In the very beginning, it seemed as if Elizabeth wasn't too caught up in trying to find a wealthy husband, even though she practically had to in order to stay "relevant" in society. Seeing as her father wasn't an incredibly wealthy man and wouldn't be able to leave his estate to his daughters, marrying rich really was the only option for the Bennet girls. However, while Elizabeth thought very highly of Mr. Bingley, she wasn't enthralled with the fact that he was rich. She simply respected the fact that he was a true gentleman, and later, that he treated Jane well.
If Lizzy really did care about status and wealth, she would have accepted Mr. Collins's proposal of marriage. She, however, responded with: "I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than decline them" (77). At this point, I figured Lizzy was a romantic and really just wanted to find someone she actually had feelings for (i.e. Mr. Darcy), but when she visited Pemberley, my entire opinion of her shifted.
While I believe Elizabeth's change in heart did not derive directly from seeing the grounds at Pemberley, I do think that the setting certainly didn't hurt. The kind words from Mrs. Reynolds the housekeeper definitely made Mr. Darcy seem much more marketable to Elizabeth, and while walking the grounds, she started to picture herself as the mistress of Pemberley. While of course she also wanted to get back at Miss Bingley and make her feel badly about her own feelings for Darcy, I believe Elizabeth may not have had such strong feelings for him if she hadn't visited the estate.
If all of that had happened at Longbourn, would she have felt the same way, or was it the air of wealth and success of Pemberley that pushed her affection along?
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I guess the romantic in me wants to believe that Elizabeth was only interested in Mr. Darcy as a person, and for their undeniable chemistry, despite being at odds from the beginning of the novel. I think Elizabeth as a character is supposed to represent "going against the status-quo," which specifically in this novel, is marrying for money or class. It was pretty much the only achievement a woman could have at the time, and Elizabeth showed greatly that she didn't have nearly as much interest in it as her other sisters and mother. I don't think Elizabeth would've married just anyone, especially for their wealth. However, even though I think she has this rebellious spirit in her--she undoubtedly likely had the worry of money and survival in her subconscious. Elizabeth would not have been able to survive on her own without her family or a husband, so maybe she was more taken with Mr. Darcy's estate than even she would have guessed she would've been. I still don't necessarily think it was Mr. Darcy's flashy wealth or livelihood that intrigued Elizabeth, rather when she saw his estate she might have thought, "well this isn't *totally* bad."
ReplyDeleteKelsey, I think you made a good point about seeing the estate. I believe you're right, it definitely didn't hurt experiencing that in person. It is one thing to hear and know that someone is super rich, but to experience that, especially when you come from modest means is something quite else.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the pragmatist in me doesn't want to pigeon hole Elizabeth. After all she was beautiful. Not as beautiful as Jane, but still beautiful. I personally find it hard to believe that if she turned down Mr Darcy again, that she would not find another suitor. Still, I'm sure it sweetened the package to have a massive estate.
There's that quick moment after they arrive at Pemberley when Lizzy thinks "that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!" (III.i). This is really well-presented in the 1995 BBC P&P miniseries - she kinda has an "oh shit, if I'd said yes, I'd be home now" kind of look on her face. But again, his letter comes long before the trip to Pemberley, and I don't think she would have just shown up at the house and had that be enough without that intermediate step.
ReplyDeleteBecause we get such a nice dip into her mind in III.ii as she goes over all of her feelings about him, I think Austen manages to keep her from seeming mercenary - at least to me. But hell, we're all human, and I certainly don't think that his beautiful house and ground hurt his case at all. ;-)
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ReplyDeleteThis has always been one of the toughest moment's in P&P for me to grapple with because it seems to go against Austen's original portrayal of Lizzy. your point is perfectly said, she sees the house ans has a sudden change of heart towards Darcy. So playing devil's advocate I want to add two points: first Lizzy is in more dire straights as this point (as you mention) especially considering that her best friend (Charlotte) was forced to accept the proposal of a man she doesn't love. Second, the more romantic side of me wants to believe Lizzy's change of heart comes from Pemberly making Darcy more "real" to her. Through-out the novel he has come off as wooden and with a facade, but seeing his home she's given a more personally glimpse into his life. She sees family portraits and other personal affects, and finally sees Darcy beyond his mannerisms and speeches. Now don't get me wrong I fully agree that she also has the "oh shit" moment and knows that his money certainly doesn't hurt.
ReplyDeletePayton, I was thinking the same thing. It seems like seeing Pemberley influenced Elizabeth not just because it solidified Darcy's wealth and status,but also because it gave her insight into his background and hears from people (like the housekeeper) who have nothing but good things to say about Darcy. It is a cool scene, because we've all experienced that kind of cognitive dissonance, when what we believe doesn't fit with what we're experiencing or learning.
ReplyDeleteI think everyone made very good points here, and I appreciate your comments! I think what I struggled with the most about this aspect of the text was the fact that it did seem so inconsistent with Elizabeth's character up until that point, but I do think it does actually tell us more about Darcy than it does about Elizabeth in that he's an actual human being with a family and a past. I kind of overlooked that at first, but I do think you're right in that the scene really just gives us another layer of Darcy and gives Elizabeth a deeper level of affection towards him.
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