Rachel's Response: Part One!

1.)   The novel begins with one of the most famous first sentences in literature, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (pg. 5). What does this sentence mean and how does it set the tone for the novel?
This sentence not only is a great opening line and hooks the reader right away but it also does a great job in setting the tone for the novel. This opening line is basically saying that everyone knows (or at least women assume) if a man is single, and has a decent amount of money/fortune, he has to be in search of a wife to share that fortune with. It gives the impression that this is how everyone in society thought/believed life to be, especially women during the late 18^th/early 19^th century English society. One of the themes/tones throughout the novel is social status/wealth, which plays a huge role throughout the novel. The reader gets a sense of this right off the bat when Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Bennet talk about the new bachelor in town Mr. Bingley who is single with no prospects of a wife yet, and a great fortune of $4,000-$5,000 a year. Women during this period of time did not have very many options or paths to take and the only way to move up in society and secure their future is to marry above or with-in their social status. Side note: How sad is it that the main goal of marriage is to secure a future financially and marrying for love takes a back seat the majority of the time. Ok back to the my answer: Take the Bennet’s for example; we learn that because there is no male heir to take over the family land it must go to the closest male relative which is Mr. Collins. As soon as Mr. Bennet passes away their estate will be turned over to Mr. Collins and the rest of the Bennet’s will be left with nothing. So in order to secure their future it is essential that the Bennet sisters marry into a financially secure family and it is also why Mrs. Bennet is so obsessed with marrying off her daughters.

2.)  What are your feelings about Mr. Bennet? Is he a good father? A good husband? A good man? A positive or negative figure?
Mr. Bennet is a very interesting character. On one hand I find him to be very humorous/funny. He has a bite/wit about him that has a hint of sarcasm, especially when he is talking with his wife.  But on the other hand I feel like he takes a back seat to his family and at times he can be rather neglectant towards them.  He seems more annoyed and there is a certain lack of respect towards his wife, especially when it comes to Mrs. Bennet trying to find suitable husbands for his five daughters. Throughout the novel the reader can tell he has a special soft spot in his heart for Elizabeth and that he is very protective over her. You really get a sense of this in chapter 20 where he sides with Elizabeth over Mrs. Bennet whether she should marry Mr. Collins or not, even though if she accepted his hand it would have secured his family’s future.  The reader also gets a sense that he seems to be withdrawn from not only his family but society a bit too. Maybe he feels like he has disappointed his family by not having a male heir to pass the estate too and in turn will leave his family with nothing when he passes. As of right now my opinion of Mr. Bennet is still in the air. I have a feeling we will learn more about him as the novel goes on.    

3.) First impressions of Mr. Darcy. Good? Bad?
I get the feeling Mr. Darcy is like an onion. He has a personality type with many layers to him that one must go through in order to fully grasp and understand who he is.  It seems that my dear Mr. Darcy tends to not give a favorable first impression. People tend to think he comes off as arrogant, proud, reserved, and rude. Even with those horrible first impressions, there is something about him that really draws the reader into his character. You get hints that he isn’t just this stuck up guy as Austen takes us through Elizabeth’s and his growing relationship. He seems to keep an eye on her at all times and seems to genuinely care if she is ok or not. The reader gets hints of this while Elizabeth is staying at Netherfield and especially chapters 10-12. One can tell there is a spark between them but Mr. Darcy is holding back a bit because I think he does not want to bring any attention to the fact he is starting to develop feelings towards her, which may make him come off as uncaring or apathetic.

Sometimes first impressions aren’t always right; the layers are starting to unpeel! I am team Darcy!!!!

4.) What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women?
The overall/general role of women in this book is to get married and preferably marry into a higher social class to create a better life for one’s self.  Women in the early 19^th century did not have many options before them; they definitely were at a disadvantage. They were not able to move up and into the world as easily as men could. They could not go out and be career women, get the best well rounded education (and if they did an education it wasn’t the same as it is today for women), create their own fortune, or even have the same rights as men had. In all reality the easiest and only ways to create a different and better life for one’s self was to marry someone with decent wealth and social connections. The mothers in this book are definitely represented as having only one plan/goal and that is to marry their daughters to the most eligible bachelor and of a higher social class then them to secure their future. Elizabeth does break out of this mold. She is a very strong female character with intelligence, independence, wit, and follows her heart when making decisions. On the other hand you have young women like Charlotte who admits (in chap. 22) not necessarily believing in marriage or even liking Mr. Collins. But she goes through with it anyways to create a new world of opportunities for herself. Instead of love and romance Charlotte was looking for a comfortable home which Mr. Collins would provide for her.  I cannot even imagine being a woman in the early 19^th century it would have been so limiting to not be able to marry for love or go out there and become a Dr. if I wanted to or not having equal rights as men had.

 5.) What does love and marriage mean to Mr. Collins?
Mr. Collins has to be one of my least favorite characters! He is just flat out annoying, poor Charlotte. Ok now that I got that off my chest back to the question. I really think marriage means diddly squat to him. He proposed to two different women within three days and was thinking about marrying three different women within the time he came to visit. Obviously he wasn’t looking for a deep connection/love aspect with his future wife. Marriage seems to be almost like a business deal to him.  He doesn’t really care who he marries just that he marries someone. I swear I was screaming you idiot when he was proposing to Elizabeth and stating his reasons for marrying and then not getting the clue when she basically told him he doesn’t have a chance in H-E-double hockey sticks. Let us review his reasons for marriage shall we (found in chap 19) 1.) He believes it is essential for clergy men to set an example by being married, 2.) It would add to his happiness 3.) It was the advice/recommendation from his dear Lady Catherine de Bourgh (this seems to be most important to him, that’s kind of awkward) and 4.) As a result of him ultimately inheriting the Bennet estate he was going to try and find a wife among the Bennet girls. Hmmm… Would any girl jump for joy and say yes after hearing that speech? I would think/hope not. (except maybe Charlotte. Poor girl)

6.) What do you think of the language Jane Austen uses throughout the novel? For example, “remember where you are, and do not run on in the wild manner that you are suffered to do at home.” (Ch. 9 pg. 43) What does this quote mean?

I LOVE the style Jane Austen writes in and how she uses the language so flawlessly. It truly brings the reader into the story with her language and makes one feel like they are a part of it. Take the quote above for example; she is scolding Elizabeth while visiting Netherfield when Jane was ill. She really paints a picture doesn’t she? She uses colorful language which only sucks the reader deeper into her stories. Such a talented writer, I cannot wait to read all of her novels!!