Re: Practically Perfect in Every Way

I have also noticed that, particularly with Mr. Darcy. There are stories whose chief purpose seems to be to justify him--which can range between a fascinating experiment in how deftly you can avoid reading the obvious from the text as it exists, to straight-up daydreams of Darcy. This is a safe place and we can go ahead and admit it--most of us are women, and most of us are a little in love with him, and it's a normal human impulse to defend the person you're in love with.

That said, I agree that the Darcy on the page is a lot more interesting (and compelling, and lovable) than a Darcy who was merely shy or irritable or something. I think there's a modern preference for weakness rather than whatever the opposite of virtue is (it would have been vice once, but that means something else now). I think part of the appeal of a character like Darcy is precisely that he's so different, that he's not weak. He's never weak. He's proud, arrogant, judgmental, selfish, disdainful of the feelings of others, embarrassed, ashamed, generous, affectionate, kind, self-sacrificing, noble, and madly in love, but he's never just shy or weak. I think I'm as drawn to that as Lizzie Bennet is.

That said, comfort food can still be well done, and we all have days we need it. :-)