Sample Volume II
Chapter 1: Jane is Disappointed
Summary: (December 1811) Miss Bingley sends yet another letter to Jane, informing her that they will be staying in London for the duration of the winter. Elizabeth finally tells Mrs. Bennet that her constantly talking of Bingley is bringing Jane pain. Caught up on her own problems, Elizabeth continues to talk against the marriage of Charlotte and Collins with Jane. She also tries to comfort her though, stating that Bingley’s sisters and Darcy are keeping him away from her. Wickham spends more time with the Bennets and soon the stories of Darcy’s ill treatment of him become public knowledge. |
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1. |
Miss Bingley's letter arrived, and put an end to doubt. The very first sentence conveyed the assurance of their being all settled in London for the winter, and concluded with her brother's regret at not having had time to pay his respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before he left the country. |
1. Life ends anxiety by replacing it by disappointment. 2. Doubt changing into disappointment anxiety and suspense are removed. 3. Expectation cancels the letter or cancels the rightness of the expected information.
6. Assurances conveyed are artificial. 7. Real feelings cannot be suppressed fully. |
2. |
Hope was over, entirely over; and when Jane could attend to the rest of the letter, she found little, except the professed affection of the writer, that could give her any comfort. Miss Darcy's praise occupied the chief of it. Her many attractions were again dwelt on, and Caroline boasted joyfully of their increasing intimacy, and ventured to predict the accomplishment of the wishes which had been unfolded in her former letter. She wrote also with great pleasure of her brother's being an inmate of Mr. Darcy's house, and mentioned with raptures some plans of the latter with regard to new furniture. |
8. Hope is never over by itself, as it is man’s.
9. Professed feelings have no comfort in it.
10. Praise is positive energy.
11. Boast is artificial inflation of non-existing strength or content.
12. Joy is the expanding vital energy.
13. Intimacy by virtue of being that increases.
14. Imagination, once it sets to work, cannot stop till it exhausts itself.
15. Rapture expressed is not rapture felt.
16. For professed rapture can arise out of a bride or her furniture. |
3. |
Elizabeth, to whom Jane very soon communicated the chief of all this, heard it in silent indignation. Her heart was divided between concern for her sister and resentment against all the others. To Caroline's assertion of her brother's being partial to Miss Darcy she paid no credit. That he was really fond of Jane, she doubted no more than she had ever done; and much as she had always been disposed to like him, she could not think without anger, hardly without contempt, on that easiness of temper, that want of proper resolution, which now made him the slave of his designing friends, and led him to sacrifice his own happiness to the caprice of their inclinations. Had his own happiness, however, been the only sacrifice, he might have been allowed to sport with it in what ever manner he thought best; but her sister's was involved in it, as she thought he must be sensible himself. It was a subject, in short, on which reflection would be long indulged, and must be unavailing. She could think of nothing else; and yet, whether Bingley's regard had really died away, or were suppressed by his friends' interference; whether he had been aware of Jane's attachment, or whether it had escaped his observation; whichever were the case, though her opinion of him must be materially affected by the difference, her sister's situation remained the same, her peace equally wounded. |
17. Communication is the vehicle that universalises the individual.
21. Silence gathers in meditation as well as indignation.
22. ‘Concern for the sister’ and ‘resentment against others’ are mutually inimical.
