In the previous chapter it seemed like Jane Austen was about to end the book. Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam were reunited after the emotional scene that transpired at Charlotte's house, and it seemed like they were developing a mutual affection for each other. Then, tragedy struck. Elizabeth received news of Lydia eloping with Mr. Wickham. I felt that Austen’s extension of the plot through such an unlikely event was inorganic and, though pleasurable to read, did not add much to the overall story other than tying up the loose end of Wickham and exposing more of the foolishness of Lydia. When Elizabeth returned to her home and saw the reactions of her family to Lydia’s ordeal, I really started to dislike her mother. Her blaming of Wickham, Mr. Bennett, and the Fosters for her daughter’s misbehavior made me surprisingly upset, and made me realize how invested I was becoming in the story. This is where I think Austen really shines as a writer, making us delve into a relatively quiet, unexciting world, and then slowly develop an attachment that doesn't show its strength until we least expect it. At the end of the reading we learn that Wickham and Lydia “are not married, nor [had] any intention of be so”, unless Mr. Bennet gives Lydia “her equal share of the 5000 pounds, secured amongst [Mr. Bennett’s] children after [his] decease” and “100 pounds per annum”. These conditions the Bennets accept, for they are far more forgiving than they had expected. The reason for this, Mr. Bennett presumes, is that Lydia’s uncle, Mr. Gardiner, paid off Wickham’s debts and gave him some money of his own. This they take with some surprise and dismay, for he has his own family to care for, and they also now owe Mr. Gardiner a great debt. I do not think that this is the case. I predict that Mr. Darcy had something to do with this, and that this event will propel him and Elizabeth together again, and that this will conclude the novel. Ethan Coyle
Anyone else really hate what takes place in these chapters? I mean, I understand that at this time running off with someone was horribly improper and shameful, but it disgusts me that the family feels they should celebrate Lydia will actually marry Mr. Wickham. As Elizabeth points it out, “ And for this we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness and wretched his character, we are forced to rejoice (203).” She too can see just how ridiculous and awful their reaction is, thinking that Lydia marrying Wickham, who they all know now is a horrible person with incredible debt, would be better than her returning home without him. I mean, Mr. Collins even says that, “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison to this (198),” and that the Bennets should, “throw off [their] unworthy child from [their] affection for ever, and leave her to reap the fruits of her own heinous offense (199).” It just utterly amazes and horrifies me that people could think this way about their own or other people's children, even if they have made a terrible mistake. I'm sure the family will definitely go through with the marriage, which will no doubt be sucky for everyone involved (excluding Mrs. Bennet because of course she’s happy). In addition to this, Mr. Gardiner is paying off Wickham, which means Mr. Bennet is now in debt to him, which further increases the family’s money problems and their stress. Honestly this event really was a disaster, and I think its coming resolution won't be any better than if Lydia hadn't married him at all.
Mr. Collins is the worst cousin ever, as seen in his letter of condolence regarding Lydia’s scandal. On page 198, he writes that, “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this,” and then proceeds to remark on his good fortune at Elizabeth’s rejection, “for had it been otherwise, I must have been involved in all your sorrow and disgrace” (199). I just found that a bit too blunt to be real; and yet Austen must have pulled from some sort of experience to create such an exchange, which is unfortunate. I am doubly thankful now that Charlotte is stuck with the man, for the lady irritated me a bit when she accepted his proposal and now I relish in her living situation at present. I find Lydia to be quite the simpleton; when watching the Keira Knightley adaptation, I hadn’t fully realized the whole of the scandal, but now I see the full picture and how it affects the whole family. I just can’t wait for the rest of the book… Certain pieces are falling into place now in my memory and I’m excited to see everything fully play out.
Mr. Wickham’s petty personality is shown a lot in this section with his elopement with Lydia because Lizzy isn’t under his spell any more. I never really thought about the father's neglect until it was pointed out in class. Mr. Bennet does seem to regret his neglect after Lydia and Mr. Wickham eloped but at the same time he seems more angry at Lydia then feeling regret. The thing that I think the most about though is how much money do the Gardeners have? I might have been under the wrong impression but I thought they weren't that much better off then the Bennets. If the Gardeners did pay Wickham to marry Lydia I wouldn’t expect them have enough money to tempt him.
