This shows that she is more concerned about the indirect effects of Lydia’s undertakings rather than the occurrence itself.
In addition, Elizabeth Bennet conveys herself well by her reactions to the letters. After reading the first letter, she “seized the other, and opened it with the utmost impatience.” When she finished the second letter, she cried out for her uncle and “darted from her seat as she finished the letter.” While Jane Bennet reacts in a calmer fashion, Elizabeth reacts in a more fervent method. Elizabeth had a “pale face and impetuous manner” as she ran towards the door, only to be stopped by Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth reacts immediately to the letters and although she is with her new fiancé, she states that she must leave him as she “has not an instant to lose.” She is extremely concerned for her family as well as their reputations and is willing to help in every way that she possibly can.
Mr. Darcy responds to the occurrences in a manner that shows he is quite the gentleman. He asks Elizabeth to let him or the servant go after her aunt and uncle rather than Elizabeth, because she was “not well enough” and she cannot go herself. Mr. Darcy attempts everything in order to help Elizabeth recuperate, such as calling the maid and offering her a glass of wine. Mr. Darcy listens intently to everything that Elizabeth tells him, which is something many men would not do enthusiastically. He blames himself for not exposing Mr. Wickham, which allows him to become involved in the situation and attain a common purpose with Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy’s responses to the situation convey the type of man he truly is, a gentleman who greatly loves Elizabeth.
Jane Bennet’s two separate letters allow the plot to pick up tremendous speed as the novel catapults towards its conclusion. Preceding this chapter, the story had been slowing down and the plot was thinning out. The letters provide a twist in the novel’s plot. Mr. Wickham’s actions that are outlined in the letters expose the type of man that he truly is. There is a touch of irony in the fact that the prospect that Elizabeth was originally interested in has turned into a “jerk” and the man she initially hated is now her fiancé. These letters bring about feelings of anxiety and eagerness to find out what is to come of Lydia and Mr. Wickham as well as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
However the seriousness of the situation in itself, the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet is furthermore developed because of these two letters. Elizabeth turns to Mr. Darcy as soon as he appears and immediately notifies him of everything. This action of hers illustrates the budding closeness between the two and how she relies on Darcy. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy blame themselves for not exposing Mr. Wickham as the vagrant that he truly is. Therefore, this shared guilt provides the nascent couple with a strong emotional connection and a universal principle. A major factor of a couple’s relationship is how they react in times of distress. Do they turn to each other for support or withdraw from one another? Elizabeth’s reliance on Mr. Darcy is a foreshadowing of a wonderful relationship to come for the couple. The two letters alone are a catalyst in exposing these emotions that might otherwise be suppressed. The two letters will generally contribute to furthering the development of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s relationship.
Perhaps the reasoning behind Lydia’s actions could be her family and their attitudes toward certain subjects such as men, romance, and marriage. Mrs. Bennet is consistently pressuring her daughters to become married women in order to ensure social status and financial security for the remainder of their lives. It seems that her only goal in life is to accomplish marriages for all of her five daughters at any expense. As soon as all of the prospects came into town at the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Bennet pressured her daughters to chase and obtain the suitors. Therefore, it is understandable that young Lydia Bennet might fall for the first man to demonstrate any interest whatsoever in her. The reader knows that Lydia expected marriage because she wrote a letter to Colonel Forster’s wife stating that she looked forward to signing her name as “Lydia Wickham.” Of course Lydia would leave with Mr. Wickham if she believed that there was a chance of marriage considering the pressure from her mother at home! In regards to Mr. Bennet’s approach towards marriage, he is more apt to exemplify indifferent attitudes. Mr. Bennet was not as anxious as his wife concerning his daughters’ marriages.
If these two letters were simply mentioned in the novel rather than given verbatim, the impact of the situation would not even come close to being as great. The reader needs the full accounts of the letters in order to provide a better reaction and comprehension of Elizabeth’s emotional response to the letters. If the letters were not even mentioned in the novel, Pride and Prejudice would not have a turning point and a climax would not occur. The letters were indispensable in conveying the occurrences in the plot that brought Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth closer emotionally.
The delay of the first letter is essential to the contribution of the letters for the turning point of the plot. The fact that Elizabeth receives them both at the same time allows for all of the appalling news to hit the reader at once and observe the characters’ reactions. The realization is now apparent that if Mr. Wickham does not marry Lydia Bennet now, then the Bennets’ reputation as well as Lydia’s would be devastated. The cause for the first letter’s delay is because Jane Bennet is too shaken up from her sister’s actions to even address the letter correctly. Elizabeth even states that she “was not surprised at it, as Jane had written the direction remarkably ill.” The delay because of the incorrect address is vital in conveying Jane’s emotions to the reader.
It is apparent that Jane Austen intended these two solitary letters to play a vital role in the novel. These letters single-handedly brought on the climax of the novel and allowed many different relationships to develop. If the letters were not available to the reader or even simply mentioned, the novel would be lacking in a connection with the reader. These letters convey emotions and worries that otherwise might not be discussed in person, such as the negative comments about Mr. Wickham and his supposed intentions for Lydia Bennet. The letters also allow the reader to personally imitate the internal reactions of the original receiver in the novel. Jane Bennet’s two letters to Elizabeth certainly fulfill these literary functions and are quite essential to the novel.
