This post is dedicated to two certain unnamed individuals - one of whom has been asking for a unnamed shout-out since post 1, the other of whom gave me some *ahem* amazing feedback on my last post which prompted me to write this one.
Anyway, we're continuing our series on Pride and Prejudice (this being the royal "we.") To catch you up on what has happened so far:
to continue:
There are two new arrivals in town shortly after this. First, a regiment of officers takes up residence in town; second, Mr. Bennet's cousin Mr. Collins comes to stay at the Bennets' estate. Mr. Collins is a long-winded clergyman who ends up providing a lot of the story's comic relief. Since Mr. Bennet has no male heirs, Mr. Collins is to inherit the Bennets' estate when Mr. Bennet dies. While Mr. Collins is visiting the Bennets, therefore, he praises everything with his usually excessive verbosity.
(this is from the movie version of P+P made in 2005; I just saw it, it isn't as good as the 1995 TV series but they have a great Mr. Collins).
Though he isn't in possession of a considerable fortune, he is still in want of a wife...his first choice is Jane, but when he finds out she's already in love with Bingley, Elizabeth suddenly and mysteriously becomes the sole object of his affection.
Mr. Collins: This room is magnificent.
Mr. Collins: And the potatoes are beyond words, a recipe no doubt given to you by my most honorable patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh!
(Said Lady gave him his Living as a Clergyman, and he has been obsessively grateful ever since).
Elizabeth: #tryingheardnottolaugh
One day Kitty and Lydia go into town to flirt with the numerous officers there. One of these officers is George Wickham, a young man who explains to Elizabeth that he knew Mr. Darcy since they were both children, and that Mr. Darcy has robbed him of the Living (position as a Clergyman and the house that goes with that) that he should have had.
The more you look at him the creepier he looks.
Elizabeth is taken in by his story, and begins to think more poorly of Mr. Darcy than she already had.
Soon after this, there is a ball at Netherfield, which Wickham is strangely unable to attend. Elizabeth ends up dancing with Darcy, but after that her whole family starts embarrassing her...
Kitty and Lydia are flirting with all the officers...
...Mary plays rather tasteless songs on the piano until her father gets up and stops her in the middle of a song...
...Mrs. Bennet tells everyone about how Jane and Bingley are surely going to get married...
...and Mr. Collins talks all the time, even going up to Mr. Darcy and introducing himself even though he is of an inferior class.
This picture is from the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, but it captures the scene quite well. Mr. Darcy is the tall guy in the center, who has just turned around to glare coldly at Mr. Collins standing next to him.
Some days later Mr. Collins attempts to propose to Elizabeth, but she turns him down. Mr. Collins interprets this as her playing hard to get, and he attempts to propose several more times.
Mr. Colins' head on a penguin - my life has been made.
This is one of many examples of Austen using humor to advance the story. I just did an essay on this in fact, it's rather interesting when you think about it.
But anyway, Mrs. Bennet is shocked when she hears that Elizabeth has turned down Mr. Collins' offer.
"WHAT EVEN?!"
Mr. Bennet, however is fully supportive of Elizabeth's decision not to marry Mr. Collins. He gives her a choice - not marry Mr. Collins and have her mother never speak to her, or marry Mr. Collins and have him never speak to her.
Mrs. Bennet does not take well to this.
"...smelling salts!"
More to follow later, I'm tired...goodbye for now!
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