When Jane returns to her inn from coming back from Pemberley visiting Mr. Darcy's house. She receives two letters from Jane and it relates back to Lydia who has eploped with WIckham. When she read the letter she also found out that there is no word from the couple and that they may not be married yet. Elizabeth panics because she realized that is Wickham does not marry Lydia, the reputation of both Lydia and the entire family will be ruined because in that era you are not allowed to have a thing with another guy. You were suppose to marry the guy so if Wickham just flirted and had a fling with Lydia, no one would every want to marry Lydia or the sisters anymore. Elizabeth tells Darcy about the news and darcy blames himself for not exposing WIckham when he should have. When Elizabeth returns home she finds out that her father has gone to London to search of lydia and Wickham. While Mrs. Bennet is very upset and blames Colonel FOrster for not taking care of her daughter. Jane reassures Elizabeth and had no idea that Lydia was attached to WIckham. Mr. Gardiner follows Mr. Bennet to London and write to the Bennet family that it was unsuccessful to find Lydia. Meanwhile a letter from Mr. Collins accuses the Bennets of poor parenting and notes that Lydia’s behavior reflects poorly on the family as a whole. The travel to London was unsuccessful and Mr. Bennet returns home. Finally they find Wickham and Lydia and that Wickham will marry her if the Bennets will guarantee him a small income. Mr. Bennet agrees, deciding that marriage to a scoundrel is better than a ruined reputation. Meanwhile Elizabeth on her opinion on Darcy has changed so completely that if he were to propose to her again she would accept. But we find out that Wickham has accepted a commission in the North of England. Lydia asked to be allowed to visit her family before she goes to north with Wickham. The Bennets allowed the newlyweds to stay at their home. In the morning Lydia describes her wedding and mentions that Darcy was in the Church. Elizabeth was amazed and sends a letter to Mrs. Gardiner to ask for more details.
For me, these chapters really drove home how much of a disadvantaged position the Bennet’s family is in. We know that they are in the lower portion of the upper class, that not having any sons also hurts them, and that the behavior of the younger siblings makes things still harder, but the decision to pay off Mr.Wickham and have Lydia marry him rather than risk the loss of reputation really made it feel real. It also put past events, such as Eliza refusing multiple proposals, and Ms.Bennett's desperation to see her daughters married, in a new light. I hope it won’t be as bad for Lydia as I fear, but her prospects as Mr.Wickham’s wife seem dim. I also wonder what Wickham’s motive here was. He could likely have married much richer than he did, given his charisma, and Lydia doesn’t seem like a prime target for someone only hunting wealth. I can’t think of what else he might be going for though. Perhaps he was simply grabbing for whatever money he could reach. -Sara Earl
I think that this section of text really brought to light the differences between the 1800s and current times. Sure this was evident earlier in the text, but for me this is where the story became harder to follow because of those differences. When Lydia runs away with Wickham, the Bennetts, along with just about every other character, act like it's the end of the world. They don’t just act like it is the end of Lydia’s life, but like it is the end of the family as a whole. Mr. Collins even wrote in his letter to Mr. Bennett, “the death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this.” To me this was shocking. I know that Mr. Collins is over the top and can take things too far but to say that it would be better if Lydia were dead, it was jolting. If someone runs away with a lover nowadays, yes it's frowned upon, but it in no way will ruin someone's life. If the two runaways do not return married it won’t destroy their family names forever. The worst case for this scenario would probably be the girl returning home pregnant and unwed. However, even that, as taboo as it is, would probably become old news after a few years. Yet, in Pride and Prejudice, if the elopement did not end in marriage, it would have been the end of the Bennett’s prospects. Even Mr. Darcy, who’s clearly still in love with Elizabeth, seems to be anxious to get his distance from Elizabeth when she tells him of Lydia’s elopement. If Mr. Pellerin hadn’t explained the magnitude of Lydia running away, I think I would be writing this journal entry about how confused I was about this section. So, thanks for the explanation, without it this would have been a long few chapters. -Ellie Yates
In this section I feel like there was so much going on, it kind of stressed me out. I felt like everyone was rushing around freaking out about Lydia running away with Wickham. Obviously it is scary because she is only 16 and is running off with basically her older sisters ex, but I feel like they were acting like this was going to mess up their loves forever but she couldn't have gotten that far, I mean there weren't cars or planes in these times, she's probably just up the street. I also feel like this part of the text was just so random. In one chapter we have Darcy and Elizabeth fighting about marriage and then in the next Lydia is gone with Wickham and you're just like "what the hell"? I also found a little humor in it, even though I don't think it was supposed to be funny. I just imagines them all scrambling around and being completely over dramatic.
This section is an actual mess, there's so much going on. I feel really bad for the Bennet family because of Lydia's runaway with Wickham. What Mr. Collin wrote in his letter to Mr. Bennet was very surprising, writing "the death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this.” This was surprising to me because of how cold that is, saying that the death of Lydia would be better than this current situation. Honestly, I think the Bennet family is acting like this is the end of the world for them, like they will die without Lydia's presence. Worst case scenario for the Bennet family is that Lydia comes back not married but pregnant. This was honestly a big jump for me, last section we were reading about Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth fighting about marriage, and next thing you know, Lydia and Mr. Wickham are gone. I hope to see that the Bennet family will recover from this in the next chapters.
