The Big Refusal

What happened next.....

Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas got married a couple of months after the proposal. Sadly Elizabeth was not going to be able to see Charlotte as often since she was leaving to Hunsford, which was Lady Catherine de Bourgh´s estate and Mr. Collins´s home. Mrs. Bennet´s brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, were visiting Longbourn and were planning to stay with them for some days. Mrs. Gardiner was talking to Elizabeth one day about Jane and how hard it must be for her to accept that Mr.  Bingley is gone  and that he is not coming back. They were  discussing about  her lovely spirit and charming soul  that isn't rejected and forgotten easily. Mrs. Gardiner invited Jane to stay with her for a while in London for a change. While they were talking,  Mrs. Gardiner  also talked to Elizabeth about her relationship with Mr. Wickham . She warned her to not fall in love with him since it can bring trouble, she knew who Mr. Wickham was. Elizabeth answered saying that she was not in love with him and that they also wouldn't form a good match together. Later Elizabeth received a letter from Charlotte saying that she is invited to visit them at Hunsford in March. Months passed and March  came soon enough and Elizabeth went to  Hunsford. When she arrived, Mr. Collins couldn't stop talking about the beautiful  life he had with Charlotte so that Elizabeth could regret not marrying him, but it didn't work. The next day they were all invited for dinner at Rosings, which was Lady Catherine's home. There, Elizabeth realized that Lady Catherine was a very authoritative, boring and very snobby person. She even lectured and showed her disagreement towards the fact that Elizabeth never had a governess, as if it was her fault.  A few days passed and they heard that Mr. Darcy was expected to arrive in a couple of days. When Mr. Darcy came they met his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was staying at Rosings too. When Mr. Darcy saw Elizabeth he asked about her family and she asked him about Jane and if he had seen her, but he said he didn't. Days passed and Elizabeth saw Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam at Rosings very often. One day she was in Charlotte's home by herself, when Mr. Darcy came. She was impressed when he surprised her with a marriage proposal. But Elizabeth refuses him by saying that she feels nothing for him, that he is the last man in the world who she would ever marry and that she doesn't want to marry the person who ruined her beloved sister's happiness.

What I think.....
"But I have other provocations. You know I have. Had not my feelings decided against you—had they been indifferent, or had they even been favourable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man who has been the means of ruining, perhaps for ever, the happiness of a most beloved sister?" (162)

Mr. Darcys proposal left Elizabeth very surprised and shocked. This was not something she expected or even saw coming. I do feel empathy towards Elizabeth because if I had the same information she had about Mr. Darcy and his plan to separate Jane and Mr. Bingley, I would've also rejected his proposal. But even though she was extremely suprised by this act of love from the last man in the world whom she would think of marrying, she could have reponded more politely. Here is how we all realize that Elizabeth´s pride is also big and powerful, since it also made her judge Mr. Darcy before knowing him and his true story.

“Darcy: 'I certainly have not the talent which some people possess, of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.'
Elizabeth:'My fingers do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practicing. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution.”(150)

Elizabeth was playing the piano when Mr. Darcy came to see her and they started talking about he being shy at their first ball. He said that he does not have the ability of talking and socializing with new people. But Elizabeth tries to explain that Mr. Darcy is to blame, by comparing him to her  experience with the piano. I do have a connection with Mr. Darcy on this topic because most of the time, I am also very shy around people I don't know and I am sure that all of us have gone through that at least once. But the thing is that we cant blame those people for not talking about things we like and for not pleasing us. It is our fault for not trying to find better ways to socialize with new people or trying harder. Also as a pianist, I can assure you that without practice and farther interest it is not very possibe for you to improve on a song or technique. Great piano players are made by practice and effort, but not by luck.


My final thoughts.......

In my opinion the last chapters have been really unexpected and stunning. I was really surprised when Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth since didn't even see it coming.  We aready knew from previous chapters that Mr. Darcy liked Elizabeth , but I thought that his pride was so big, that it would prevent him from ever showing his love for Elizabeth. I am also realizing that pride is not only found in Mr. Darcy's character but in Elizabeth too, since she uses it to reject Mr. Darcy in a impolite and superior manner. She also says that he is the last man whom she would ever marry.