23. What is true does not assert, but affirms.
24. Credit is paid either by understanding or by wishful thinking. 27. Easiness of temper evokes contempt.
28. Resolution is will. 29. To an empty personality, slavery is a privilege.
30. Friends cannot design.
31. Sacrifice elevates.
32. Man loves to give free play to his caprice.
33. Sports are the humour of incessant activity that is intense.
34. Thought suits itself to the emotions.
35. To be sensible is to be agreeable.
36. Indulgence is expanding into the circumstance without reference to the inner.
37. The ability to think of nothing else is interest.
38. Regard is the recognition of higher qualities.
39. He who interferes is no friend.
40. Attachment occurs by itself.
41. Peace disturbed is peace wounded. |
4. |
A day or two passed before Jane had courage to speak of her feelings to Elizabeth; but at last on Mrs. Bennet's leaving them together, after a longer irritation than usual about Netherfield and its master, she could not help saying -- |
42. Jane acknowledges the pain caused by Bingley. Her first thought when she sees no possibility of his return was not one of yearning but how to forget it. Of course, there is no longing for the man, but a yearning for the marriage. There is no passion or infatuation as in the case of Elizabeth for Wickham. Passion for Elizabeth in Darcy is writ large all over him. Often he was too full to speak. No such intensity actuates Jane. Her only complaint is her mother’s irritation bothers her in season and out of season. 45. The absence of asserting independence of Bingley, clear choice of £2000 coming with nauseating stupidity are unaccountable to Elizabeth. In the first, she does not see that she seeks wealth through marriage. Bingley respects the power of wealth in Darcy. One brings the other. She, of course, cannot know her own mercenary motive. In the latter, she is incapable of knowing what it is to be plain and condemned to old maid hood. She was brought up in affluence and has no possibility of fear of poverty
46. Courage is vital, but mental courage is of great value. |
5. |
"Oh that my dear mother had more command over herself! She can have no idea of the pain she gives me by her continual reflections on him. But I will not repine. It cannot last long. He will be forgot, and we shall all be as we were before." |
48. Absence of command in one also expresses as absence of command in another. 49. An irritated person will speak more when she knows it gives another pain. Irritation irritates.50. Not to repine is a strength capable of accomplishment. 51. Jane’s decision not to repine gives her strength. |
6. |
Elizabeth looked at her sister with incredulous solicitude, but said nothing. |
52. Elizabeth generates incredulous solicitude as Jane generates silent power. |
7. |
"You doubt me," cried Jane, slightly colouring; "indeed you have no reason. He may live in my memory as the most amiable man of my acquaintance, but that is all. I have nothing either to hope or fear, and nothing to reproach him with. Thank God! I have not that pain. A little time therefore -- I shall certainly try to get the better." |
54. No one, not even the beloved sister, understands another.
55. One is hurt when she is not believed or trusted.
56. An amiable man of a woman’s acquaintance either matures into a lover or fades away.
57. Hope is fear reversed. |
8. |
With a stronger voice she soon added, "I have this comfort immediately, that it has not been more than an error of fancy on my side, and that it has done no harm to any one but myself." |
59. Self-image is more important than marriage. |
9. |
"My dear Jane!" Exclaimed Elizabeth, "you are too good. Your sweetness and disinterestedness are really angelic; I do not know what to say to you. I feel as if I had never done you justice, or loved you as you deserve." |
60. Jane’s goodness that is evident to Elizabeth is really her inner strength. It evokes the sister’s admiration.
62. Angelic sweetness in human being can be thwarted, not defeated ultimately.
63. Love does not depend upon what the other person deserves. |
10. |
Miss Bennet eagerly disclaimed all extraordinary merit, and threw back the praise on her sister's warm affection. |
64. Accepting the praise is to weaken her resolution. 65. Affection can see merit where it does not exist. |
11. |
"Nay," said Elizabeth, "this is not fair. You wish to think all the world respectable, and are hurt if I speak ill of anybody. I only want to think you perfect, and you set yourself against it. Do not be afraid of my running into any excess, of my encroaching on your privilege of universal goodwill. You need not. There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense. I have met with two instances lately: one I will not mention, the other is Charlotte's marriage. It is unaccountable! In every view it is unaccountable!" |
66. Whether Jane thinks all the world respectable or not, she refuses to think ill of Bingley. 67. Fairness is relative, depending on the context.
68. What is fair for one is unfair for another.
69. To be respectable is the cherished dream of everyone.
71. Perfection is an ideal. It is not attained in life.
75. Running into excess is not for unsteady characters. 76. Privilege is psychological right preserved by a person. 77. Real good will is universal.
78. Love is ananda in the soul. It does not flower between all people.
79. The world is so composed that no one can readily take to it. 89. Dissatisfaction is a sensation, not a mental thought. 90. Inconsistency implies there is some human consistency which is not true.