I think that this chapter really sets the book in motion. I really agree with Alan with how the book suddenly throws the Bennet family into a crisis, and how attached you become to the characters after reading the past half of the book. I think that Jane Austen is very good at writing likeable, and relatable characters that you can’t help but become attached to. Jane is also good at providing context on how severe Lydia running away is. She expresses this through Mr.Collins “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this”(pg 198). This is a very good way of saying that everyone in the Bennet family is pretty much screwed because of Lydia. Additionally, this is a very blunt way to say that Lydia should be dead, and that if Lydia were dead it would be better than this. This is a good explanation of how “repressed” and what type of culture Britain had at the time.
In this section of the novel, I felt as though Austen highlighted traits in some characters that made them more unlikeable, as well as traits in others that made them more sympathetic. While reading, I definitely acquired a certain hatred for both Wickham and Lydia, mostly on account of what they caused on the Bennet family. Clearly, the mention of their elopement brought an incredible amount of stress and panic to the Bennets; even Elizabeth, who seems to be more introverted about her emotions. The book describes the effect of Lydia's decision on the rest of her family, stating how Elizabeth, "sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her" (pg. 184). However, the elopement has the greatest impact on Mrs. Bennet (naturally), who "'does not yet leave her dressing-room'" as "'her spirits are greatly shaken'" (pg. 191). The reaction of Mr. Bennet was especially surprising, seeing how he tends to stay out of the antics of the family. But the event was so idiotic and so threatening that it caused him to "'not speak a word for a full ten minutes.'" (pg. 195). All of these responses highlight the theme of the novel that focuses on the importance of reputation and pride. Now, the pride of the Bennet family seems greatly wounded, and so, they feared, would be their reputation. This passage also gave me a deeper understanding of Mrs. Bennet's troubles as it showed how focused she was on maintaining a solid reputation for her and her daughters. It made me sympathize her a bit more when her hopes for the future were completely destroyed, and perhaps even showed her as something less thoughtless and selfish and more feeling and anxious. -Jill Schuck
In Chapters 46-50, the plot of the story picks up again with chaos unfolding due to Wickham running off and eloping with Lydia. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are panicking and blaming themselves for not exposing Wickham earlier, which I think would have been a better idea. Back in Longbourne, Mrs. Bennet is blaming Colonel Foster rather than herself and Mr. Bennet. I think this small detail is kind of interesting because Mrs. Bennet did the same thing when Elizabeth turned down Mr. Collin’s marriage proposal. There, Mrs. Bennet blamed Mr. Bennet. I also think this marriage between Mr. Wickham and Lydia is an unique way to keep Mr. Wickham relevant to the story and active in it.
As i predicted in my previous blog post, Elizabeths feelings towards Darcy have slowly shifted to the point where she would now accept his hand in marriage given the chance. “She was convinced that she could have been happy with him; when it was no longer likely they should meet” (208) I’m also wondering how Mr. Wickham was able to convince Lydia to run away with him, he probably came off as charming as he did initially to Elizabeth. And i find it funny that even though it’s a bad thing that Lydia is marrying Wickham, Mrs. Bennet is happy that she is getting married by default. “Mrs. Bennet could hardly contain herself” (204)
In chapters 46 through 50 Lydia and Mr. Wickham risk the Bennett family name by running off together. In chapter 46, we see that Elizabeth trusts Mr. Darcy so much that she tells him about Lydia’s affair with Mr. Darcy. Austen writes, “On his quitting the room, she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her” (184). This quote shows that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth trust and support each other which is reinforced by Elizabeth telling Darcy about Lydia and Mr. Wickham. Another thing that I learned was that Lydia was desperate for anyone, even Wickham. The book says, “She had never perceived, while the regiment was in Hertfordshire, that Lydia had any partiality for him, but she was convinced that Lydia had only wanted encouragement to attach herself to anybody” (187). Another thing that we learn in the chapter, is that Mr. Bennett does not support his daughter, Lydia even when she messed up. In chapter 50 it says, “Into one house in this neighbourhood, they shall never have admittance. I will not encourage the impudence of either, by receiving them at Longbourn” (207). This quote shows that Mr. Darcy will not recognize Lydia’s marriage and that she does not have his support.