 

 My prediction for the following chapters is that Elizabeth will realize that she judged Mr. Darcy too harshly an that this will be the main point of prejudice in the book. I think that because prejudice is on the book´s title and I'm sure that there is another side in Mr. Darcy's stories. Finally, I can say that I am really glad I chose this book for my reading since it has taught  me a lot of things and it has made me see the world in a different way.

To Continue.....

When Elizabeth and her sister Jane came back home Mrs. Bennet was not happy. She wanted them to stay longer at Netherfield. Mr. Bennet, instead, was happy to see his daughters and missed them a lot. He told them about a letter he received from a man who was supposed to be, by law, the heir to their estate, Longbourn. He was also related to the Bennet family and was planning to stay in town with them for a while. His name was Mr. Collins and he was a clergyman.  The day he arrived, he and the Bennet sisters, after having lunch and sermon reading, went out for a walk to Meryton.  While they were walking they met a soldier called Mr. Wickham who was friends with a soldier they did know, Mr. Denny. The next evening they were invited to a dinner party at their aunt, Mrs. Phillip's, house. There,  Mr. Wickham sat next to Elizabeth and in a  conversation about Mr. Darcy,  he told her the story between them. He said that they know each other since they were little. Mr. Darcy's dad liked, helped and appreciated Mr. Wickham a lot  and this made Mr. Darcy jealous and feel hatred towards him. After talking with Mr. Wickham for a while, Elizabeth realized that she started liking Mr. Wickham and she couldn't wait to see him again. The next day Elizabeth told Jane the story between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham. They both couldn't stop wondering why Mr. Bingley was his friend. Good news came saying that there was going to be a ball at Netherfield! At the ball Elizabeth was expecting Mr. Wickham to ask her for the two first dances, but he didn't even attend to the ball and Mr. Collins asked her instead. She started to suspect a special liking for her in Mr. Collins. Mr. Darcy also asked Elizabeth to dance and while they were dancing she couldn't stop mentioning Mr. Wickham. They discussed about the topic along with Miss Bingley and Mr. Bingley the erst of the night. The next day something very unexpected happened, Mr. Collins proposed marriage to Elizabeth. She didn't accept him and this brought a lot of pressure from her parents. Mrs. Bennet threatened  her by saying she was never seeing her again if she didn't accept Mr. Collins as his future husband. She thought that saving their inheritance was more important and that Mr. Collins marrying one of her daughters would solve this problem.  Mr. Bennet talked to Elizabeth later but instead she told her that he was never seeing her again if she accepted Mr. Collins. After being rejected, Mr. Collins tried proposing to Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth's dear friend, and she easily accepted. Elizabeth was later shocked when she heard the news since she couldn't believe why Charlotte was giving up her happiness for such an  unexpected marriage proposal. Later, Jane's hopes of marriage with Mr. Bingley are over when she receives a letter from Miss Bingley saying that they will be leaving Netherfield to London and that they wont be back in a long time. She also mentioned that they were visiting Miss Darcy, Mr. Darcy's sister. This made Jane feel that Miss Bingley did not want her brother marrying a lower class Bennet family member.

 

Just thought.......

“She had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her own, but she had not supposed it to be possible that, when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins was a most humiliating picture! And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.” (110)

I think that this quote says a lot about the way Charlotte thinks and how different she is from Elizabeth! By reading this quote we can see that Elizabeth doesn't agree with Charlotte. She thinks that marrying Mr. Collins is not worth losing her happiness. She thinks that marriage should not be pressured. In contrast, Charlotte sees matrimony and marriage as a way to free herself from her dependency on her parents and she also thought that it was worth sacrificing any feeling even if it was with a man that she didn't really love. There are very big differences between both and Elizabeth does realize it.

“Even Elizabeth began to fear -- not that Bingley was indifferent -- but that his sisters would be successful in keeping him away. Unwilling as she was to admit an idea so destructive of Jane's happiness, and so dishonorable to the stability of her lover, she could not prevent its frequently recurring. The united efforts of his two unfeeling sisters and of his overpowering friend, assisted by the attractions of Miss Darcy and the amusements of London, might be too much, she feared, for the strength of his attachment.”  (113)


Jane just got a letter from Miss Bingley saying that they wont be coming back  in the winter either. This is making Elizabeth really worried for her sister's happiness with Mr. Bingley. She is scared that hi sisters and Mr. Darcy will keep him away for too long from Jane. I am personally also shocked by this because I really thought that Mr. Bingley was really in love for Jane and that he would never leave her for anyone else, considering their relationship so far. But I am also wondering, what is making Mr. Bingley go away? Will he never come back for Jane?

