English Curry

Please do not judge harshly…

As a modern reader I became impatient in parts of the book – not another letter, not another lengthy explanation of preparations to visit friends, not another speech from Mr. Collins – but there were times when it all became worthwhile. Elizabeth’s rejection of Darcy is just brilliant. In fact, that episode highlights my favourite aspect of the novel – the dialogue. What makes Lizzy a great character, apart from her complex range of attitudes, beliefs and emotions – that include both pride and prejudice, love, hate, cynicism and sheer delight in simple things – is her way with words. In a way it’s unrealistic the way she speaks. No one I’ve ever known has been able to elucidate such finely grained explanations of complicated thoughts and emotions at such short notice. Except Shakespeare, I guess – but I’ve never met him. If we can suspend our disbelief at the extraordinary level of instant profundity of Lizzy, then the dialogue can be enjoyed as an almost perfect vehicle for characterization. Mr. Bennet, is wittily captured by his utterances (“Mary you have charmed us quite enough”) as are most of the characters.
Another aspect that’s worth noting is the authorial voice. Subtle changes of tone and point of view combine to create a wry, bemused, yet never detached voice. Check out the lines from ‘Elizabeth listened in silence… acquired by trade’ (p11-12) and spot the subtle changes in voice from that of narrator, to Lizzy’s thoughts and back to that of pure narrative.
One aspect that I’ve pondered is the ending and the whole romance between Elizabeth and Darcy. Thousands have noticed that Elizabeth’s feelings for Darcy begin to change once she sees Pemberley. The well-kept grounds and the beautiful situation of the mansion are equated, in Elizabeth’s mind, with the worth of the owner and his personality. It is hard to ignore the connection between love and money/inheritance in the novel. It is worth putting in context of the times though. The Bennet children’s only hope of a secure future is marrying ‘up’, so to speak. For the likes of Darcy, higher up the social ladder, the need is less, but there is still an expectation that he will marry according to his rank. The subversive element that Austen introduces is the idea that love can transcend the social conventions of the day. In a way, Elizabeth does what any girl in her situation would do – catch a rich man. The extraordinary action from any of the characters in the novel is actually Darcy’s falling in love with Elizabeth and his decision to marry her. I guess what Austen is exploring (in all her books) is the idea that an individual and his/her humanity can overcome social conventions and achieve happiness. It is the power of Lizzy’s personality and charm that wins out over the restrictive conventions embodied by the Bingley sisters. The beauty of an individual can triumph over social prejudice – yet in the end her prize is to become rich and rise up the social ladder – exactly the result that reinforces the social customs. If she had been happy and poor the whole moral would have been different.
For me the joy of reading fiction (or any reading, for that matter) is when it can show me a new way of thinking about the world. Some writers have been able to do that for me – Cormac McCarthy, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Salinger and a recently-read crop of non-fiction writers. Finishing their books, looking up and seeing the world illuminated differently is, really, one of the greatest reasons for living. Luckily, I was born rather stupid – therefore I’ve had more chances to learn than most. I should be a teacher.
Jane Austen doesn’t have the same impact as McCarthy, or Shakespeare or James Patterson (just jokes) for me, but she does give a beautiful glimpse into a different world. And doing so she gives us new perspectives on themes – love, money, customs – that affect us all. She must be great, then.