I have to take back my previous thoughts on Mr.Darcy… In the beggining I thought he was cold hearted man, but through chapters 46 and 50 we see a completely new light. In fact all characters have changed a huge matter since we first started Pride and Prejudice. For example Mr.Bennet has seen the outcomes of him not paying attention to his daughters and their lives. He made a grave mistake allowing Lydia to go to Brighton. “Not speak a word for a whole 10 minutes”(184) He was so in shock of what Lydia did because he never really fully understood how flirty and wild Lydia was. Lydia is a character I personally am furious at, how can a girl just completely disregard her entire family’s reputation and go to elope( ESPECIALLY ONE WHO HER SISTER LIKED). Lydia is rash and young minded I am praying she will feel guilt for something. Mr.Darcy is clearly still in love with Elizabeth. After she reads Jane's letters She collapses and Mr.Darcy is right there to swoop in and console her. I believe that I was far from right at being angry with Mr.Darcy he is a quiet man who is actually very aware to how the people around him feel.-Madeline Bronder
And so we’ve reached our climax, as Lydia runs off with Wickham and disaster ensues I am glad to say the book has genuinely surprised me with unexpected plot. Mrs. Bennett was, as usual, unbearably melodramatic and a great pressure on everyone’s nerves. I agree with Morgan here, I can't understand how anyone would celebrate such a marriage-- especially Mrs. Bennet as she spoke of giving Lydia “as much money as she chuses, to buy [her wedding clothes]”(192). Mrs. Bennett is utterly ridiculous. I had always seen Lydia as a sort of background character, but she came up too frequently for her not to be of some purpose to the story. Unfortunately, I now despise her entirely for being entirely thoughtless in every regard; she also reminds me very much of Mrs. Bennet which only furthers my dislike for Lydia. However, my main issue with Lydia is how inconveniently she timed her escapade. If you're going to run off with a man so be it, but it was right as Darcy and Elizabeth were growing closer; she broke up my favorite power couple and that is an unforgivable offense. Yet, I have a feeling they aren't so broken up as they seem, Darcy seemed too uneasy when last we saw him. Darcy is not one to just drop a stiff “I am afraid you have been long desiring my absence,”(186) and leave, it reeks of being an excuse for some alterier plan. Personally, when Mr. Bennett spoke of the “money laid down”(203) by Mr. Gardiner to assure Lydia and Wickham’s marriage I immediately thought of Darcy being that he knows of the affair and has ample funds to aide his beloved’s plight. The whole situation, as it was told in letters and not by a first person witnessing, it just seems fishy and geniusly written to keep it that way. I look forward to seeing how such current relations are to be mended. I am, dear Sir, &c. &c.
In chapters 46-50 we see how your family reputation can easily change in a bad way. I wasn’t surprised on how family and society react on Lydia and Wickham escape. Imagine if it happens in our time, your parents would call you, your friends, your boy/girlfriend until they find out where you are. But Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813, there wasn’t any phone or computers where you can find where is your son/daughter right now.So Bennet's family began to panic.They spread this in their town to find some information where their daughter could be. Mr. Collins even wrote to Bennett family a letter “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this”. Which means that was better to find her dead then not to find her.Also it affected on their family name in a bad way. Roman Shepeliev
In this section of the reading, I love how Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finally seem to be on the same page about something, even though it’s about something as terrible as what Mr. Wickham did. When Elizabeth got that letter and tried to hurry off to go home, I loved how Mr. Darcy finally seemed to care about something considering the Bennet household, “..., she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her” (184). Lydia, being so young and desperate probably didn’t realize how bad this was but all she cared about was showing off to her sisters about getting married first. I don’t think Lydia is to blame for this, but Mr. Wickhams bad intentions. I don’t really understand what he is going to get from all this but I hope he doesn’t completely ruin the Bennett name.
Chapters 46 to 50 are excruciatingly painful, to say the least. Austen crafts this section of the book into everything that could possibly go wrong, right when things were seeming to look better after Mr. Bingley’s departure from Netherfield. The first time I read this novel, I can recall learning the Lydia ran off with Wickham, and how subsequently shocking it was, considering I never thought Wickham would have the nerve to run away with Lydia or Kitty. I was unsure as to how Lydia could be so naive as to think that they were in love, and in addition run away with him, knowing how her family would react. Although I feel that these chapters are among the worst, along with Mr. Bingley leaving Netherfield, I understand that it was necessary for Jane Austen to include this in the story. I do admire how creatively it is written, in a sense that Austen had to write a plot twist, and chose Lydia, an annoying character as it is, and have her run off with Wickham, who is obviously not a crowd favorite.
