English Blog

Thesis:

            By the end of the novel, Mr. Darcy had changes from being pompous, full of pride, arrogant and above society to being caring, polite, amiable and vulnerable.

·        What: Mr. Darcy makes a change

·        So What: How he changes (from what to what)

Quotes:

·        “Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention…to be compared with his friend.” (Austen 12)

·        “Mr. Darcy danced only with Mrs. Hurst…every body hoped that he would never come there again.” (13)

·        “ Bingley was endeared to Darcy…Darcy was continually giving offence.” (18)

·        “How frequently Mr. Darcy’s eyes…was still more strange.” (50)

·        “You either chuse this method…as I sit by the fire.” (55)

·        “The world is blinded…only as he chuses to be seen.” (77)

·        “In vain I have…I admire and love you.” (185)

·        “You have said quite enough…your health and happiness.” (188)

·        “If it be so… to be easily touched.” (192)

• DARCY’S LETTER (191-197)
• “And his behavior, so strikingly…” (242
• “The conversation soon turned upon fishing…” (244)
• “He is perfectly well behaved…” (246)
• “Darcy’s civility and above all…” (247)
• “ Of Mr. Darcy it was now a matter…” (252)
• MRS. GARDINER’S LETTER (304-308)
• “Mr. What’s his name…” (315)
• “To Jane he could be only a man…” (316)
• “…she did not think…” (319)
• “You are too…” (346)
• “My object then…” (349)
• “I roused your interest…” (559)
• “Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved…” (367)

How the quotes help:

• “Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention…to be compared with his friend.” (Austen 12)
  • This quote will be good to give a physical description of Darcy
  • It will help the character understand him and his presence before the change
  • It will place an image in the readers head of what Darcy looked like

• “Mr. Darcy danced only with Mrs. Hurst…every body hoped that he would never come there again.” (13)

o       He declined to be introduced to any other lady: this shows his arrogance and belief that he is above everyone else at the party and also his shyness

o       This is a good example to demonstrate how Darcy acted before his change due to meeting Elizabeth

• “Darcy’s civility and above all…” (247)
  • This quote shows a much softer side of Darcy
  • It shows how he wants Lizzy to get to know his sister
  • He wants to be with Lizzy and how he has become more civil to Lizzy and people of her class in an attempt to get closer to her
  • Needless to say he is not just doing this to marry her, he had changed so that he may be with the woman he loves
  • HE IS NOW CIVIL and NOT PROUD!!!

• “Mr. What’s his name…” (315)

• • When Kitty first sees Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy coming towards the house she does not remember his name
  • Instead she remembers him as the “tall, proud man”

Kitty is not yet aware of Mr. Darcy’s change and has the memory of her first impression of him being a negative one

My Opinion of Mr. Darcy

Passage List/Quotes:

·        “Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention…to be compared with his friend.” (Austen 12)

·        “Mr. Darcy danced only with Mrs. Hurst…every body hoped that he would never come there again.” (13)

·        “ Bingley was endeared to Darcy…Darcy was continually giving offence.” (18)

·        “How frequently Mr. Darcy’s eyes…was still more strange.” (50)

·        “You either chuse this method…as I sit by the fire.” (55)

·        “The world is blinded…only as he chuses to be seen.” (77)

·        “In vain I have…I admire and love you.” (185)

·        “You have said quite enough…your health and happiness.” (188)

·        “If it be so… to be easily touched.” (192)

·        DARCY’S LETTER (191-197)

                Mr. Darcy is a very reserved and quiet man who often has an opinion but does not always know how to share it with others.  Many people in the novel are quite quick to judge Darcy on his looks alone without becoming intimate with him beforehand.  People soon realize Mr. Darcy is not good at socializing with people of a lesser rank than he is.  For example, when he is described as, “… and spent the rest of the evening walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party” (Austen 13).  Mr. Darcy was soon discovered to be a very proud and arrogant man with whom nobody wished to converse.  Darcy occasionally becomes swollen with pride; in that he believes he is of higher class that anyone else in the room.  This is demonstrated in the text when Mr. Wickam mentions, with regard to Darcy, “The world is blinded by his fortune and consequence, or frightened by his high and imposing manners, and sees him only as he chuses to be seen” (77).  By this comment, Wickam means to say that Darcy is not bothered by what anyone else thinks of him because he knows that he will always have his pride.  This is a bad quality in Darcy because events along with the opinions of others form and shape who one becomes in life.  The fact that Darcy is protected by his pride and arrogance prevents him from molding through experience.  He therefore, does not change based on events and remains a very solemn, quiet character in the novel because that is where he his most comfortable; and where his pride can protect him to the fullest.  Mr. Darcy has some moments where he speaks his mind, however, he is very reserved in the way in which he does so.  For instance, a moment occurs in the novel when Darcy voices his opinions on Caroline Bingley and Elizabeth Bennet walking about the room; he says, “You either chuse this method of passing the evening because you are in each other’s confidence and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking;- if the first, I should be completely in your way;- and if the second, I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire” (55).   This quote shows that Darcy while he has opinions usually keeps them to himself, unless the rare occasion appears for him to flaunt his pride and superiority in many and most situations.  In this instance Darcy chuses to make a smart comment to display his swollen pride and extremely large ego; however, he soon realizes that he has put his pride at risk of ridicule and quickly retreats back into his safety zone, in which his pride cannot be damaged.  In closing, Darcy is in general a smart man who is afraid of change and greatly dislikes awkward situations especially those that involve people of lower classes. 

