Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
One of the best novels ever written.
‘ “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, every thing in his favour, should think highly of himself. If I may so express it, he has a right to be proud.”
…
“Pride,” observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, “is a very common failing I believe… Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”’
I agree. Also note that this discussion takes place on page 20 of the edition that I am reading, and describes one of two main points that Austen makes in this book.
“We can all begin freely—a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better shew more affection than she feels.” (Charlotte)
I really should take Charlottes advice to heart. I know I keep my feelings more guarded than I should. Maybe I’m scared of rejection. I’m not sure. I just wish it was easier. I wish there was a way to just know if there is a mutual interest from the very beginning. My life would be much more interesting then.
“We all love to instruct, though we can teach only what is not worth knowing.” (Lizzy)
I find it interesting that this point is brought up in many other books, from varying styles and time periods, that I have read.
‘ “What made you so shy of me, when you first called, and afterwards dined here? Why, especially, when you called, did you look as if you did not care about me?” (Lizzy)
“Because you were grave and silent, and gave me no encouragement.”(Darcy)
“But I was embarrassed.”
“And so was I.”
“You might have talked to me more when you came to dinner.”
“A man who had felt less, might.”
“How unlucky that you should have a reasonable answer to give, and that I should be so reasonable as to admit it!”’
Similar to the point that Charlotte made. I wonder how many great relationships were never formed by the appearance of indifference, when in fact the exact opposite was true.
Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
I believe that this book is both the worst and best novel that Jane Austen wrote. First why it is the worst:
-The first volume is utterly boring. Fanny Price, the heroine, reminds one of a rabbit, too shy and too timid throughout the whole book that I never felt any respect for her. The second volume however is more interesting as Henry Crawford decides to woo Fanny, and the flattery is so great that I felt I was blushing while reading that part. However it ends terribly as the bad characters come to bad ends, and the good to good ends, and everyone remains largely unchanged. – In my high school English classes, my teachers often said that one aspect of a good story is that it has dynamic characters. That is the characters change throughout the story, usually because life throws them into a predicament in which they have to learn and become a better person before they are through. All of the characters in this novel are static. Eh, one might argue that Fanny changes some. But in my opinion, not enough.
However, this is also the reason why it may be one of Jane Austen’s best novels. Because I think that it is more realistic. Bad people do not miraculously become good. Good people are not eager to forgive the follies and vices of others. People’s characters do not change all that much with so little to provoke change as many books would like us to believe.
And now the few quotes I thought would be worthwhile to include:
“…There seems something more speakingly incomprehensible in the powers, the failures, the inequalities of memory, than in any other of our intelligences. The memory is sometimes so retentive, so serviceable, so obedient—at others, so bewildered and so weak—and at others again, so tyrannic, so beyond control!—We are to be sure a miracle every way—but our powers of recollecting and of forgetting, do seem peculiarly past finding out.” (Fanny)
In recent years, we have learned so much about memory and how our brain contains information. Just a couple of semesters ago I did a report for my engineering communications class about how dopamine receptors have an effect on memory as we age. However, I still feel like Fanny’s speech (which I believe this is an excerpt of the longest speech she gives in the whole book), is true today. And it also brings to mind one of my favorite paintings, Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory” which I have hanging on the wall next to me.
“His conviction of her regard for him was sometimes very strong; he could look back on a long course of encouragement, and she was as perfect in disinterested attachment as in every thing else.”
Same theme as in P&P. But here Austen makes it seem like the disinterest in proper? Maybe I should have lived in the 19th century.
“In a review of the two houses, as they appeared to her before the end of a week, Fanny was tempted to apply to them Dr. Johnson’s celebrated judgment as to matrimony and celibacy, and say, that though Mansfield Park might have some pains, Portsmouth could have no pleasures.”
:)
No comments:
Post a Comment