In the previous chapter it seemed like Jane Austen was about to end the book. Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam were reunited after the emotional scene that transpired at Charlotte's house, and it seemed like they were developing a mutual affection for each other. Then, tragedy struck. Elizabeth received news of Lydia eloping with Mr. Wickham. I felt that Austen’s extension of the plot through such an unlikely event was inorganic and, though pleasurable to read, did not add much to the overall story other than tying up the loose end of Wickham and exposing more of the foolishness of Lydia. When Elizabeth returned to her home and saw the reactions of her family to Lydia’s ordeal, I really started to dislike her mother. Her blaming of Wickham, Mr. Bennett, and the Fosters for her daughter’s misbehavior made me surprisingly upset, and made me realize how invested I was becoming in the story. This is where I think Austen really shines as a writer, making us delve into a relatively quiet, unexciting world, and then slowly develop an attachment that doesn't show its strength until we least expect it. At the end of the reading we learn that Wickham and Lydia “are not married, nor [had] any intention of be so”, unless Mr. Bennet gives Lydia “her equal share of the 5000 pounds, secured amongst [Mr. Bennett’s] children after [his] decease” and “100 pounds per annum”. These conditions the Bennets accept, for they are far more forgiving than they had expected. The reason for this, Mr. Bennett presumes, is that Lydia’s uncle, Mr. Gardiner, paid off Wickham’s debts and gave him some money of his own. This they take with some surprise and dismay, for he has his own family to care for, and they also now owe Mr. Gardiner a great debt. I do not think that this is the case. I predict that Mr. Darcy had something to do with this, and that this event will propel him and Elizabeth together again, and that this will conclude the novel.
ReplyDeleteEthan Coyle
Anyone else really hate what takes place in these chapters? I mean, I understand that at this time running off with someone was horribly improper and shameful, but it disgusts me that the family feels they should celebrate Lydia will actually marry Mr. Wickham. As Elizabeth points it out, “ And for this we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness and wretched his character, we are forced to rejoice (203).” She too can see just how ridiculous and awful their reaction is, thinking that Lydia marrying Wickham, who they all know now is a horrible person with incredible debt, would be better than her returning home without him. I mean, Mr. Collins even says that, “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison to this (198),” and that the Bennets should, “throw off [their] unworthy child from [their] affection for ever, and leave her to reap the fruits of her own heinous offense (199).” It just utterly amazes and horrifies me that people could think this way about their own or other people's children, even if they have made a terrible mistake. I'm sure the family will definitely go through with the marriage, which will no doubt be sucky for everyone involved (excluding Mrs. Bennet because of course she’s happy). In addition to this, Mr. Gardiner is paying off Wickham, which means Mr. Bennet is now in debt to him, which further increases the family’s money problems and their stress. Honestly this event really was a disaster, and I think its coming resolution won't be any better than if Lydia hadn't married him at all.
ReplyDeleteMr. Collins is the worst cousin ever, as seen in his letter of condolence regarding Lydia’s scandal. On page 198, he writes that, “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this,” and then proceeds to remark on his good fortune at Elizabeth’s rejection, “for had it been otherwise, I must have been involved in all your sorrow and disgrace” (199). I just found that a bit too blunt to be real; and yet Austen must have pulled from some sort of experience to create such an exchange, which is unfortunate. I am doubly thankful now that Charlotte is stuck with the man, for the lady irritated me a bit when she accepted his proposal and now I relish in her living situation at present.
ReplyDeleteI find Lydia to be quite the simpleton; when watching the Keira Knightley adaptation, I hadn’t fully realized the whole of the scandal, but now I see the full picture and how it affects the whole family. I just can’t wait for the rest of the book… Certain pieces are falling into place now in my memory and I’m excited to see everything fully play out.
Mr. Wickham’s petty personality is shown a lot in this section with his elopement with
ReplyDeleteLydia because Lizzy isn’t under his spell any more. I never really thought about the father's neglect until it was pointed out in class. Mr. Bennet does seem to regret his neglect after Lydia and Mr. Wickham eloped but at the same time he seems more angry at Lydia then feeling regret. The thing that I think the most about though is how much money do the Gardeners have? I might have been under the wrong impression but I thought they weren't that much better off then the Bennets. If the Gardeners did pay Wickham to marry Lydia I wouldn’t expect them have enough money to tempt him.
