‘…He looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself, and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, then he began to find out it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes.’ Mr Darcy regrets what he has said about Lizzy. Her ‘dark eyes’ flawed him. He is embarrassed and ‘mortified’ by what he said, but when Darcy tries to speak to Lizzy, Lizzy rejects him. He is obviously attracted to her and holds a liking towards her. He, however remembers that he should marry within his social circle, but he still feels an overwhelming urge towards Lizzy. Even still, he refuses to break social rules.
‘Not at all’ quotes Mr Darcy, ‘They were brightened by the exercise.’ Mr Darcy says this when Miss Bingley asks him if, because Lizzy arrived in what was considered an inappropriate manner whether this had affected his admiration for her fine eyes. Mr Darcy is always honest and fair and never tells untruths. He is convincing, but sometimes leaves out important details. However, he can sometimes be harsh, due to his manner and temperament. Darcy should be looked upon as a victim of society, pressured in to marriage. He has no choices, but considers certain things to be more important that marriage, such as the importance of true love to him.
In chapter eight, in the conversation about accomplishments, Darcy and Lizzy somewhat disagree; ‘I cannot boast of knowing half-a-dozen women in my whole range of acquaintance that are really accomplished… to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.’ Darcy hints at Elizabeth in this quote, as the conversation was shortly before on the subject of Lizzy being and extensive and great reader, and so by saying this, he is discretely complimenting her. Darcy is not taken in by standard accomplishments, such as dancing, singing and playing an instrument, it just does not interest him. Miss Bingley is jealous that Darcy quite blatantly obviously has feelings towards Lizzy. In this novel it appears to the reader that Darcy likes people that have spirit, and the more spirit that Lizzy shows, the more she appeals to him; ‘Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her.’ When Darcy mentions music, Miss Bingley is there like a flash to get there before Lizzy does. Lizzy notices that Mr Darcy is looking at her and cannot believe it; ‘She hardly knew how to suppose that she could be an object of admiration to so great a man.’ Lizzy is not interested. She knows that he can’t despise her and even if he did, she wouldn’t care, but the irony is that Darcy likes this about her.
Miss Bingley cleverly compared Georgina to Lizzy in Lizzy’s absence to discover Darcy’s true feelings towards Lizzy. In chapter ten there is a discussion between Darcy and Bingley. Giving in is not good enough for Darcy. Darcy does not like people being passive. Bingley discusses the situation and he realises that he is smaller and less important than Darcy. ‘He really believed that if it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.’ He just believes her to be inferior birth, but is still allured by her.
When Wickham asks Lizzy whether she is acquainted with Darcy or not she replies, ‘As much as I ever wish to be.’ Wickham has known Darcy too long and too well to be a good judge of his character. She tells him that; ‘Darcy is not at all liked in Hertfordshire. Everybody is disgusted by his pride. You will not find him more favourably spoken by anyone.’ Wickham replies ‘The world is blinded by his fortune and consequence, or frightened by his high and imposing manners.’ Mr Wickham knows Darcy well and lies about his history to Lizzy. He’s almost reversing the story. He tells a one sided story but praises the late Mr Darcy. He makes fun of Darcy and blames him for everything. Lizzy cannot understand Darcy’s motive. This leads Lizzy to believe Wickham, whose manner provokes sympathy for his story and who provides a reasonable reason in this chapter. We also discover that Lady Catherine De Bourg, who is Darcy’s aunt, has supposedly promised her daughter to Darcy as a wife.
Come chapter eighteen, Lizzy rushes into hating Mr Darcy and loving Mr Wickham; ‘forbeane and patience’ Christian virtue. Mr Darcy, whom we suspect of never dreaming of dancing, asks Lizzy to dance and she accepts. Everybody already knows that Lizzy dislikes Darcy and she is sarcastic with him at the Netherfield ball. ‘Are you consulting your own feelings, in the present case, or do you imagine that you are gratifying mine?’ Darcy asks Lizzy. Lizzy is sarcastic with Mr Darcy and Darcy assures her, when she compares them, that she is not like him, unsocial, of a taciturn disposition, and unwilling to speak. This is an extremely awkward conversation. Darcy makes an effort with Lizzy, but Lizzy is too blinded by prejudice.
