further observations on P&P

Okay, I've got some more thoughts, now that I've finished the book.

It seems to me that Jane Austen's characters are not generally very complex. Most of them are "character" parts, as it were, designed to represent a certain type of person. Whatever part that person is given to fill--the shameless flirt, the charming scoundrel, the vulgar match-making mother, or the pompous nobody--they play it to the end. The only character who really changes at all is Darcy, and his change is so dramatic as to be difficult to comprehend (although we're supposed to believe that he was always really this way, which is harder still to comprehend in a way). Even Elizabeth, although she changes her mind, and is humbled, doesn't really change her personality. Jane looses a little of her all-encompassing faith people's goodness, but not much. Mr. Bennett does repent of his disinterest in his family, and so grows wiser, but pretty well every one else just stays the same, and acts one role and one role only. This is not a criticism of the book, since we all enjoy the skill with which Austen portrays these personality types, just an observation.

I think I could have gone further in that conversation about Darcy which I quoted from in my first post. Mary makes a comment about the difference between pride and vanity which I think is significant--she notes that pride has to do with what you think of yourself, and vanity with what others think of you. There are many vain characters in the book, but Darcy isn't really one of them. He manifestly doesn't care much for what people think about him, or he would make more of an effort to endear himself to them. He does care what he thinks of himself, though, and holds himself strictly to his own standards. With Elizabeth he learns to exert himself for someone else, and to care how his words and actions may appear to her.

Wickham is just the opposite. He is very vain, doing everything in his power to win love and praise and to appear honorable and long suffering. He doesn't have enough "pride" (in the terms described above) to actually trouble to be any of these things, just the vanity to want others to think he is.

thoughts on Pride and Prejudice

Okay, so I finally managed to beg and borrow (actually there wasn't that my begging involved) a copy of P&P from Lori. I have been very excited to read this book, as I haven't read it since I was about fifteen, and I'm not sure if I read it all then. Certainly I am much better able to enjoy it now.

I am about half way through now. In particular I have enjoyed reading the conversations, which always get cut short in the movie versions. Elizabeth's (should I say Jane Austen's?) wit really is splendid. Indeed, poor Mr. Darcy seems almost like a back drop, a foil to set off her sparkling personality. Even he, however, seems to me to have gotten short shrift from most of the movies, which have him barely able to crack a smile even at the end. I noticed several places that it says he smiled, and spoke with warmth or passion.

A few observations:

1) Darcy's and Bingley's relatives are every bit as awful as Elizabeth and Jane's, and just as ill-bred and rude. Their only superior claims are money and education.

2) "His pride," said Miss Lucas, "does not offend me so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it. One cannot wonder that so very fine a young man, with family, fortune, everything in his favor, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud." (Ch 5) It seems to me that this quote from the practical Charlotte is, in fact, the key to Darcy's character. Yes, he is proud--but he has good reason for it! His pride not only causes him to think well of himself, but to behave as well too, in accordance with all the principles he believes a man of honor should adhere to.

3) The key to Elizabeth's reaction to him is found in her own words, following Charlotte's: "That is very true," replied Elizabeth, "and I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."

4) Who is proud and who is prejudiced?? This has always been one of the questions of the story to me. Any opinions, any one?

Welcome to the Saltshaker Book Club!

Hello, fellow lovers of books! We have started this simple book club to satiate our desires to read and discuss great books among fellow Christians, those who join us in serving our great Lord Jesus! Our desire is that the time we spend in our books and with each other would spur us on to love Jesus and others more.
We will not only be reading Christian authored literature, but also classics and other respectable selections. Our current plan is to read a secular novel one month followed by a Christian authored book the following month and so the pattern repeats. Not all selections will be novels, though. As we select books in advance, we can each purchase or as a group purchase the books. We may even just buy a few copies and pass them around!

So, our first source of entertainment is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. We have planned to meet the last week in September to discuss the book, so you'd better get busy! We're still trying to decide the best time/day to meet. Please comment on this post and let us know when you can or cannot meet and if you'd like to get together and watch a movie version of our book.