Chap. 49-End: Meaning of the Work as a Whole

Hi everyone!

This week, I finished Pride and Prejudice, and I have many thoughts to share with you. 

First, I'll start with a summary of this section:

The last section of reading left off with Lydia, the youngest Bennet daughter, and Mr. Wickham running off together, with the Bennets in distress and their reputation close to being compromised. In the first chapter of this section, their uncle, Mr. Gardiner, informs them that he will see to them being married, if Mr. Bennet agrees to pay a small compensation. The family is overjoyed, but they do not welcome Lydia warmly when she visits them following her wedding. Elizabeth is glad to see her happy, however, no matter how foolish she believes her to be. As Lydia is leaving for her new home, she tells Elizabeth that Mr. Darcy was there, but immediately tells Elizabeth that she can't tell her anything more about his appearance. 

Obviously curious about Darcy's reasoning for attending Lydia's wedding (especially since he dislikes Mr. Wickham), Elizabeth writes to her aunt, questioning her about Darcy's appearance. Her aunt writes back quickly, informing Elizabeth, to her surprise, that Mr. Darcy was actually responsible for most of the arrangements and persuasions that resulted in Lydia and Mr. Wickham's marriage. Mrs. Gardiner isn't sure why Mr. Darcy would want to go through all that trouble to see them married, but Elizabeth, who has slowly been catching feelings for Mr. Darcy since seeing him at Pemberly, his estate, wonders if he did it out of love for her. She keeps these thoughts, and the information from her aunt, a secret, for the time being.

Later, the Bennet family receives news that Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are returning to Netherfield, Mr. Bingley's estate near the Bennets' home. Jane was very hurt when Bingley left previously, and refuses to acknowledge that she still has feelings for him, but Elizabeth knows better, and is excited for their reunion. It is soon evident that Bingley and Jane are still very much in love, and it is announced that they are to be married, much to the enjoyment of the Bennet family. Elizabeth and Darcy's reunion, however, seems to get off to a rockier start. Darcy is coldly polite to Elizabeth, dismissing her attempts at conversation, much to her frustration. Later, when they are walking together, Elizabeth can't help but confess her gratitude towards Darcy for his role in arranging Lydia and Wickham's marriage. Darcy admits that he still has feelings for Elizabeth, to which she responds with her own feelings towards him. After assuring her family that she will be happy with Darcy, the novel ends with the two of them happily married and looking forward to their future together.

Although I already discussed the theme/motif of appearance vs. reality in my last blog post, there are some other important takeaways from the novel that I found significant. Most importantly, Pride and Prejudice showed me that, even in a society that can make love seem insignificant, love is very important in all societies.

Lydia and Mr. Wickham's relationship is clearly not built on love (or at least reciprocated love), as they elope after only having known each other for a few days, and Wickham refuses to marry Lydia without thorough persuasion from Darcy. Furthermore, when they visit the Bennet household after their wedding, Elizabeth observes that "their elopement had been brought on by the strength of [Lydia's] love rather than his," and that it was likely that "his flight was rendered necessary by distress of circumstances; and if that were the case, he was not the young man to resist an opportunity of having a companion" (pg. 228). And although Lydia's affection for Wickham is initially strong, it is revealed that, as their lives progress, "his affection for her sunk into indifference; hers lasted a little longer; and in spite of her youth and her manners, she retained all the claims to reputation which her marriage had given her" (pg. 280). Their marriage does not bring them happiness, between outrunning Wickham's debts and their lack of affection towards each other.

Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship, on the other hand, is built on mutual love. Shortly after Darcy first meets Elizabeth, he is attracted to her, although she wants nothing to do with him. They meet up during Elizabeth's visit to the Collins', and Darcy proposes to her. Angered by his interference with Jane and Bingley's relationship, and disgusted by his pride, she makes her strong feelings known, responding to Darcy's proposal by telling him that she has "every reason in the world to think ill of [him]" (pg. 139) and saying, "I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry" (pg. 141). Darcy respects her harsh rejection, asking Elizabeth, "forgive me for having taken up so much of your time, and accept my best wishes for your health and happiness" (pg. 141). Darcy's understanding and respect for Elizabeth's wishes alone shows that he cares for Elizabeth more than Lydia and Wickham ever cared for each other. One would think that Elizabeth's rejection of Darcy left no room for her to change her mind, but a letter Darcy writes to her soon afterwards causes her to almost regret her reaction to his proposal. In the letter, he tells the truth about Mr. Wickham (who Elizabeth previously believed to be the "good guy"), and apologizes for interfering with Jane and Bingley. It is not until they run into each other at Pemberly, however, that Elizabeth develops strong feelings for Darcy. At Pemberly, Darcy is quite gentlemanly, polite, and charming to Elizabeth and everyone around her. Elizabeth can't stay there long, however, and doesn't see Darcy again for quite some time, until he comes back to visit with Bingley. After Elizabeth confesses her gratitude for his role in arranging Lydia's marriage, Darcy admits that his "affections and wishes are unchanged" since his proposal to Elizabeth (pg. 265). Elizabeth responds by revealing her changed feelings towards him, to Darcy's delight, and Elizabeth goes to talk with her family about her engagement to him. After assuring her family that they "are to be the happiest couple in the world" (pg. 270), Elizabeth looks forward to the "hope of the future," and "the time when they should be removed from society so little pleasing to either, to all the comfort and elegance of their family party at Pemberly" (pg. 278). Elizabeth's genuine hope and excitement for the future sharply contrasts with Lydia's exaggerated bragging of the wonderful life that she and Wickham are destined to have. It is revealed, at the very end of the novel, that Elizabeth and Darcy go on to live a happy life, with Georgiana (Darcy's sister) and Elizabeth forming a loving bond. Their "happy ending" and its contrast with that of Lydia and Wickham's shows that love really does bring happiness.

Elizabeth's relationship with Darcy isn't the only love important to her, though. Throughout the novel, Elizabeth and Jane share a special bond, one where they can tell each other everything, in a society where expressing strong emotions and feelings is not often encouraged. Elizabeth would do anything for Jane, and after Jane falls ill at Netherfield, Elizabeth walks three miles down a muddy road, and shows up at the Bingley's front door with "weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise" (pg. 24). Personally, I think that this is very impressive, not just in the face of defying social norms, but pertaining to the physical aspect of walking through mud in her heavy clothes and undoubtedly improper footwear. After Jane first meets Bingley, she tells Elizabeth how much she adores him, and confesses her heartbreak to Elizabeth after Bingley leaves. Later, when Elizabeth confronts Darcy about his role in Bingley's absence, she argues that, although Jane may not show it on the outside, her sister is very much in love with Bingley. This seems to eventually prompt Darcy and Bingley to return, showing that, without their loving and trusting bond, Elizabeth wouldn't have been able to read Jane's feelings, and Jane and Bingley likely would never have reunited. Elizabeth and Jane's important relationship shows that romantic love is not the only type of love that can bring you happiness, and that the bond between siblings can be just as important.

The message that Pride and Prejudice sends about the importance of love and its connection to happiness are applicable in today's society as well. Although love is seen as more of a necessity today than it was in the early 1800s, our definition of love and friendship is changing due to the ever-present technology and social media in our everyday lives. The ease of making quick connections with people on dating apps and other forms of online communication can allow you to find someone that is right for you, but it can also result in forming relationships that aren't 100% real. In my opinion, I don't think that you can truly fall in love with someone unless you meet them face-to-face, and are able to interact with them in person. Otherwise, you can't be completely sure who they are if you have only communicated with them online.

Genuine love and human connection are prevalent in other books we have read this year as well. In The Handmaid's Tale, the main character, Offred, risks everything in her restrictive and degrading society to establish a human connection in order to ensure her humanity, let alone her happiness. The society of Gilead is a dull and depressing place, largely due to the fact that people aren't allowed to be in loving relationships or make meaningful connections with each other. The importance of love and human connection is also seen in Brave New World. One of the main characters, John, was raised outside of the futuristic World State society, where intimacy and love do not go hand-in-hand. John grapples to hang on to his ideas of love and intimacy, and their personal importance to him. Members of the World State society need to take soma, a drug, to be happy, and it almost seems as if a large part of the reasoning behind their drug dependency is their lack of human connection and loving relationships.

Love is important in everyone's life- be sure to let your friends and family know just how important their love is!

Thanks for reading!
-Emma