Later on in the novel, the reader is softened to Darcy’s character when Darcy arrives with his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. Lizzy says to Darcy ‘Keep your breath to cool your porridge, and I shall keep mine to swell my song,’ obviously expressing her non-wish to speak to Darcy. Darcy appears to be a man of action, who attracts people’s attention and opposition arouses him when he is rude to people in which he dislikes. Darcy always looks out for people, as we find out when Colonel Fitzwilliam lets slip a secret that Darcy has prevented Bingley from marrying Jane. Lizzy is appalled and wonders why Darcy would do such a thing.
His proposal of marriage in chapter thirty four is honest and typical of his pride, defensiveness, and class. ‘In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feeling will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently, I admire and love you.’ Lizzy’s astonishment was beyond expression, She knew that they were feelings those of his heart to be detailed. ‘He was more eloquevent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. But his pride, his abominable pride- his shameless avowal of what he had done in respect to Jane – his unpardonable assurance in acknowledging though he could no justify it.’ He still needs to conquer his pride and the remarks made by Lizzy containing the words ‘Gentleman-like’ cut Darcy to the quick and torture him for months; ‘ …as it spared me the concern which I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentleman-like manner.’ The proposal hits both Lizzy and Darcy hard, Darcy appears to be too honest. He is appealing to a sense of justice when she reads the letter he sends to her; ‘I want to put you clearly in the picture,’ Darcy writes. In other words Darcy is apologising in the letter. Charlotte tells Lizzy to advise Jane to express her true feelings towards Mr Bingley, as this will be seen as a proper relationship. This is why Darcy took his best friend away from Jane. He thought he was doing the right thing and that he had a good motive. He reckons that he is doing what a best friend ought to do, and he thinks that Bingley is madly in love, where as Jane isn’t. In Darcy’s letter to Lizzy, although Darcy is socially above the Bennett’s, he still loves her ant the letter rings truth.
When Lizzy visits Pemberley, she is surprised to find, that when she speaks to Mrs Reynolds, that she and Darcy had ‘…never had a cross word.’ ‘Elizabeth wondered, doubted and was patient for more.’ Her view of Mr Darcy is slowly beginning to change and Mrs Reynolds gives her second-hand information that Mr Darcy has a kind hard and is not at all proud. ‘Some people call him proud, but I am sure I never saw anything of it… There is nothing Darcy wouldn’t do for his sister.’ Many women at this time married out of gratitude, not love, as this occurs again, and again in this novel. If Darcy had have asked her twice, it would have been gratitude if she accepted, but it is slowly changing to love towards Mr Darcy. Darcy and Lizzy do meet in more favourable circumstances, him at home, her away from home and with friends. They both learn a lesson about Pride and Prejudice. During the novel, Darcy wounds Lizzy and vice versa.. Their sexual attraction pushes them to damage each other- each is humbled and shamed. Each inflicts themselves on the other, and then they become ready for each other. She was increasingly becoming better acquainted with Mr Darcy, and she was now certain that he was in love with her.
When Miss Bingley puts Lizzy down in front of Mr Darcy, he becomes more and more agitated and says to her ‘…that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.’ That silenced Miss Bingley and out her in her place as Darcy finally revealed his true feelings, much to Miss Bingleys’s disappointment.
‘Mr Darcy, who never looks at any woman, but to see a blemish, and who probably never looked at you in his life,’ says My Bennett, who is oblivious to his daughter’s true feelings. It is in a letter from Lady Catherine De Bourg that he expresses this. Her Father had most cruelly mortified her by what he said of Mr Darcy’s indifferences. She is beginning to truly love him. ‘Darcy has appeared to be one of the two diverging and converging lines, who have been pushed apart to a climax of hatred, but then leading to mutual understanding an d love.’ From first impression to last impression, there is a tremendous turn around in the portrayal of Darcy, from going from a disagreeable man, to a much admired man.
Another main and strong character in Pride and Prejudice is Mr Collins. ‘A mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self importance and humility.’ He is considered to be a conceited fool, and a figure of fun. Throughout the novel Mr Collin’s does not show himself to be a priest, just a hypocrite. His intention, when the letter arrives in chapter thirteen is to marry one of the Bennett daughters. When Mr Collin’s arrives, Mr Bennett amuses himself and Mrs Bennett pronounces him an ‘odious’ man, just because of the fortunate financial position that he is in and blames Mr Bennett for everything. Mr Collin’s became a priest to comply with rich patrons, such as Lady Catherine De Burgh. He feels that he should carry on the argument of ownership of the house, in his Father’s honour and memory and he becomes a priest to bow to Lady Catherine De Bourg’s whim. Mr Collin’s is not an intelligent man and Mr Bennett makes fun of him without Mr Collin’s knowing because of his sarcastic and subtle sense of humour.
