Testimonial: Jane Austen is a writer whose preeminence as a writer can sometimes be understated or overlooked due to the Austen Industrial Complex that has arisen out of the popularity of the world of her novels. The goal of these notes will be to appreciate and articulate her underlying merits.
Parental opinion of their own children, even preferential opinions, is a rich ground for directing the reader's sympathies one place or another.
Compliments always take you by surprise, and me never. What could be more natural than his asking you again? He could not help seeing that you were about five times as pretty as every other woman in the room. No thanks to his gallantry for that. Well, he certainly is very agreeable, and I give you leave to like him. You have liked many a stupider person."
a character's opinions of themselves is a ready way for books to make their necessary assertions. A trick always has to be found to do so, lest the reader begin to grow suspicious of the writer.
Mrs. Bennett's constant psychological world creation, forever making one that's more dramatic and interesting for her to occupy, is both an excellent literary device and a reflection of the mind. On the one hand, it is practical, as the author can always turn to the chatterer to make the world more engaging and reactive. On the other hand, the reader knows that voice in themselves and identifies with it. Shakespeare is a master of constant chatter. Mrs. Bennet appears like Polonius, a fool who is overly invested in her offspring, whose advice is not quite to their advantage, although Polonius is a far darker figure.
We see the niceties of Miss Bingley's letter of invitation to Jane contrasted with their behavior and opinions.
I have to wonder if Jane Austen romanticized estates or held people fascination with them in contempt, in which case these words of praise would be a subtly satire.
I know no few women whose model for their own lives is articulated here, although the messenger is not one of the book's heroines.
Whatever bears affinity to cunning is despicable.
Compare to Nietzsche. Darcy's rationale for this claim is understandable, in light of his history with Wickham. Insofar as Darcy represents something about England, or aristocracy, it is also a larger statement on society, which derives from the interactions of two fictional characters, and is, therefore, more flippant and more true than a similar claim in another medium would be.
While not necessarily cunning, as per my note on pg. 28, the tension between Mis Bingley's invitation and her manner lacks fidelity, which Darcy must also look upon unfavorably. Later on, his commitment to fidelity will stymie his proposal to Elizabeth.
I think Elizabeth is being ironic in claiming she does not know any woman who are, by their definition, accomplished. Furthermore, Miss Bingley does not seem to detect this irony, as she then charges Elizabeth with undermining her sex so as to appear more attractive to men. Even though agreeing with Miss Bingley verbally once Elizabeth leaves the room, he disagrees with her in the abstract, as Miss Bingley has just endeavored to lessen Elizabeth's esteem in Darcy's eyes and improve her own, and Darcy says that for a lady to ply a deceit in the captivation of a man is despicable. Miss Bingley then seems to comprehend that this in some matter describes her behavior.
Mrs. Bennet's suggestibility is another psychological underpinning that is artfully wrapped in a developed character, however absurd she is.
"I wish I might take this for a compliment, but to be so easily seen through I am afraid is pitiful."
"That is as it happens. It does not necessarily follow that a deep, intricate character is more or less estimable than such a one as yours."
Here is stated in dialogue another thesis of the book. It proposes, in a subtle manner, a game, and we are now tasked with finding out whose character is deep and estimable, whose shallow and estimable, who paltry in character, whether deep or shallow. Many books contain a similar dynamic, with The Recognitions by William Gaddis coming to mind.
Lydia induces action in her dialogue without articulating belief.
All of Jane Austen's dialogue is worth studying. Green writers take great pains to make their dialogue appear naturalistic, but must find, even if they succeed, that they have not done the work that a book or story demands of its dialogue. It does not suffice to write dialogue that looks and feels right but advances no element of character or story. Jane Austen is fantastic at having dialogue commence in the disguise of triviality, but it almost always moves into the realm of articulating what a character believes. Characters are a play of beliefs, plot the play of characters. Should a character speak to a trivial matter and then pronounce that they support the imposition of Sharia law in America, that is different entirely from a. character who says much the same about the trivia and never has their belief revealed. In this case, Bingley, who knows Mr. Darcy well, is able to inform Elizabeth, and the reader, of Mr. Darcy's feelings towards certain conduct.
They are in the same profession, you know; only different lines.
No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly group'd, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoiled by admitting a fourth. Good-bye.
Even for Elizabeth Bennet, whose powers of observation, but beyond that her articulation of the import of her observation, are fantastically developed, this mode of observation appears strange. I am not sure if it is to be found again in this book or elsewhere in Austen. To think of one's self as spoiling the appearance of a group, and to use this as an excuse to effectuate your own desires by way of excuse, is an odd note. I find that it strains belief, but it does service the scene in its own way.
There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.
W. Collins' letter.
👥 Mr. Wickham
His father, Miss Bennet, the late Mr. Darcy, was one of the best men that ever breathed, and the truest friend I ever had; and I can never be in company with this Mr. Darcy without being grieved to the soul by a thousand tender recollections.
It is interesting to consider whether or not this claim, amongst Mr. Wickham certain's deceptions, is a true one. Who else could hold the title of Wickham's truest friend? In which case, Wickham's betrayal of this sincerely held admiration and mutual affection makes Wickham a somewhat more tragic figure. I will need to look for more evidence to confirm or deny this theory in future pages.
This deliberation between the sisters contains a potent example of what Auerbach would call the representation of reality. The examples from Mimesis that were composed nearest to Pride and prejudice are Luise Miller by Friedrich Schiller and The Red and The Black by Stendhal. Auerbach's examples, generally, touched upon a quality in the representation of reality in literature that might best be described as weird. There is very little weird in Pride and Prejudice, although Northanger Abbey is rife with the weird, but something about this discussion feels representative.
Sly mister Bennett is always after his own comfort. He can almost be accused of neglectfulness. The station of his daughters is deeply in doubt, but it does not seem to bother him, indicating with a spiritual depth or spiritual dearth.
Elizabeth is full of ruinous foibles that feel known to Austen herself.