Pride and Prejudice Volume III (chaps 10-19) Marriage, Class and Family

Outline Marriage Plot (1) Elizabeth and Darcy 1. Elizabeth’s struggle (chaps 11-12)struggle 2. Darcy’s changes recounted (chap )changes 3. Reasons for their love for each other (291-92, etc) Reasons 4. Marriage and Family (chaps 17, 18, 19) Marriage and Family Marriage Plot (3) Jane & Bingley 1. Jane’s reservation & change Jane’s reservation & change 2. Bingley’s Change Bingley’s Change 3. Reasons Reasons 4. Marriage and Family Marriage and Family Starting QuestionsStarting Questions; Plot SummaryPlot Summary Chap 9 "Lydia was Lydia still, untamed, unabashed, wild and fearless"

Starting Questions Your Questions? What is the most interesting details (in the whole book or in volume III)? The boring passages? Is there anything in the progress of the marriage proposals which seem different from those in ours society? Similar?  Differences – the importance of the family connections; love developed through visits,....  Similarities -- the parents’ approval and blessing,...

Plot Summary Three Marriage plots: III Chap 1-4: Pemberley visit (2: Bingley—Jane); letters from Jane ; III. Chap 5-9 – solution of Lydia’s elopement scandal. Chap 7 marriage, Chap 9 homecoming. III. Chapters –  11: Darcy and Bingley's visit. *Elizabeth’s internal monologue continues. *Jane’s responses  12. Party at Longbourn  13. Bingley’s proposal; the family’s responses (esp. Mr. Bennet’s)  14. Lady Catherine’s intervention *Class  15. Collins’ letter *hypocrisy and clss  16. Darcy’s Proposal – responded to indirectly 280.  17. the family’s responses (esp. Mr. Bennet’s)  18. Informing the other. *Elizabeth playful again.  19. Happy ending

Chapters 11-13: Jane ’ s reservation  to utter happiness Preparation for a comic and happy ending.  Repetition of Mrs. Bennet’s attempts (asking Mr. Bennet for help, arranging a party herself, sending the others away to allow Jane and Bingley to be by themselves.) Jane –  11: reserved (not afraid of herself, but afraid of gossips 252) Paler, calm and with ease 255  12: enjoyed his conversation but nothing else 261 *What do you think? Is she too shy?  13: silence (263)  complete happiness after the proposal 264

Jane vs. Elizabeth over her reservation ``But why should you wish to persuade me that I feel more than I acknowledge?'' ``That is a question which I hardly know how to answer. We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing. Forgive me; and if you persist in indifference, do not make me your confidante.'‘ (261)  a matter of self-protection  Everyone needs some private moments to examine the nature of their love.

Bingley ’ s Change First visit: (1) Jane sits by Bingley by chance (259); (2) Darcy’s observation Darcy’s encouragement and revelation before he goes to London (284) Chap 13 – p Bingley starts to come everyday. The mother means to leave the two of them alone.

Jane & Bingley: Reasons for their attachment Their mutual attraction Obstacles: Ms. Bingley (her letter) and Darcy Encouragement of Darcy and Mrs. Bennet. Similarities of their Personalities:  Darcy’s comment on Bingley: “changeful,” “unaffectedly modest”  Jane– 1) tries to clear Darcy and Wickham twice; 2) not blame anyone over Mr. Bingley’s departure E: ``My dear Jane! [...] you are too good. Your sweetness and disinterestedness are really angelic” (II: 1).  Mr. Bennet’s comments: on their kindness and softness (or gullibility)

Jane & Bingley: Marriage, Individuals and Family Jane stops talking about Bingley once she is sure of the emotional involvement of both. (263) She immediately confides to Elizabeth, and then her mother, once they are engaged. (263-64) Her happiness shows how marriage is a must for women of her time.

Elizabeth and Darcy: their similar developments -- Humbled; admit their errors -- Realize or Relativize the importance of class distinction

Elizabeth ’ s Changes Growing Realization of the influence of her family:  at Netherfield ball she starts to see them through D’s eyes  When reading Darcy’s letter;  Lydia’s Elopement (III: 5: p. 214) – the father: “[Wickham] might imagine from his indolence and the little attention he has ever seemed to give his family, that he would do as little, and think as little, about it, as any father could do in such a matter" --”[Lydia] has never been taught to think on serious subjects” Changes of her views of Darcy since?  Reading the letter  the visit to Pemberley  Lydia’s elopement – 1) upon Darcy’s departure (quote);quote 2) would have been easier to bear had it not been for Darcy. (227) 3) Darcy’s help: an "exertion of goodness too great to be probable" (248); proud of him.

Elizabeth ’ s Changes (quote) (211)... as she threw a retrospective glance over the whole of their acquaintance, so full of contradictions and varieties, sighed at the perverseness of those feelings which would now have promoted its continuance, and would formerly have rejoiced in its termination. If gratitude and esteem are good foundations of affection, Elizabeth's change of sentiment will be neither improbable nor faulty. [...]

Elizabeth ’ s struggle & internal monologue Internal monologue: About Bingley 252 Elizabeth knows more than Jane-Bingely relationship and Darcy, and thus struggles more internally over her various concerns.  Struggle over what to think about Darcy, who becomes silent, cold and rigid again (255). 255; 257; 258.  the mother’s ungraciousness. 256  Over trying to find a chance to talk to Darcy 260

Obstracles = Help (1) : Lydia’s elopement (2): The Conflict between L. Catherine and Elizabeth 1. Class issue 2. LC’s rudeness – many many examples. 3. Elizabeth’s responses –that she is a gentleman’s daughter and can be a match to Darcy.  gives Darcy hope indirectly. (292)

Darcy ’ s Changes Recounted P ; 1. Shocked by her total refusal; seen as not “gentleman-like”; 2. Self-knowledge: Realizes how he has been ‘selfish’ all his life and how he does not like/know anyone beyond his immediate family circle. 3. His efforts in winning E’s respect:  Changes himself;  Helps the Bennet family (admits his errors, too);  Helps Bingley-Jane: goes to Longbourne to ‘observe’ Jane, but also to see E. Silent because he feels too much.

Summary: Reasons for their Love Pemberley: E. “But I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley.'' (286) (“…she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!") Mental affinity: Great minds think alike. (Chap 18) The ordeals and changes they each go through because of the other:  Darcy – ordeal –self-recognition  Darcy – change –more polite and less proud  Elizabeth – ordeal – family’s scandal  thought she lost him forever; uncertainties.  Elizabeth – change – her feelings for him. Mutual gratitude and respect.

Elizabeth and Darcy: Marriage, Individuals and Family First things to do: informing her family and getting the parents’ consent  Jane and Mr. Bennet’s response: shocked, concerned, blessing them. Pp l  Mrs. Bennet’s responses – p. 290 shocked, thinks of money, still prefers Wickham.  Chap 8: 1) playful dialogue between E & D; 2) Informing the Gardiners, Collins and Lady Catherine;

Marriage, Individuals and Family Individual choices, which have to influence and be influenced by their families The family circles  Close circle: the Bingley’s and Darcy’s, the Gardiners  People to be tolerated but shunned after their marriage: 294– Sir William, Mrs. Philips, 295 “Meryton relations”  People to be ‘improved’ on -- Mrs. Bennet and Kitty p. 295  The one to humor: LC p. 297  To assist, but to be kept at a distance and not talked about: Wickham and Lydia pp. 295, 296.