91. Character is behaviour in the substance, not swabhava. 92. Merit is something commendable, mostly acquired by the person. 93. By ‘unaccountable’ she means she is deeply touched and the touch disturbs her and still she remains what she is.The unacceptable is not unaccountable. |
12. |
"My dear Lizzy, do not give way to such feelings as these. They will ruin your happiness. You do not make allowance enough for difference of situation and temper. Consider Mr. Collins's respectability, and Charlotte's prudent, steady character. Remember that she is one of a large family; that as to fortune it is a most eligible match; and be ready to believe, for everybody's sake, that she may feel something like regard and esteem for our cousin." |
96. Jane is trying to convince herself about her view of life in asking her sister not to ruin her happiness. 100. Social respectability is enough qualification for marriage. 101. Material prudence can go against emotional prudence. 102. Fortune is a virtue in marriage. 103. Esteem is earned by so many things of which education, wealth, job are a few. |
13. |
"To oblige you, I would try to believe almost anything, but no one else could be benefited by such a belief as this; for were I persuaded that Charlotte had any regard for him, I should only think worse of her understanding than I now do of her heart. My dear Jane, Mr. Collins is a conceited, pompous, narrow-minded, silly man: you know he is, as well as I do; and you must feel, as well as I do, that the woman who marries him cannot have a proper way of thinking. You shall not defend her, though it is Charlotte Lucas. You shall not, for the sake of one individual, change the meaning of principle and integrity, nor endeavour to persuade yourself or me that selfishness is prudence, and insensibility of danger security for happiness." |
104. It is not wise to ruin one’s happiness dwelling on another’s misfortune. 105. Jane feels Charlotte can have some regard for him. Elizabeth cannot. Mr. Collins is pompous, silly, narrow-minded. To Jane, such a husband is not unacceptable whereas to Elizabeth it is unthinkable. No one except Mary would long for a husband in Collins, but Lydia, Kitty and Jane can be persuaded to have him.106. Society is made up of relationships that are objections. 107. Regard and understanding do not go together, unless one’s understanding tells her that regard is due to wealth.
108. The idea that what one knows is known only by him is conceit. 109. To fix the mind on one thing and to refuse to remove from there is narrow-mindedness. 110. To put up childish or foolish behaviours out of ignorance or innocence is silly. 111. A normal woman will not marry a silly man. 112. Indefensible behaviours sometimes make life possible or endurable.
113. One incidence of a behaviour cannot make it universal. 114. Selfishness and prudence are two extreme ends of the same scale of survival. 115. Surely insensibility of danger can give security of happiness. |
14. |
"I must think your language too strong in speaking of both," replied Jane; "and I hope you will be convinced of it by seeing them happy together. But enough of this. You alluded to something else. You mentioned two instances. I cannot misunderstand you, but I intreat you, dear Lizzy, not to pain me by thinking that person to blame, and saying your opinion of him is sunk. We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally injured. We must not expect a lively young man to be always so guarded and circumspect. It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. Woman fancy admiration means more than it does." |
119. Mild characters avoid strong language. 120. Jane would not even approve of strong language. They will be happy together. Jane goes by the result, not the motives.