“…I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance long enough to know, that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not your own.” – p. 170

What does Mr. Darcy mean by this statement to Elizabeth?

Put into my own words, Mr. Darcy is saying, I have known you long enough to understand that you are pleased by sometimes openly declaring or claiming opinions or beliefs that are not your own. Mr. Darcy means to say that Elizabeth’s opinion that, out of pure enjoyment for himself he is trying to alarm her while she is playing the piano, is not really her true opinion.  Mr. Darcy believes that Elizabeth finds it amusing to fool people by intermittently sharing opinions that are not really her opinions.  He also believes that in this case she is misreading his actions towards her as negative when they are in fact positive.  For instance, from the point of view of Mr. Darcy, he is only trying to admire Elizabeth, as she plays piano.  However, Elizabeth chooses to see it as Mr. Darcy trying to alarm her but when, in fact, her true opinion and interpretation of the matter is that Mr. Darcy is trying to admire her.  Mr. Darcy believes that Elizabeth understands he is trying to admire her (and not to alarm her), however, she “chooses” to see it as a negative action, (which is not her true opinion).  Mr. Darcy therefore, declares aloud, yet in a very discreet way, that Elizabeth knows his intentions, even though she may state them as something different.

What is your relationship like with your sibling(s)? How far would you go to protect them or give them comfort? For example, would you walk three miles and stay with people you didn’t like from your sibling like Elizabeth did (for Jane)? Why?

            I regard my older sister, Katie, with endless admiration and the utmost affection.  As far as protecting her goes, I would put my life on the line to save hers.  She has been there for me for all fourteen years of my life and though we may occasionally bicker, I will never cease to love her with all my heart.  I would do anything for her.  This very point was proved at our three-story condominium in Mammoth.  Katie and I were sleeping in the loft on the third floor and my parents were sleeping in their room on the first floor.  All of a sudden, in the inky black of the night, I heard Katie’s light, low-pitched voice saying, “Annie, Annie are you awake?”  I woke up peering through the dark and immediately inquired as to what troubled her.  She told me she felt ill, and since the stomach flu was plaguing our extended family who had just spent a few days with us at our condo, I figured she must have the flu.  I ran down two long flights of stairs as fast as I could to tell my mother to comfort her. Indeed, Katie was very sick.  I stayed up all night with her and my mother and watched her get sick hoping she would feel better soon.  Within a few days, she was better.  She thanked me for being there for her in her time of need.  I told her, “That is what sisters do.”  As Louisa May Alcott once said, “(to) Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood.”  No matter where I am, or what I am doing, I will do anything to help my sister because that is how much I love her.  There is really no way to express my love for my sister for there is no word that conveys a large enough significance.  I cannot show how much I love her by spreading out my arms apart as far as they will go.  Nor can I say I love her to the moon and back a million times because that still does not contain enough significance to describe my love for my sister.  What I can say, is that my love for her has no end and no limit, it grows with each year, month, week, day, hour, minute and second and never stops.  

            Elizabeth Bennet.  Ms. Elizabeth is the second eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.  She is intelligent, caring and charming, adding comedy and quick-witted dialogue to the novel.  Elizabeth is described by her father as being “more of quickness than her sisters.”  This is to say she is smarter than her four sisters.  Ms. Elizabeth is also caring and compassionate, especially when it comes to her older sister, the eldest Ms. Bennet, Jane.  Elizabeth is supportive of Jane and her desire; and constantly encourages her to try new, exciting things.  For example, Elizabeth encourages Jane to spend more time with Mr. Bingley in hopes, he may come to love, and maybe even marry, her.  Jane is shy and not very outgoing.  Conversely, Elizabeth is not afraid to put her self out in the open and is not afraid of being judged.  In addition, she is not eager to marry, especially to a man with a lot of money.  This is an admirable quality in Elizabeth because it demonstrates that she is willing to stand up for herself and will not change who she is for anyone.  For this reason Elizabeth is an important character thus far in Pride and Prejudice.