Important Quote: [Elizabeth to aunt] "I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am even happier than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh" (361).
- Commenting on how she married truly for love. Though Jane did not solely marry for money, she did marry Mr. Bennet out of convenience after falling out of love with him.
- Perhaps, Austen is commenting on how people compare their marriages to one another with Elizabeth. Though she does symbolize a change from money/duty/comfort/etc to love, she still is the most well-off of any of girls in the book. She also comments on how she fell in love with Mr. Darcy after seeing Pemberley (353). The draw to money/wealth/social status is still prevalent though his change is beginning to happen.
Mr. Bennet: “I admire all my three sons-in-law highly…
Wickham, perhaps, is my favourite; but I think I shall like your husband quite
as well as Jane’s” (358).
Why is Wickham the favorite in Mr. Bennet’s eyes?
·
Mr. Bennet: does not care about money, always
thinks of Lydia as foolish, favors Elizabeth
·
Wickham: runs off with youngest daughter without
thought of marriage, not as wealthy as the others, in debt across the country
o
[Free Indirect Discourse] “Every body declared
he was the wickedest young man in the world; and every body began to find out,
they had always distrusted the appearance of his goodness” (280).
o
[Mr. Bennet upon receiving the letter]
“Wickham’s a fool, if he takes her with a farthing less than ten thousand
pounds. I should be sorry to think so ill of him, in the beginning of our
relationship” (288).
o
Mr. Bennet is even so angry with Lydia that he
does not buy her bridal gowns.
·
Bingley: very favorably looked at throughout all
of Meryton, has money
o
[after Bingley and Jane got engaged] “…and when
Mr. Bennet joined them at supper, his voice and manner plainly shewed how
really happy he was” (329)
o
[Mr. Bennet to Jane] “I have great pleasure in
thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of you’re doing
very well together. You’re tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you
so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on” (329)
·
Darcy: though not originally favorably looked at
in Meryton, Darcy is very wealthy/can provide for and cares a lot for Elizabeth, even to the
point of pursuing Wickham and Lydia when they elope and assisting in negotiating
the marriage.
o
[Elizabeth] “Have you any other objection… than
your belief of my indifference?” [Mr. Bennet] “None at all. We know him to be a
proud, unpleasant sort of man; but this would be nothing if you really liked
him” (356).
[Mr. Bennet after hearing of how Elizabeth’s
feelings for him developed] “If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy,
to any one less worthy” (356).
No comments:
Post a Comment