125. Seeing is believing. 126. Instance is an event of an instant. 127. Misunderstanding is one type of understanding.Misunderstanding is not wrong understanding. In a conversation the speaker and the listener are each in their own worlds. Here there is a fertile ground for misunderstanding. The first cause is not fully hearing. The next common one is hearing something else than spoken. The words mean differently to the speaker and hearer. In this context of the story both are in different poises of mind. Even when all these are all right, each understands differently from the same words. The speaker starts speaking before the listener turns his mind to him. Misunderstanding is the commonest understanding. Hence the importance of meeting of minds. In the context of this story, it is evident that the minds of the sisters never once meet. It is so because it reminds a failure. In a positive situation the utterance of the name, unless it is in a social conversation, is expressing the whole being. A lover carries the name of his love in his entire being. A man may be a fool, but when he understands it, he will not pardon himself. Self-awareness of folly or weakness is dissolution of Self. One is at his creative best attempting a psychological survival. The body releases convulsive energies when so threatened. The Mind commissions all its creative resources in attempting to survive. Admiration to Joy to matrimony is a quote from this book. Once a man admires, he cannot easily emerge out of it. Admiration is the positive vital energy copiously expressing with the consent of the Mind. Admiration has the mental sanction while in adoration the mind is brushed aside. If admiration is not love what else is? Admiration is sensation. It can never show itself in mild doses. It always overflows. Sustained admiration leads to infatuation. Infatuation is the result, when there is no mental element. If emotions are not organised enough, infatuation arises. |
15. |
"And men take care that they should." |
132. Elizabeth’s understanding is perceptive extending to shrewdness. Perception is desirable, not shrewdness. Perception without shrewdness is mental power. It can achieve. A conversation requires a differential. It is one of energy, news, intensity, a need to relate, etc. Mind addressing the vital creates that differential. A conversation is enjoyable because of the movement of this energy. A conversation is a unit of movement in life, vital handskahe. It is a miniature of local or domestic life. It is an occasion when one’s linguistic abilities try themselves against the fitness in the society. One’s social fitness is evaluated by his ability in conversation. One evaluates oneself in a conversation his own value in public opinion. Light conversation is deep domestic living. Only facts are mainly exchanged in a conversation, not ideas. In a conversation, one reestablishes himself in the society at a higher level if possible. Sound embracing two people pleasantly is conversation. Conversation is a human bridge in the sound of words. Men think as they talk. It is thinking aloud. Conversation is vital hand shake. It helps one to formulate his thoughts according to the other. It is an expansion of the society through vital energies expressed. The level of one’s conversation is one index of national culture. Conversation is public self-conception. Man practices self-limitation in a conversation. It is self-absorption that enlivens a conversation. Conversation of facts is in Time. In Timelessness conversation is in abstractions. Conversation helps discover the complements in contradiction. Brahman in Sounds exchanged is conversation. Conversation conserves. What advances life is the movement of energy that is power. Power is vital and works by strength. Power and its strength works without fail. To make a progress one has to move to the mind. Mind means ideas, better still its values. The vital is incapable of obeying ideas or values. Ideal values are enforced by mental will. Mental will is decision, determination and commitment. Vital man exercising mental will appears voluntary. A gentle man voluntarily exercises his will and values. The culture of a gentleman moves from vital to mental. Ordinary men avail of the natural advantage. Such men go by convenience and comfort, not values or ideals. Mistaking an ordinary man a gentleman is misery. Human shrewd sees this without difficulty. Human goodness deludes itself failing to see the truth. Goodness can be stronger than the failure to see the truth. Such strength will certainly prevail, but takes time. Shrewdness by its perception strengthens the deficiency of Man. Foolish goodness gives the results of goodness. Shrewdness, insisting on it, can spoil the work. Shrewdness that concedes goodness will allow goodness to succeed. To fall in love with every pretty face is the fashion in the air. Out of sight, out of mind is a rule with them. If they are saved, they are saved by their sincerity. Here they are helped by the insincerity of the plotters. Women in society are at a cardinal disadvantage. Her only strength lies in waiting patiently. Patient waiting with proper understanding acts readily. Deficiency in comprehension hinders the final outcome. |
16. |