In conclusion.......

I think this last chapters have been really interesting since a lot of surprising things and events have happened. I am still shocked by the fact that Mr. Bingley has left Netherfield and has forgotten about Jane. I am also very surprised by Charlotte marrying Mr. Collins soon. But I think that we shouldn't judge her because in those days it was the only way for a woman to live and stop depending from her parents. I think that on the next chapters, Mr. Bingley is coming back and he is going to apologize towards Jane for never writing or even telling her that he was leaving. I also think that Elizabeth and the people who don't like Mr. Darcy will find a different side to the story and will change the way they see him. What I like most about reading this book is Jane Austen's way of writing that is so proper that does make a impact on the reader and characters. I have to say that when I'm reading it, it suddenly takes me to a different world. I am so carried by the story that I sometimes forget where I am and where I am standing!

Meeting the Bennets

What I read......
The beautiful book I have been reading in this past weeks is called Pride and Prejudice. It is the story of a family in England, called the Bennets in the late 19th century which consisted of five daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia. Mrs. Bennet, their mother, is a traditional woman of those times and her biggest wish and goal in life is to see her daughters married well.  Mr. Bennet, in contrast, is a very correct, wise and independent soul  that doesn't usually follow traditions and has his own way of thinking. When Mrs. Bennett hears news of a wealthy man taking over Netherfield Park, she told her husband as soon as he could with the intention of convincing him to introduce their daughters to him one day. The day of a ball came and everyone was really excited to meet this man whom everyone talked about. His name was Mr. Bingley, his descriptions showed he was handsome, educated and civil. They also met Mr. Darcy, a man who even if he was wealthy, people didn't like him for his pride. At the ball, just as Mrs. Bennet wanted, Mr. Bingley liked one of her daughters, Jane who was the eldest of all. He asked her for two dances and started to feel attracted towards her. The ball was the main subject of conversation on the following days. Jane went once to visit Mr. Bingley and his friends and family at Netherfield but when she got there she became ill and couldn't go back home until she recovered. When Elizabeth heard the news of her sister being sick she went to Netherfield to see her and stayed with her for some time. While Elizabeth was there, she met Miss Bingley, Mr. Bingley's sister, who was very conceited. She also had a few conversations with Mr. Darcy and learned a little more of his personality. When Jane was finally feeling better, Elizabeth and her sister returned home but Mr. Darcy started to feel attracted towards Elizabeth.

Thinking this about.......

“If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield,” said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, “and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for” (10)

Personally if I was a mother this wouldn't be my major worry or wish. My major wish and priority would be to make sure that my daughters are living a happy life. Leading a happy life is healthy and good.  The people around you, the people taking place in your life are also influential. That is why these girls have to have the freedom to choose who they want to marry, not by their social status but by realizing if they make them happy or not. Love is not about being rich or poor, it is the special relationship between two people by sharing characteristics and feelings. I don't judge Mrs. Bennet for her way of thinking either, since I understand that those were difficult and different times  which she lived in, specially for women. But I also think that one can make their his or her own decisions.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."(1)

This quote is used by the author to emphasize the two main themes or most important themes of the story. These two themes are: social classes and marriage. Jane Austen is talking about social class or status were she says a "a single man in possession of good fortune" and talking about  marriage in the part that says: "must be in want of a wife". This choice she made in words, descriptions and statements gives us a major hint in what the story is going to be about and that the characters and situations are going to be greatly influenced by it.

To conclude.....

So far I am liking a lot this book by Jane Austen. What I like most is the way the author writes and describes characters and situations that makes the story alive and appealing. My prediction for the next chapters is that Mr. Darcy will continue liking Elizabeth and his affection will start growing. I also think that Mr. Bingley is going to become closer to Jane and that probably they will get married some day. I am also realizing that conversations and discussions about pride and prejudice are mentioned throughout the book between characters expressing their opinions about both. They are also found in Mr. Darcy's personality, for example, since his pride affects the way other people think about him. To conclude, I really really recommend others to start reading this book or to continue doing it because its messages, themes and characters tell us a lot about how both pride and prejudice were present in those times and also today, though now women have more opportunities and freedom than before, people still show pride wealth and judge others for social status.