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Title:
Pride and Prejudice
Series:
----------
Author: Jane Austen
Rating:
5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages:
275
Words: 124K
This
will be a bit different from my usual review. Lashaan and I did a
buddy read of this and we used a series of questions I found online
to help us talk about the book. There were 11 questions in total and
I chose to answer 7 of them. I found the other 4 stupid, insipid,
insulting or just plain not a subject I cared one whit for. After
the questions I have some general thoughts. And I’ve included a
link to Lashaan’s review at the end. Please visit his review when
it goes live to see another whole take on this book :-D
1.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of a good fortune,
must
be in want of a wife.” This first line has become one of the most
famous in English
literature.
In addition to setting the narrative in motion, how does this line
alert us to the
tone
of the novel and our role, as readers, in appreciating it? What does
the line imply
about
women?
I'll
work backwards on this. Addressing that last question first.
When
you talk about the opening line, you have to also use the second to
put it into context:
"However little known the feelings
or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood,
this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families,
that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other
of their daughters."
So
what the opening implies about women, and then about men, is that
they are both playing pieces for their elders. It's not about gender
(despite what the questioner is trying to force into this). Both are
pawns are on the chessboard of marriage.
The
role of the reader is whatever the reader wants it to be. It doesn't
matter what the author thinks, or tries to do. The reader is an
independent being and a good author acknowledges this and simply
writes their story without forcing their reader into the slavery of
being "in a role". Only Message writers do that.
As
for the tone of the novel, I'd say it it sets a jolly good tone!
Funny, amusing and yet acknowledging the foibles of the culture the
author is living in.
So
there we go. My first set of ranty answers to the first question :-D
2.
Elizabeth is upset to learn that Charlotte has accepted Mr. Collins’s
marriage proposal. Do
you
think Charlotte should have married Mr. Collins? Did she choose him
or did he choose
her?
What do you think influenced her decision to accept him? Is Charlotte
a romantic? Is
Elizabeth?
At
27, being plain, poor and unconnected, Charlotte didn't have much
choice if she didn't want to end up being a burden to her family.
While I suspect she will regret in the future her choice of Mr
Collins, tempermentally she seems fit to deal with his particular
brand of pride and false-humility. And now she is mistress of her own
establishment with greater things to come. Her children won't be in
her circumstances and thus will hopefully be able to have more
choices open to them.
I'd
say Charlotte definitely chose Mr Collins. He was just wafting around
like a butterfly, looking for the first open flower. She saw him
coming a mile away. Besides, Mr Collins seems to stupid to do any
real choosing :-D
I
think my answer to the first question also answers this. Material
stability goes a long way towards making a relationship stable.
Charlotte knew what her future held and so she did what she had to to
change it, for the better.
I
don't see Charlotte as romantic at all. She's just super
realistic. Elizabeth on the other hand is fully infected with the
"Love is Our Guiding Light" idea. Of course, given what
Elizabeth sees between her father and mother, one can forgive her for
wanting some genuine love in a relationship.
3.
How does Pemberley play a role in Elizabeth’s change of heart? Does
she really fall in
love
with Darcy after seeing his estate? Trace the development of her
feelings for him.
Why
is Darcy attracted to Elizabeth? Trace the development of his
feelings for her.
I
think this question is a bit too "school report" like for
my taste. Plus, you know, feelings. Seeing Pemberley was just another
check mark in the positive side for Darcy. Not because it was all big
and rich, but because of the character it displayed and thus by
extension, Darcy's character. You can tell a lot about a person by
their living quarters. And by the people they keep around them. So it
simply helped Elizabeth begin to change her feelings towards Darcy.
She saw another side of him displayed through Pemberley. She was
discerning enough to see that and to look beyond the wealth itself.
4.
What might have happened if Elizabeth had accepted Darcy’s first
proposal? Do you think
he
really expected her to accept? How does the first proposal change
their feelings for, and
opinions
of, each other?
I
think their marriage would have ended in disaster. He wouldn't have
respected her and she never would have loved him him. They both
needed to change themselves and see the other in a more accurate
light before their marriage could have worked.
I
do think Darcy expected an acceptance. I'm pretty sure when they are
talking about it later he says something like "you had
everything to gain and nothing to lose by accepting my proposal. At
least that is how I saw it at the time".
I
think Darcy's proposal opened Elizabeth's eyes to the fact that Darcy
did love her. He wasn't just attracted to her, but he loved her. That
allowed her to realize that her feelings of prejudice might need to
change. And Darcy got a good earful from Elizabeth and he needed that
to set him on the path of seeing her as an equal in any marriage
endeavor and not just an emotional and sexual outlet.
7.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet do not agree on very much, especially when it
comes to their
daughters’
futures. Who is the better parent—Mr. or Mrs. Bennet? What role
does family
play
in this novel?
Neither
of them is the better parent. Mr Bennet is the least worst though.
Lydia is exactly like her mother, so it shouldn't have come as any
surprise to anyone at her running away with Wickham and not caring at
all about getting married. Mr Bennet could have helped guide his
wife's character growth at the beginning of their marriage but chose
not to fight that battle and he reaped the harvest with a selfish,
vain, silly woman for a wife.