"If it is designedly done, they cannot be justified; but I have no idea of there being so much design in the world as some persons imagine." |
135. Jane is unable to see men can be scheming. To conceive of something is not to concede its play. Goodness is unable to see the presence of design as it sees the form. Design can hide under a pleasant form. Coming to the content or substance, design discloses itself. To fail to see goodness is not enough, one needs naiveté. Perceptive penetration can act in spite of being good. It is not as if that ill will alone has the penetration. Perception is neutral as it is an instrument. Goodness is always good, cannot be neutral as it is a value. A woman moving to a man is an act in several planes. In the social plane social values have power. It is an act in the psychological plane. In this plane its own value will have power, not other values. We all usually do not think of this act in the subtle plane. We do not know the existence of the causal plane. Spiritually it can be explained by Time or cosmos. In the cosmic scheme, the act is consummated in the nodus of life. That nodus is the meeting point of the Individual, universal and Transcendent. The Psychic is there at the meeting point. The Psychic acts not by itself, but by invitation. Our invitation to the Psychic is the human choice. The human choice is efficacious by its sincerity, knowledge, strength, goodness in the given circumstances. Time can act at its own pace in its plane. It can move to Timelessness if its values such as silence are there. It can allow the event to precipitate itself in simultaneous Time. To move to any plane, the values of that plane must be resorted to. Presenting the resolution through the events, characters, other planes the author reveals his potential of genius. Surely Jane Austen reveals here her genius. |
17. |
"I am far from attributing any part of Mr. Bingley's conduct to design," said Elizabeth; "but without scheming to do wrong, or to make others unhappy, there may be error, and there may be misery. Thoughtlessness, want of attention to other people's feelings, and want of resolution, will do the business." |
137. Elizabeth too endeavours in her mind not to injure Bingley. This keeps the door in the subtle plane open for him to return. |
18. |
"And do you impute it to either of those?' |
141. Naïve passive goodness cannot conceive of any defect in the other, especially when he is a lover. |
19. |
"Yes; to the last. But if I go on, I shall displease you by saying what I think of persons you esteem. Stop me whilst you can." |
142. More than the description, Elizabeth is keen in not hurting Jane. |
20. |
"You persist, then, in supposing his sisters influence him." |
145. Jane cannot conceive of a scheme. |
21. |
"Yes, in conjunction with his friend." |
147. Whether it is an initiative to disrupt or a willing submission to it, the work is equally affected by both. |
22. |
"I cannot believe it. Why should they try to influence him? They can only wish his happiness; and if he is attached to me, no other woman can secure it." |
148. A situation or an event admits of more than one possibility. To see only one of them and believe in it is myopia. 2) Elizabeth’s self awareness that she is from a family of low consciousness 3) Mr. Bennet’s decision to repay Mr. Gardiner at any cost |
23. |
"Your first position is false. They may wish many things besides his happiness; they may wish his increase of wealth and consequence; they may wish him to marry a girl who has all the importance of money, great connexions, and pride." |
157. Elizabeth says, “Your first position is false.” She must have said, “Your position is partial and false for that reason.” |
24. |
"Beyond a doubt they do wish him to chuse Miss Darcy," replied Jane; "but this may be from better feelings than you are supposing. They have known her much longer than they have known me: no wonder if they love her better. But, whatever may be their own wishes, it is very unlikely they should have opposed their brother's. What sister would think herself at liberty to do it, unless there were something very objectionable? If they believed him attached to me, they would not try to part us; if he were so, they could not succeed. By supposing such an affection, you make everybody acting unnaturally and wrong, and me most unhappy. Do not distress me by the idea. I am not ashamed of having been mistaken -- or, at least, it is slight, it is nothing in comparison of what I should feel in thinking ill of him or his sisters. Let me take it in the best light, in the light in which it may be understood." |