When Jane returns to her inn from coming back from Pemberley visiting Mr. Darcy's house. She receives two letters from Jane and it relates back to Lydia who has eploped with WIckham. When she read the letter she also found out that there is no word from the couple and that they may not be married yet. Elizabeth panics because she realized that is Wickham does not marry Lydia, the reputation of both Lydia and the entire family will be ruined because in that era you are not allowed to have a thing with another guy. You were suppose to marry the guy so if Wickham just flirted and had a fling with Lydia, no one would every want to marry Lydia or the sisters anymore. Elizabeth tells Darcy about the news and darcy blames himself for not exposing WIckham when he should have. When Elizabeth returns home she finds out that her father has gone to London to search of lydia and Wickham. While Mrs. Bennet is very upset and blames Colonel FOrster for not taking care of her daughter. Jane reassures Elizabeth and had no idea that Lydia was attached to WIckham. Mr. Gardiner follows Mr. Bennet to London and write to the Bennet family that it was unsuccessful to find Lydia. Meanwhile a letter from Mr. Collins accuses the Bennets of poor parenting and notes that Lydia’s behavior reflects poorly on the family as a whole. The travel to London was unsuccessful and Mr. Bennet returns home. Finally they find Wickham and Lydia and that Wickham will marry her if the Bennets will guarantee him a small income. Mr. Bennet agrees, deciding that marriage to a scoundrel is better than a ruined reputation. Meanwhile Elizabeth on her opinion on Darcy has changed so completely that if he were to propose to her again she would accept. But we find out that Wickham has accepted a commission in the North of England. Lydia asked to be allowed to visit her family before she goes to north with Wickham. The Bennets allowed the newlyweds to stay at their home. In the morning Lydia describes her wedding and mentions that Darcy was in the Church. Elizabeth was amazed and sends a letter to Mrs. Gardiner to ask for more details.
ReplyDeleteFor me, these chapters really drove home how much of a disadvantaged position the Bennet’s family is in. We know that they are in the lower portion of the upper class, that not having any sons also hurts them, and that the behavior of the younger siblings makes things still harder, but the decision to pay off Mr.Wickham and have Lydia marry him rather than risk the loss of reputation really made it feel real. It also put past events, such as Eliza refusing multiple proposals, and Ms.Bennett's desperation to see her daughters married, in a new light. I hope it won’t be as bad for Lydia as I fear, but her prospects as Mr.Wickham’s wife seem dim. I also wonder what Wickham’s motive here was. He could likely have married much richer than he did, given his charisma, and Lydia doesn’t seem like a prime target for someone only hunting wealth. I can’t think of what else he might be going for though. Perhaps he was simply grabbing for whatever money he could reach.
ReplyDelete-Sara Earl
I think that this section of text really brought to light the differences between the 1800s and current times. Sure this was evident earlier in the text, but for me this is where the story became harder to follow because of those differences. When Lydia runs away with Wickham, the Bennetts, along with just about every other character, act like it's the end of the world. They don’t just act like it is the end of Lydia’s life, but like it is the end of the family as a whole. Mr. Collins even wrote in his letter to Mr. Bennett, “the death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this.” To me this was shocking. I know that Mr. Collins is over the top and can take things too far but to say that it would be better if Lydia were dead, it was jolting. If someone runs away with a lover nowadays, yes it's frowned upon, but it in no way will ruin someone's life. If the two runaways do not return married it won’t destroy their family names forever. The worst case for this scenario would probably be the girl returning home pregnant and unwed. However, even that, as taboo as it is, would probably become old news after a few years. Yet, in Pride and Prejudice, if the elopement did not end in marriage, it would have been the end of the Bennett’s prospects. Even Mr. Darcy, who’s clearly still in love with Elizabeth, seems to be anxious to get his distance from Elizabeth when she tells him of Lydia’s elopement. If Mr. Pellerin hadn’t explained the magnitude of Lydia running away, I think I would be writing this journal entry about how confused I was about this section. So, thanks for the explanation, without it this would have been a long few chapters.
ReplyDelete-Ellie Yates
In this section I feel like there was so much going on, it kind of stressed me out. I felt like everyone was rushing around freaking out about Lydia running away with Wickham. Obviously it is scary because she is only 16 and is running off with basically her older sisters ex, but I feel like they were acting like this was going to mess up their loves forever but she couldn't have gotten that far, I mean there weren't cars or planes in these times, she's probably just up the street. I also feel like this part of the text was just so random. In one chapter we have Darcy and Elizabeth fighting about marriage and then in the next Lydia is gone with Wickham and you're just like "what the hell"? I also found a little humor in it, even though I don't think it was supposed to be funny. I just imagines them all scrambling around and being completely over dramatic.
ReplyDeleteThis section is an actual mess, there's so much going on. I feel really bad for the Bennet family because of Lydia's runaway with Wickham. What Mr. Collin wrote in his letter to Mr. Bennet was very surprising, writing "the death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this.” This was surprising to me because of how cold that is, saying that the death of Lydia would be better than this current situation. Honestly, I think the Bennet family is acting like this is the end of the world for them, like they will die without Lydia's presence. Worst case scenario for the Bennet family is that Lydia comes back not married but pregnant. This was honestly a big jump for me, last section we were reading about Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth fighting about marriage, and next thing you know, Lydia and Mr. Wickham are gone. I hope to see that the Bennet family will recover from this in the next chapters.
