That line is from that awful sitcom, Different Strokes. Remember it? Well, anyhoo...
I am not a fan of Mrs Bennet. Who is, ha ha? But based on what in the novel can we accuse her of "indiscrete and malicious
rumormongering"? What malicious rumors did she start and perpetuate? (Small point, the word should be "indiscreet" rather than "indiscrete.") I suppose there was the remark about the Mrs. Long attending the assemby in a hack chaise, but that rises to maliciousness. She tells the young Lucas boy he should not drink a bottle of wine a day; I think that was good sense on Mrs. Bennet's part but she is rarely credited for it. She does ruin the moment somewhat by getting drawin into a pointless back-and-forth with the boy.
Now to the ways that you consider Elizabeth similar to her sister and mother: When she tells Wickham she believes Darcy should be publicly disgraced, it is because she believes Darcy has stolen a man's inheritance. It is not true, but suppose it had been? I think there is certainly a case to be made that a man guilty of what Wickham charged should be publicly disgraced.
I am not sure of what you mean by "genetics" at work. One could argue that pompous Mary with her decided opinions -- which often have more than a grain of truth -- is similar to the cool and placid Jane because they both seek order and decorum and both can come off as not much fun. So, yes, in some broad ways, maybe Elizabeth is drawn more like Lydia--fun girls who can laugh and be lively. But Jane is quite different from fMary and Elizabeth is no Lydia. You miss the essence of the personalities in favor of focusing on the superficial and not very meaningful.
I am not a fan of Mrs Bennet. Who is, ha ha? But based on what in the novel can we accuse her of "indiscrete and malicious
rumormongering"? What malicious rumors did she start and perpetuate? (Small point, the word should be "indiscreet" rather than "indiscrete.") I suppose there was the remark about the Mrs. Long attending the assemby in a hack chaise, but that rises to maliciousness. She tells the young Lucas boy he should not drink a bottle of wine a day; I think that was good sense on Mrs. Bennet's part but she is rarely credited for it. She does ruin the moment somewhat by getting drawin into a pointless back-and-forth with the boy.
Now to the ways that you consider Elizabeth similar to her sister and mother: When she tells Wickham she believes Darcy should be publicly disgraced, it is because she believes Darcy has stolen a man's inheritance. It is not true, but suppose it had been? I think there is certainly a case to be made that a man guilty of what Wickham charged should be publicly disgraced.
I am not sure of what you mean by "genetics" at work. One could argue that pompous Mary with her decided opinions -- which often have more than a grain of truth -- is similar to the cool and placid Jane because they both seek order and decorum and both can come off as not much fun. So, yes, in some broad ways, maybe Elizabeth is drawn more like Lydia--fun girls who can laugh and be lively. But Jane is quite different from fMary and Elizabeth is no Lydia. You miss the essence of the personalities in favor of focusing on the superficial and not very meaningful.