Family
plays a huge role! The Bennetts. Darcy's sister and Aunt. Mr
Bingley's sister. Elizabeth's Aunt and Uncle. Even Wickham is a
pseudo-family of the Darcy's. You can't go very far without a family
interaction.
8.
Darcy says that Wickham tried to elope with Georgiana for revenge.
Does revenge play a
part
in his elopement with Lydia?
I
don't think it does at all. I think Wickham needed an out and Lydia
provided the easiest and most comfortable out. I have to admit,
Wickham running away with Lydia still puzzles me.
11.
Why is this novel so popular? Why do readers keep coming back to it,
even after the
original
suspense is gone and they know how it ends?
Because
it's a girly romance and there are more women in the world than men.
Is
my off the cuff, flippant remark, hahahahaa.
My
serious answer would be that the Initially Thwarted Romance between
Jane and Mr Bingley and the Enemies to Lovers Romance between
Elizabeth and Mr Darcy speaks to a lot of women. "I" like
it because it's a romantic story that shows some real human foibles
and it's some very fine writing.
I
skipped a bunch of questions because they pissed me off. I hate
social media so wanted to nothing to do with that question. I
dlsliked the leading question about Irony because I don't like being
led down a certain path by somebody else. finally, I don't care two
figs for what it might have been originally titled. It is called
Pride and Prejudice and that' that. It's overthinking things for the
sake of overthinking to do any more on the title.
Bookstooge’s
General Thoughts:
I
must admit, I did not like this format of Question and Answer. I felt
stifled, hemmed in and like I was back in highschool with a teacher
looking over my shoulder. While it made writing a review much easier
(I pasted/copied the questions and my answers from my emails to
Lashaan), I totally did not enjoy the reading process itself. My
brain did not have the freedom to wander down the byways because I
was focused on trying to "pay attention" to the story so I
could answer the questions.
It's
not that the Q&A is a bad way of doing things, especially for
younger people who haven't been trained to think for themselves yet.
It gives them a framework within which to work, otherwise they'd be
left floundering and their thoughts would be "I liked this"
or "I didn't like this" without any further explanation.
But I am not a kid any more. Sadly, I haven't been for a long time
and I have much vaster reading experience now than I did back when I
was a teenager (even as well read as I was then). For me, the reading
experience itself is part of the process. I simply flow into the
story, absorb it and let it knock around my brain like a pair of
dice. Then I release it and see what happens. That's how I read and
review now. It's been quite the revelation to me to come to that
realization.
I
am also glad that "I" am the one that chose the questions,
that way I have nobody but myself to blame, hahahaahahaa.
Overall,
while this Q&A was quite the different approach, and one that I’m
happy to have applied, it won’t be happening again.
★★★★★
Lashaan’s
Review
Complete
Set of Questions:
1.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in
possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This
first line has become one of the most famous in English literature.
In addition to setting the narrative in motion, how does this line
alert us to the tone of the novel and our role, as readers, in
appreciating it? What does the line imply about women? (From the
Chicago Public Library’s One Book, One Chicago pamphlet on Pride
and Prejudice, 2005)
2.
Elizabeth is upset to learn that Charlotte has accepted Mr. Collins’s
marriage proposal. Do you think Charlotte should have married Mr.
Collins? Did she choose him or did he choose her? What do you think
influenced her decision to accept him? Is Charlotte a romantic? Is
Elizabeth?
3.
How does Pemberley play a role in Elizabeth’s change of heart? Does
she really fall in love with Darcy after seeing his estate? Trace the
development of her feelings for him. Why is Darcy attracted to
Elizabeth? Trace the development of his feelings for her.
4.
What might have happened if Elizabeth had accepted Darcy’s first
proposal? Do you think he really expected her to accept? How does the
first proposal change their feelings for, and opinions of, each
other?
5.
Several letters are reproduced in full in the text. What is the
effect on you as a reader when you read a letter instead of getting
the information contained in it from the 3rd person narrator? Why do
you think Austen might have used letters so often in this novel?
(There are 59 references to letters in the book.)
6.
How does the title Pride and Prejudice relate to the original title
Jane Austen used for the novel, First Impressions? Do you think Pride
and Prejudice is a better title? Why? How does it relate to
Elizabeth? Darcy? Does it relate to other characters in the novel?
7.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet do not agree on very much, especially when it
comes to their daughters’ futures. Who is the better parent—Mr.
or Mrs. Bennet? What role does family play in this novel?
8.
Darcy says that Wickham tried to elope with Georgiana for revenge.
Does revenge play a part in his elopement with Lydia?
9.
Lady Catherine’s visit to Elizabeth to persuade her not to marry
Darcy actually has the opposite effect and propels them toward the
final conclusion, their marriage. What is it about this use of
dramatic irony that is so appealing to readers? What other examples
of irony do you find in the novel?
10.
The novel has many universal themes that make it relevant today and
inspire contemporary spin-offs and adaptations. Imagine the Facebook
pages of each of the Bennet daughters. Who would be most active on
Facebook? How would their entries differ from each other? Would any
of them choose not to be on Facebook?
