I can tell that Elizabeth was very hurt she declined Mr. Darcy's offer of marriage. I always had a feeling that he would develop feelings for Elizabeth and ask her hand in marriage, there were always little clues in the novel that lead to this. Elizabeth cried a lot after saying no to Mr. Darcy because you can tell she has feelings for him but can not stand his character. She believes he is a horrible person and she cannot picture herself with a guy like him even with her feelings for him. After receiving the letter from him the next day and reading it I think she realizes what kind of a man he actually is and what he went through. “Her feelings as she read were scarcely to be defined” (142). First impressions in this book come back full circle to where we are in the book now. Elizabeth's first impressions of Mr. Darcy was now wrong in her eyes after this letter. She explained that Mr. Darcy changes the more you talk to him. “Yes, very different. But I think Mr. Darcy approves upon aquantince” (158). This shows that her opinion of him has changed over and over again after speaking to him several times.
Maddy Francis
Pride and prejudice can be both positive or negative. Pride is having a high satisfaction in one’s self, whether it’s the things they do, or certain qualities they have. While as prejudice is one’s perception towards others based on one’s own beliefs, it can be based on race, gender, wealth ,and so on.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I hate to be judgemental, I’ve had a few prejudices towards White Americans. Before coming to America, I always thought they were arrogant, snobby, yet they had every right to do so because they are the strongest nation in the world. However after living in America for two years, I realized that my perception isn’t entirely true. So I started mulling over what made me think this way, and it is the cultural differences and lack of understanding between the two.
Having this prejudice in my case wasn’t a good thing, because it stopped me from knowing and getting along with more people that might have been a potential friend of mine. I was scared to be judged, but in reality I was the one to judge.
Grace Shih
After turning down Mr.Darcy's proposal when he says, “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” Elizabeth begins to weep. Though I'm not quite sure why she is crying I have a few ideas. She could be crying because she feels bad about rejecting him because she still has feelings for him even though she doesn’t really like him. I also believe that Elizabeth weeps because she was surprised about all the nice things he said to her and even after she rejected and criticized him he still has strong feelings for her. I believe one of the biggest reasons for her rejection is that Mr. Darcy split up her sister Jane and her love Mr.Bingly. Elizabeth rejecting Mr. Darcy drove him to write a letter to Elizabeth explaining what happened with Mr. Wickham and also why he split up Bingley and Jane. In the letter, Darcy wrote he and explained that his family took care of Wickham after his father past and it changes Elizabeth's opinion about Wickham completely “But when this subject was succeeded by his account of Mr. Wickham—when she read with somewhat clearer attention a relation of events which, if true, must overthrow every cherished opinion of his worth”. (143) In further chapters, I wonder what will happen between Elizabeth and Mr.Darcy.
ReplyDeleteThrough chapters 35-45 we saw some curious changes to elizabeth's behavior. Once she finished reading Darcy’s letter I noticed an increase of affection the more I read. For example, why would Elizabeth go to Darcy’s manor and “felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something” if she disliked him so much? Why would she imagine being his mistress if she recently declined his marriage proposal? I think that her pride is actually keeping her from confronting her actual feelings for Darcy. She can’t love him because of what he did to Jane and she is know dealing with the same thing that Darcy dealt with for the first part of the book, but under different circumstances. With Darcy he tried to hide his love due to his class. With Elizabeth, she is concealing her love because of everything he’s done to her and her family. The novel reveals how poor the Bennett marriage really has been. From chapter 1 we knew that they were not a perfect fit but in chapter 42 when the text gives background on the relationship we see truly how bad it is. “Her father, captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence had vanished forever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown.”. Based on this quote we can see that from the start they never really loved each other. Elizabeth has seen what they have become and wants nothing like her parents' relationship.
ReplyDeleteBen Weeden
I gotta say, this section in particular was filled with some pretty expected twists. I was very much expecting some of what was said to happen, and more importantly I was expecting this sort of tension to brew up between Elizabeth and Darcy. To start, I think it's fairly obvious why Elizabeth cries over Darcy, and it’s because she somewhat regrets what she did because she’s shocked he chose her. It’s pretty easily seen in Chapter 34 “Her astonishment, as she reflected on what had passed, was increased by every review of it. That she should receive an offer of marriage from Mr. Darcy! That he should have been in love with her for so many months! So much in love as to wish to marry her in spite of all the objections which had made him prevent his friend’s marrying her sister, and which must appear at least with equal force in his own case—was almost incredible!” It’s very obvious Elizabeth wasn’t expecting this, and that’s the core reason behind why she cries. To address Darcy’s letter, it UNDENIABLY makes Elizabeth change her mind ESPECIALLY on Mr. Wickham (who by the way I knew was one slimy snake. I F***ING KNEW IT). Elizabeth is very much able to see through Wickham now, and page 143 elaborates on this with another long one “But when she read and re-read with the closest attention, the particulars immediately following of Wickham’s resigning all pretensions to the living, of his receiving in lieu so considerable a sum as three thousand pounds, again was she forced to hesitate.”. Darcy CHANGES her mind on Wickham, because Lizzy realizes the scam that he is after he got with Ms. King trying to go after her money. Now that Lizzy has changed her mind though, Wickham’s worried. Mainly because I bet that he thinks of her AS A SIDE GIRL. She’s not the main girl that she wanted herself to be, and more importantly Wickham wants her as a backup. She does NOT want to be a side girl, but Wickham wants her to stay that way. Now that Wickham knows she can’t be a backup, he’s worried it’s game over. As for the Bennett’s marriage… yeah I didn’t pick up on that. The only thought I have running through my head right now is “F*** YOU WICKHAM. F*** YOU.”
ReplyDeletePaul Yannalfo