ReplyDeleteI think that this chapter really sets the book in motion. I really agree with Alan with how the book suddenly throws the Bennet family into a crisis, and how attached you become to the characters after reading the past half of the book. I think that Jane Austen is very good at writing likeable, and relatable characters that you can’t help but become attached to. Jane is also good at providing context on how severe Lydia running away is. She expresses this through Mr.Collins “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison of this”(pg 198). This is a very good way of saying that everyone in the Bennet family is pretty much screwed because of Lydia. Additionally, this is a very blunt way to say that Lydia should be dead, and that if Lydia were dead it would be better than this. This is a good explanation of how “repressed” and what type of culture Britain had at the time.
ReplyDeleteIn this section of the novel, I felt as though Austen highlighted traits in some characters that made them more unlikeable, as well as traits in others that made them more sympathetic. While reading, I definitely acquired a certain hatred for both Wickham and Lydia, mostly on account of what they caused on the Bennet family. Clearly, the mention of their elopement brought an incredible amount of stress and panic to the Bennets; even Elizabeth, who seems to be more introverted about her emotions. The book describes the effect of Lydia's decision on the rest of her family, stating how Elizabeth, "sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her" (pg. 184). However, the elopement has the greatest impact on Mrs. Bennet (naturally), who "'does not yet leave her dressing-room'" as "'her spirits are greatly shaken'" (pg. 191). The reaction of Mr. Bennet was especially surprising, seeing how he tends to stay out of the antics of the family. But the event was so idiotic and so threatening that it caused him to "'not speak a word for a full ten minutes.'" (pg. 195). All of these responses highlight the theme of the novel that focuses on the importance of reputation and pride. Now, the pride of the Bennet family seems greatly wounded, and so, they feared, would be their reputation. This passage also gave me a deeper understanding of Mrs. Bennet's troubles as it showed how focused she was on maintaining a solid reputation for her and her daughters. It made me sympathize her a bit more when her hopes for the future were completely destroyed, and perhaps even showed her as something less thoughtless and selfish and more feeling and anxious. -Jill Schuck
ReplyDeleteIn Chapters 46-50, the plot of the story picks up again with chaos unfolding due to Wickham running off and eloping with Lydia. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are panicking and blaming themselves for not exposing Wickham earlier, which I think would have been a better idea. Back in Longbourne, Mrs. Bennet is blaming Colonel Foster rather than herself and Mr. Bennet. I think this small detail is kind of interesting because Mrs. Bennet did the same thing when Elizabeth turned down Mr. Collin’s marriage proposal. There, Mrs. Bennet blamed Mr. Bennet. I also think this marriage between Mr. Wickham and Lydia is an unique way to keep Mr. Wickham relevant to the story and active in it.
ReplyDelete-Matthew Hebert
As i predicted in my previous blog post, Elizabeths feelings towards Darcy have slowly shifted to the point where she would now accept his hand in marriage given the chance. “She was convinced that she could have been happy with him; when it was no longer likely they should meet” (208) I’m also wondering how Mr. Wickham was able to convince Lydia to run away with him, he probably came off as charming as he did initially to Elizabeth. And i find it funny that even though it’s a bad thing that Lydia is marrying Wickham, Mrs. Bennet is happy that she is getting married by default. “Mrs. Bennet could hardly contain herself” (204)
ReplyDeleteIsaac Mezher
In chapters 46 through 50 Lydia and Mr. Wickham risk the Bennett family name by running off together. In chapter 46, we see that Elizabeth trusts Mr. Darcy so much that she tells him about Lydia’s affair with Mr. Darcy. Austen writes, “On his quitting the room, she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her” (184). This quote shows that Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth trust and support each other which is reinforced by Elizabeth telling Darcy about Lydia and Mr. Wickham. Another thing that I learned was that Lydia was desperate for anyone, even Wickham. The book says, “She had never perceived, while the regiment was in Hertfordshire, that Lydia had any partiality for him, but she was convinced that Lydia had only wanted encouragement to attach herself to anybody” (187). Another thing that we learn in the chapter, is that Mr. Bennett does not support his daughter, Lydia even when she messed up. In chapter 50 it says, “Into one house in this neighbourhood, they shall never have admittance. I will not encourage the impudence of either, by receiving them at Longbourn” (207). This quote shows that Mr. Darcy will not recognize Lydia’s marriage and that she does not have his support.