11.
Why is this novel so popular? Why do readers keep coming back to it,
even after the original suspense is gone and they know how it ends?
From
Wikipedia.org
In
the early 19th century, the Bennet family live at their Longbourn
estate, situated near the village of Meryton in Hertfordshire,
England. Mrs Bennet's greatest desire is to marry off her five
daughters to secure their futures.
The
arrival of Mr Bingley, a rich bachelor who rents the neighbouring
Netherfield estate, gives her hope that one of her daughters might
contract an advantageous marriage, because "It is a truth
universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good
fortune, must be in want of a wife".
At
a ball, the family is introduced to the Netherfield party, including
Mr Bingley, his two sisters and Mr Darcy, his dearest friend. Mr
Bingley's friendly and cheerful manner earns him popularity among the
guests. He appears interested in Jane, the eldest Bennet daughter. Mr
Darcy, reputed to be twice as wealthy as Mr Bingley, is haughty and
aloof, causing a decided dislike of him. He declines to dance with
Elizabeth, the second-eldest Bennet daughter, as she is "not
handsome enough". Although she jokes about it with her friend,
Elizabeth is deeply offended. Despite this first impression, Mr Darcy
secretly begins to find himself drawn to Elizabeth as they continue
to encounter each other at social events, appreciating her wit and
frankness.
Mr
Collins, the heir to the Longbourn estate, visits the Bennet family
with the intention of finding a wife among the five girls under the
advice of his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh, also revealed to be
Mr Darcy's aunt. He decides to pursue Elizabeth. The Bennet family
meet the charming army officer George Wickham, who tells Elizabeth in
confidence about Mr Darcy's unpleasant treatment of him in the past.
Elizabeth, blinded by her prejudice toward Mr Darcy, believes him.
Elizabeth
dances with Mr Darcy at a ball, where Mrs Bennet hints loudly that
she expects Jane and Bingley to become engaged. Elizabeth rejects Mr
Collins' marriage proposal, to her mother's fury and her father's
relief. Mr Collins instead proposes to Charlotte Lucas, a friend of
Elizabeth.
Having
heard Mrs Bennet's words at the ball and disapproving of the
marriage, Mr Darcy joins Mr Bingley in a trip to London and, with the
help of his sisters, persuades him not to return to Netherfield. A
heartbroken Jane visits her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London to
raise her spirits, while Elizabeth's hatred for Mr Darcy grows as she
suspects he was responsible for Mr Bingley's departure.
In
the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr Collins in Kent.
Elizabeth and her hosts are invited to Rosings Park, Lady Catherine's
home. Mr Darcy and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, are also visiting
Rosings Park. Fitzwilliam tells Elizabeth how Mr Darcy recently saved
a friend, presumably Bingley, from an undesirable match. Elizabeth
realises that the prevented engagement was to Jane.
Mr
Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, declaring his love for her despite her
low social connections. She is shocked, as she was unaware of Mr
Darcy's interest, and rejects him angrily, saying that he is the last
person she would ever marry and that she could never love a man who
caused her sister such unhappiness; she further accuses him of
treating Wickham unjustly. Mr Darcy brags about his success in
separating Bingley and Jane and sarcastically dismisses the
accusation regarding Wickham without addressing it.
The
next day, Mr Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter, explaining that Wickham,
the son of his late father's steward, had refused the "living"
his father had arranged for him and was instead given money for it.
Wickham quickly squandered the money and tried to elope with Darcy's
15-year-old sister, Georgiana, for her considerable dowry. Mr Darcy
also writes that he separated Jane and Bingley because he believed
her indifferent to Bingley and because of the lack of propriety
displayed by her family. Elizabeth is ashamed by her family's
behaviour and her own prejudice against Mr Darcy.
Months
later, Elizabeth accompanies the Gardiners on a tour of Derbyshire.
They visit Pemberley, Darcy's estate. When Mr Darcy returns
unexpectedly, he is exceedingly gracious with Elizabeth and the
Gardiners. Elizabeth is surprised by Darcy's behaviour and grows fond
of him, even coming to regret rejecting his proposal. She receives
news that her sister Lydia has run off with Wickham. She tells Mr
Darcy, then departs in haste. After an agonising interim, Wickham
agrees to marry Lydia. She visits the family and tells Elizabeth that
Mr Darcy was at her wedding. Though Mr Darcy had sworn everyone
involved to secrecy, Mrs Gardiner now feels obliged to inform
Elizabeth that he secured the match, at great expense and trouble to
himself.
Mr
Bingley and Mr Darcy return to Netherfield. Jane accepts Mr Bingley's
proposal. Lady Catherine, having heard rumours that Elizabeth intends
to marry Mr Darcy, visits her and demands she promise never to accept
Mr Darcy's proposal, as she and Darcy's late mother had already
planned his marriage to her daughter Anne. Elizabeth refuses and asks
the outraged Lady Catherine to leave. Darcy, heartened by his aunt's
indignant relaying of Elizabeth's response, again proposes to her and
is accepted.