162. It never occurs to Jane, that she could be objectionable to them The difficulty is not in the issue. It is there in the analysis. We assume a result favouring us and proceed to analysis. It is neither reasonable, nor logical, certainly not practical. It is a greater, perverse, joy to part them. Perversity gives a greater intensity. Man is not so much moral as functional. Wherever there is a greater intensity, he seeks it. Perversity and intensity apart to part is easier than unite two people. Those who have married for love, now regretting it, want to undo it in others, as a natural consequence to their success. Those who were disappointed in love want to disappoint others. These vibrations are more powerful than family affection. Family affection is fastened, jealousy is natural between siblings. Man loves to act. To part two who love offers a fertile field. As it is a field of love, anyone wishes to act there. Acting to part those who love, a woman feels she is in the plane of love. Man’s ideas can be perverted in its operation. One who destroys other’s love can feel he is doing good to him. By a strange perversity one who wants to marry activates himself to part another couple. The logic here is ‘I am always right’. Man acts wrongly by a right motive. He can act rightly by a wrong motive. Any act of Man is egoistic. Even when it is right, ego is not permissible. What is interesting is action. It is furthered by the initiative. The self conscious power of the initiative of the action is fulfilling. Such a simple situation can be made complex by the ulterior motive of one of them. When such an ulterior motive is to marry and be a partner in the crime, the crime becomes a prime pursuit of an energetic ideal. In this plot there is a further feminine extension of one who has married a man of indolence. Jealousy needs no excuse or occasion. This is a fertile psychological soil for jealousy to act with vigour, idealism, innovation and creativity. Their proficiency in language finds masterful exercise here in presenting an appearance. For ideas to create distress, one must act from the mind. Unless the emotions are influenced by the idea, ideas cannot distress or exult. To err in the idea of a Man loving me is extremely, unpleasant. Error in the normal course leads to failure. Presence of error along with the dominating truth, can lead to a greater result. Error is the handmaid of truth. Error is the inevitable step in pursuit of truth. Initially it may lead to failure or success. Even ultimately error can fail. Such a failure is possible in an entirely negative atmosphere. In a retreating army a small error can lead to its annihilation. An error of an advancing army can lead to a vast resounding success because of that error. Error is a step compelled by our swabhava. An error that is utterly ruinous can raise the operation to a higher plane for an unbelievable success, if the general atmosphere is one of vast significance. Here the error helped the removal of belief in the deceit of more than one. While in error it is a hope against hope. Until the fruits of deceit are removed the atmosphere is infructuous, if not poisonous. Error is essential for people with a defect in their character to succeed.. No error is necessary for positive people in a creative atmosphere of good will. Error is neutral in this sense. To think ill of her lover is to think ill of her. One is in love having lost the ability and even the faculty of thinking. She would, if necessary, think ill of her not of him. The truth is she cannot think ill of any one related to him. The heart worships the ground on his he walked. How can she think and that too ill of him for what, for not coming there for a month. It is not in human nature. If ever she comes to think, her thinking will try to find out how he is right in every move of his. In the worst of circumstances this is a girl’s position. Imagine what will be her attitude in the best of circumstances. A lady holds her lover in the best light. He is her best light. Only in that light her mind will work, if at all its works. A girl who thinks like others is directly not in love. Love is not an attitude, but a passion that consumes. One who tries to love may think, not one in love. While in love, she does not know the lover, only her love. Ours is a society where some thoughts have come to be accepted. Love in that society will be stayed in that measure, not in a society where Mind is not born. There love consummates itself instantaneously. To reason with one in love is to search for drinking water in the sea. Love is more powerful than the most powerful human motive, selfishness. One reason why courtship is so sweet is this element of love-making. |
25. |
Elizabeth could not oppose such a wish; and from this time Mr. Bingley's name was scarcely ever mentioned between them. |
179. Sensibility matures in culture to sensitivity. |
26. |
Mrs. Bennet still continued to wonder and repine at his returning no more, and though a day seldom passed in which Elizabeth did not account for it clearly, there seemed little chance of her ever considering it with less perplexity. Her daughter endeavoured to convince her of what she did not believe herself, that his attentions to Jane had been merely the effect of a common and transient liking, which ceased when he saw her no more; but though the probability of the statement was admitted at the time, she had the same story to repeat every day. Mrs. Bennet's best comfort was that Mr. Bingley must be down again in the summer. |
180. Mrs. Bennet does believe that the world should behave as she wishes. She continues to wonder and repine. Time is created inwardly in the Mind. Only space is objective, outside, perceived by senses. Time is outside the perception of senses. Time can be perceived by Mind by non-sense faculty. Life crossing selfish pursuit is perplexity. Convictions are not transferable. Here is someone trying to transfer non-conviction. It is verbiage. |
