Rosie J. Wrote:
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> Austen doesn't make it clear in that chapter who's
> spreading tales, but after Darcy's letter,
> Elizabeth remembers that Wickham had "no reserves,
> no scruples" in spreading the story about Darcy
> after Darcy's departure. Elizabeth may have helped
> it along at some point, but I think we're to
> believe that Wickham was the principle source.
Rosie J., I agree that Austen does not make it clear. As I said, it is a delightful opportunity for speculation. Here is what Elizabeth tells Jane, and it is also not clear but would seem to tip the scales toward Elizabeth spreading tales about Darcy. Elizabeth is the first speaker:
Does this mean Elizabeth had been eagerly sharing her opinion of Mr. Darcy's lack of goodness? I think a fanfic story would not be out of line to assume this was the case. True, Austen never says it explicitly. But, while Elizabeth is an essentially kind person, would it have been so out of character for her to say mean things about Darcy that she thought he would never hear or care about -- just as she immediately started talking about him after the insult at the Meryton Assembly? There is no absolute yes or no.
Honest Elizabeth did nothing to imply to Darcy that enjoyed his company. In the absence of such indication, he wanted to risk his entire future upon her. If a marriage should turn out badly--suppose he found himself like Mr. Collins constantly directly away from his wife who would have little patience for his company, well, then he is stuck forever with polite tolerance (at best). Divorce would have been nigh impossible. So, from Darcy's standpoint, big risk.
I applaud Elizabeth for carefully weighing whether she wanted to be in love with him, but that does not make his decision to pursue her a good one. I know some readers and scholars argue she loved him from the beginning but just did not believe she could have him, and that was why she treated him as she did. Poppycock! To refute that point of view, I offer this excellent JASNA paper [www.jasna.org]
I know there are those out there who disagree and think she always loved him and he perceived it and pursued it. Again, poppycock.
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> Austen doesn't make it clear in that chapter who's
> spreading tales, but after Darcy's letter,
> Elizabeth remembers that Wickham had "no reserves,
> no scruples" in spreading the story about Darcy
> after Darcy's departure. Elizabeth may have helped
> it along at some point, but I think we're to
> believe that Wickham was the principle source.
Rosie J., I agree that Austen does not make it clear. As I said, it is a delightful opportunity for speculation. Here is what Elizabeth tells Jane, and it is also not clear but would seem to tip the scales toward Elizabeth spreading tales about Darcy. Elizabeth is the first speaker:
Quote
"There certainly was some great mismanagement in the education of those two young men. One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it."
"I never thought Mr. Darcy so deficient in the appearance of it as you used to do."
"And yet I meant to be uncommonly clever in taking so decided a dislike to him, without any reason. It is such a spur to one's genius, such an opening for wit to have a dislike of that kind. One may be continually abusive without saying any thing just; but one cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty."
Does this mean Elizabeth had been eagerly sharing her opinion of Mr. Darcy's lack of goodness? I think a fanfic story would not be out of line to assume this was the case. True, Austen never says it explicitly. But, while Elizabeth is an essentially kind person, would it have been so out of character for her to say mean things about Darcy that she thought he would never hear or care about -- just as she immediately started talking about him after the insult at the Meryton Assembly? There is no absolute yes or no.
Honest Elizabeth did nothing to imply to Darcy that enjoyed his company. In the absence of such indication, he wanted to risk his entire future upon her. If a marriage should turn out badly--suppose he found himself like Mr. Collins constantly directly away from his wife who would have little patience for his company, well, then he is stuck forever with polite tolerance (at best). Divorce would have been nigh impossible. So, from Darcy's standpoint, big risk.
I applaud Elizabeth for carefully weighing whether she wanted to be in love with him, but that does not make his decision to pursue her a good one. I know some readers and scholars argue she loved him from the beginning but just did not believe she could have him, and that was why she treated him as she did. Poppycock! To refute that point of view, I offer this excellent JASNA paper [www.jasna.org]
I know there are those out there who disagree and think she always loved him and he perceived it and pursued it. Again, poppycock.