Elizabeth and the idea she must learn about herself before she can accept propos
Topic 53 · 7 responses · archived october 2000
~signatur
Sun, Nov 24, 1996 (16:17)
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yeah just woderin what you all thought of whether or not the statement rgarding the idea that elizabeth must first understand herself and the relationships with the men in her life before she can accept darcy's proposal. kinda sounds like an essay topic and that is because it was. i feel that the above statement is completely true and that she needs to learn about her own prejudices and shortcomings before Austen will let her say yes to darcy's proposal. what do you all think??
~Kali
Sun, Nov 24, 1996 (17:25)
#1
Of course! Both Darcy and Lizzy must learn to overcome their own pride and prejudices before they will be able to truly understand and appreciate eachother. As we've said before in many-a-thread, the two of them must come to deserve eachother's respect...to earn one another's love. I can't remember the whole thing right now, but recall Lizzy's "til then I never knew Myself" lines...they teach eachother not to cut off their noses to spite their faces. As far as the other men in her life, I'm sure she h
s learned a great deal from her father's mistakes and her own regarding Wickham...she knows that men are certainly fallable, and that she is very lucky to have someone as together as Mr. Darcy at her feet...
- K
~amy2
Mon, Nov 25, 1996 (16:35)
#2
I agree. I think that Elizabeth was living in denial about her family -- she assumed that Darcy's objections to them were based on wealth, when in fact they were based on "their almost total lack of propriety." When she reads this in black & white (Darcy's letter) it adds to her self-realization, and the fact that Darcy's objections were based on something real.
~Trenton
Sun, Dec 1, 1996 (13:41)
#3
This was certainly an important theme in the novel, and could have been enhanced a little more in the A&E production. What makes Jane Austen's work so special is the fact that it does touch upon the truth that self-discovery is required before a true lifetime partner can be obtained; this holds for all of us, regardless of gender.
Regards,
Trenton.
~Amy
Sun, Dec 1, 1996 (14:52)
#4
Welcome, Trenton
~amy2
Tue, Dec 3, 1996 (13:58)
#5
It is, as we screenwriters say, the moment of self-revelation. You'll note that most dramatic works contain this, but they don't lay the framework as seamlessly as Austen does.
~ayelet
Fri, Dec 6, 1996 (23:00)
#6
I agree with you. There are things that Lizzy said that can prove it: "Till that moment I never knew myself" must be the most famous but there is one more: "But since then we both, I hope, improved in civilities" (that line appered only in the book)
~lesley
Fri, Dec 13, 1996 (17:08)
#7
This is indicative of the journey both Darcy and Lizzy make in the book. They both discover things about themselves that they both must overcome in order to be worthy of each others love. Lizzy realizes when she reads Darcy's letter that she is very hasty in her opinions and that she has judged Darcy too harshly. I think that as she recalls all their previous encounters, that she remembers all the times that he cautions her to not make any hasty opinions. I really like his comments at the Netherfield bal
, when he cautions her to not be hasty in sketching his charater, for it would not do either one of them any justice. I think that when she realizes this flaw in her charater, she takes the first step to falling in love with Darcy.