I'll be honest.
I've never watched, read or really thought I would enjoy Pride or Prejudice,
but after I started reading it over break, I couldn't put it down. I ended up
reading the entire thing in one day.
My first comment,
upon reaching our Vol I Chapter XVII checkpoint was one of confusion. Why on
earth does Darcy have to be such an ass? I also found myself really agreeing
with Elizabeth's views on Bingley's sisters, and the general behaviors of
people.
I suppose this
book makes me think of my upbringing, and how manners were such an important
thing, and how people perceive you and your family is such an important thing,
no matter the time. Even though I'm twenty-one and about to move out, the
perception that we're well-mannered and well-behaved always is still very
apparent to me.
"Vanity and
pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A
person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of
ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
This quote also
reminds me a lot of how I grew up, as vanity more describes the need for good
outward appearances than pride. I have no trouble being silly and goofing off
with friends, laughing and not regarding the opinions of others because I know
that there are some things you just don't do, and there are some things that
you can do. My mother on the other hand, alike her mother, believe that best behavior
in public is always necessary. Sometimes this makes me wonder how any of them
handled my brother and I in our quite normal, crazy toddler years.
I also started
thinking of why so many people like this book. I do agree Jane Austen's way of
writing does encourage a person to really think about society and how absurd it
can be. I also think it encourages us to think about class, and what it really
means to have class versus having grace. As shows up in what we have already
read, just because you are of high class doesn't mean you have good grace, and
just because you aren't of high class doesn't mean you can't have good grace.
I'm also led to
think about all the descriptors that were used for me growing up, that even now
represent how much women should be seen a certain way. I was a tom-boy, just
because I preferred to play football at recess and not house. I was too nerdy,
because I liked model rockets. I wasn't girly enough, because my first
interaction with the boy I really liked, was, according to my
"friend" I was supposed to kiss him and show off my chest. Suffice to
say I didn't do that, and still don't understand why they thought it was
appropriate for 12 year olds.
This book was a fantastic
look, in my opinion, at romance, a woman’s place in the world, class and
behavior, as well as family.
I enjoyed reading your post, and found it especially interesting when you compared the novel to your upbringing. For me, I am a daughter, and my parents only child, and while my parents have never mentioned their desire for me to get married and have a family of my own, I know they would be somewhat disappointed if I did not. My mother has never tried to push me into the arms of a suitor, but she has insinuated "boy talk", and reflecting now after reading P&P, I believe the idea of marrying off your daughter is still around. Parents have the same hopes for their daughters, but hopefully for the right reasons, not for the status or money.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand the "boy talk". My father's family is from southern, very rural Georgia, so every time I talk to them, I get asked about suitors, and every time I say I'm not interested in children, that I will have a family of dogs and cats, I find the "you'll come to want them eventually" opinion. A lot of parents haven't yet come to accept that people are capable of being single and perfectly happy, or not having children and being perfectly happy.
DeleteNot to be corny or cliche, but just be you, as my friend once told me, "your family will always want to be a part of your life if they love you, so they will come to accept your decisions". On this lovely International Women's Day, you are awesome, and such as strong, brilliant individual.
Your question asking why Darcy had to be such an ass really resonated after I completed this second reading. I want to know his motive for stopping Bingly and Jane's marriage, for one. And let's talk about the least romantic and rudest marriage proposal ever. He definitely carries all of the preconceived notions you talk about in your post.
ReplyDeleteI was absolutely livid with his proposal, and I was just as frustrated with his treatment of Bingham. I won't spoil anything, but I finally began to understand Darcy in this next reading section. He becomes less awful.
DeleteI think you'll also come to understand why he stopped their marriage, which I came to understand his decision and his reasoning, for as much as I was mad at him over it at first.
Hey I really enjoy your post. Its' really thoughtful and relatable. I liked how you compared the story to upbringing and manners.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly relate to your post and Hannah's comment. I also was the tomboy growing up (although instead of football, it was kickball and that was the shit), and my mom's all about appearances in public as well. My parents also never pushed me to get together with guys and I'm thankful for that, but I also feel like they expect me to get married and have kids and would be disappointed if that never happened (which it's likely that it won't happen since at this moment, I'm so not about kids).
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this novel (definitely not Mr. Bennet, love him), but I also couldn't put it down once I got into it. And I whole-heartedly agree with the Darcy's proposal. Who does that??? Darcy, apparently.