27. |
Mr. Bennet treated the matter differently. "So, Lizzy," said he one day, "your sister is crossed in love, I find. I congratulate her. Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then. It is something to think of, and gives her a sort of distinction among her companions. When is your turn to come? You will hardly bear to be long outdone by Jane. Now is your time. Here are officers enough at Meryton to disappoint all the young ladies in the country. Let Wickham be your man. He is a pleasant fellow, and would jilt you creditably." |
192. Mr. Bennet is a wounded bird. Its flying will not be graceful. His marriage has ruined his happiness. She is a constant reminder of his disappointment. On top of that she has her way. In his case, his psychological survival is secured by his petulant petty sarcasm. It is that which made him not run away and commit suicide. In his ironic wisdom that is mocking sarcasm, one sees his pent up force finding its release. Such a force can only be negative and mean. He is not free to tell the children that the mother’s pushy boisterousness spoiled Jane’s chances. Therefore, he, as an alternative, speaks the truth of satisfaction in being crossed in love. To mitigate Jane’s disappointment, he brings in Wickham’s jilting Elizabeth. At this stage, he has no perception of the rogue in Wickham. His words come true. Words spoken in a high moment without premeditation do come true. Elizabeth takes this occasion to pay Wickham the highest possible compliment, which sounds to her lover’s yearning heart pleasantly |
28. |
"Thank you, sir, but a less agreeable man would satisfy me. We must not all expect Jane's good fortune." |
198. Even then, Elizabeth can only think of high praise for Wickham. |
29. |
"True," said Mr. Bennet, "but it is a comfort to think that whatever of that kind may befall you, you have an affectionate mother who will always make the most of it." |
201. It is indelicate to explain one the advantage of a loss. 206. Meanness issues out of the inability to see the falsehood as falsehood and describe him a pleasant fellow. 207. A wounded husband loves to wound the wife. |
30. |
Mr. Wickham's society was of material service in dispelling the gloom which the late perverse occurrences had thrown on many of the Longbourn family. They saw him often, and to his other recommendations was now added that of general unreserve. The whole of what Elizabeth had already heard, his claims on Mr. Darcy, and all that he had suffered from him, was now openly acknowledged and publicly canvassed; and everybody was pleased to think how much they had always disliked Mr. Darcy before they had known anything of the matter. |
208. Occurrences are perverse, meetings are perverse because Man is perverse. Without something good in one’s depth, he can’t offer this solace. Surely, this is not a capacity that can be acquired as manners. One with this ability can be found a scoundrel, if in spite of this deep seated goodness in potential, he consciously choose wrong. The greater the positive potential, the greater the scope for dissipation. There are different levels of this good potential. Something can surface only in society. Others may do so only in the company of children or woman. This can become real to some only in productive work. Creative poets, artists are known to be wonderfully creative in their fields, in spite of being the very opposite in other circumstances. In many it will be short-lived. There are special cases where this potential reveals only in one area. In such a case we realise the significance of human choice. Should such men turn, they become resources of good for all. What was meant for a particular ear, in a general unreserve becomes publicly discussed and canvassed. The general unreserve destroys the intensity for personal confidence and intimacy. Personal confidence and intimacy based on truth does lose its concentration in a general unreserve, but does not lose its value. It has the capacity to mature in another occasion, in another’s life, in another way, perhaps even apparently opposite. Something inherently RIGHT cannot do wrong ultimately. ’I have told you so’ is so universal to be missed. A judgement about the most important person vindicates one. One can justly pride himself of penetration into character. This is one clear occasion to see how falsehood thrives in the society. To scandalize a man falsely is a crime. To do so after he left is cowardice. To ride on the crest of such popularity is malicious meanness. She who can approve of such a man in all this readily is one who has fine eyes. He wears a red coat and her consciousness is that of her mother. It is the mother in her that ran after this red coat. The captivating softness survives his total exposure. |
31. |
Miss Bennet was the only creature who could suppose there might be any extenuating circumstances in the case, unknown to the society of Hertfordshire; her mild and steady candour always pleaded for allowances, and urged the possibility of mistakes -- but by everybody else Mr. Darcy was condemned as the worst of men. |
222. Miss Bennet is an exception, not in adoring Wickham, but in not condemning Darcy. |
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