ReplyDelete-Alex Wessel
*Mr Bennet will not recognize Lydia's marriage and that she does not have his support. (last sentence)
DeleteI have to take back my previous thoughts on Mr.Darcy… In the beggining I thought he was cold hearted man, but through chapters 46 and 50 we see a completely new light. In fact all characters have changed a huge matter since we first started Pride and Prejudice. For example Mr.Bennet has seen the outcomes of him not paying attention to his daughters and their lives. He made a grave mistake allowing Lydia to go to Brighton. “Not speak a word for a whole 10 minutes”(184) He was so in shock of what Lydia did because he never really fully understood how flirty and wild Lydia was. Lydia is a character I personally am furious at, how can a girl just completely disregard her entire family’s reputation and go to elope( ESPECIALLY ONE WHO HER SISTER LIKED). Lydia is rash and young minded I am praying she will feel guilt for something. Mr.Darcy is clearly still in love with Elizabeth. After she reads Jane's letters She collapses and Mr.Darcy is right there to swoop in and console her. I believe that I was far from right at being angry with Mr.Darcy he is a quiet man who is actually very aware to how the people around him feel.-Madeline Bronder
ReplyDeleteAnd so we’ve reached our climax, as Lydia runs off with Wickham and disaster ensues I am glad to say the book has genuinely surprised me with unexpected plot. Mrs. Bennett was, as usual, unbearably melodramatic and a great pressure on everyone’s nerves. I agree with Morgan here, I can't understand how anyone would celebrate such a marriage-- especially Mrs. Bennet as she spoke of giving Lydia “as much money as she chuses, to buy [her wedding clothes]”(192). Mrs. Bennett is utterly ridiculous. I had always seen Lydia as a sort of background character, but she came up too frequently for her not to be of some purpose to the story. Unfortunately, I now despise her entirely for being entirely thoughtless in every regard; she also reminds me very much of Mrs. Bennet which only furthers my dislike for Lydia. However, my main issue with Lydia is how inconveniently she timed her escapade. If you're going to run off with a man so be it, but it was right as Darcy and Elizabeth were growing closer; she broke up my favorite power couple and that is an unforgivable offense. Yet, I have a feeling they aren't so broken up as they seem, Darcy seemed too uneasy when last we saw him. Darcy is not one to just drop a stiff “I am afraid you have been long desiring my absence,”(186) and leave, it reeks of being an excuse for some alterier plan. Personally, when Mr. Bennett spoke of the “money laid down”(203) by Mr. Gardiner to assure Lydia and Wickham’s marriage I immediately thought of Darcy being that he knows of the affair and has ample funds to aide his beloved’s plight. The whole situation, as it was told in letters and not by a first person witnessing, it just seems fishy and geniusly written to keep it that way. I look forward to seeing how such current relations are to be mended. I am, dear Sir, &c. &c.
ReplyDeleteIn chapters 46-50 we see how your family reputation can easily change in a bad way. I wasn’t surprised on how family and society react on Lydia and Wickham escape. Imagine if it happens in our time, your parents would call you, your friends, your boy/girlfriend until they find out where you are. But Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813, there wasn’t any phone or computers where you can find where is your son/daughter right now.So Bennet's family began to panic.They spread this in their town to find some information where their daughter could be. Mr. Collins even wrote to Bennett family a letter “The death of your daughter would have been a blessing compared to this”. Which means that was better to find her dead then not to find her.Also it affected on their family name in a bad way.
ReplyDeleteRoman Shepeliev
In this section of the reading, I love how Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth finally seem to be on the same page about something, even though it’s about something as terrible as what Mr. Wickham did. When Elizabeth got that letter and tried to hurry off to go home, I loved how Mr. Darcy finally seemed to care about something considering the Bennet household, “..., she sat down, unable to support herself, and looking so miserably ill, that it was impossible for Darcy to leave her” (184). Lydia, being so young and desperate probably didn’t realize how bad this was but all she cared about was showing off to her sisters about getting married first. I don’t think Lydia is to blame for this, but Mr. Wickhams bad intentions. I don’t really understand what he is going to get from all this but I hope he doesn’t completely ruin the Bennett name.
ReplyDeleteChapters 46 to 50 are excruciatingly painful, to say the least. Austen crafts this section of the book into everything that could possibly go wrong, right when things were seeming to look better after Mr. Bingley’s departure from Netherfield. The first time I read this novel, I can recall learning the Lydia ran off with Wickham, and how subsequently shocking it was, considering I never thought Wickham would have the nerve to run away with Lydia or Kitty. I was unsure as to how Lydia could be so naive as to think that they were in love, and in addition run away with him, knowing how her family would react. Although I feel that these chapters are among the worst, along with Mr. Bingley leaving Netherfield, I understand that it was necessary for Jane Austen to include this in the story. I do admire how creatively it is written, in a sense that Austen had to write a plot twist, and chose Lydia, an annoying character as it is, and have her run off with Wickham, who is obviously not a crowd favorite.
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