In chapter fourteen Mr Bennett rips the heart out of Mr Collin’s and Mr Collin’s does not even realise. Mr Bennett makes fun out of him as he appears to be stupid and does not for the life of him, understand sarcasm, or irony. As Lady Catherine De Bourg chooses who will be Vicar, Collin’s ‘sucks up’ to her, and as she does not want a powerful one, Collins is in with a chance. Everything Lady Catherine De Bourg says, Mr Collin’s treats like the gospel. Lady Catherine De Bourg pokes her nose in to his house and tells him to come back with a wife and advises him to marry one of his cousins. Collin’s is smitten by power. Lady Catherine De Bourg needs flattering constantly, and Mr Collin’s becomes the one to give it to her.
Mr Bennett asks Mr Collins whether his compliments are of flattery, or ‘the result of previous study.’ Mr Collins does not see this insult and takes it as flattery and this is the part where Mr Bennett rips the heart out of Mr Collins. Mr Bennett knows that Mr Collins is the predator and that he intends to marry one of his daughters, so he wants to show each of them what he is really like. Mr Bennett says, ‘The Most resolute composure of countanage,’ and tries to stop himself laughing. He uses the word ‘fair’ far too much, and the word was extremely old fashioned at the time,
Mr Collins has no sense, although he is reasonably intelligent, he gave all study up. He thinks that he can choose a wife and go back with her to Huntsford. He is well off and he feels that he can do this with no questions asked. However, Lizzy and Jane want to marry for love, not for money, so he has no chance with them.
Mr Collins’ first choice is Jane, but when Mrs Bennett informs him that Jane is spoken for, he turns his affections towards Lizzy. Mrs Bennett sees potential in him as a husband for one of her daughters, which also reveals her shallow mindedness and poor judgement. Mrs Bennett shows herself to be shallow minded by saying that one day Mr Collins is a ‘odious’ and a hypocrite, and the next day a suited husband and lover to one of her daughters. He is, in fact, a hypocrite, as he makes unchristian remarks in his pompous letters, for example the one about Lydia’s ‘fall.’ Mr Collins talks to anyone who will listen. He ‘…seemed to sink in to insignificance, to the young ladies, he certainly was nothing. He is always trying to improve himself.
At the Longbourne ball Mr Collins comes and takes Lizzy to dance the first two dances with him, Lizzy is extremely disappointed, as she was hoping to dance with Wickham. He behaves foolishly at the ball. He even embarrasses Lizzy with the style of hid dancing. Mr Collins thinks that he can dip in to the family and choose any wife that he pleases. He has no feelings towards any of them, he has just been told by Lady Catherine De Bourg to get a wife and he feels that he has to. He is considered to be a predator to the Bennett’s and Mrs Bennett encourages him by assuming that security will lead to happiness for her daughters. Mr Collins has no sensitivity and only sees things from his point of view. He says to Lizzie; ‘I singled you out as the companion of my future life.’ This is untrue, as Jane was the first person that he chose and Lizzy fetches second best. This is also, an extremely awkward chat-up line. Lizzy tries to stop herself from laughing, as it seems extremely difficult to take Mr Collins serious because he is so ridiculously awkward. He lists the reasons to Lizzy, why he wants a wife; to set an example, to make himself happy, because he was madder to find a wife, and because Lady Catherine De Bourg will make a nod of approval to his wife. Every single word that Collins speaks loses esteem from the audience. He says that he will come cheap because he is a good husband and tells her that, if she marries him, he Father will never be in search for money. He declares love and a promise of marriage to Lizzy. Lizzy wants to be sick and decides that if it wasn’t so funny, it might be sad. He does not accept that Lizzy won’t marry him and refuses to take no for an acceptable answer. Lizzy tries to tell him that she is being deadly serious; ‘I am perfectly serious in my refusal,’ but still Mr Collins persistently carries on, still hopeful.
‘I shall hope to receive a more favourable answer than you have now given me.’ He cannot believe that he has been refused; ‘It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance.’ He then hints that she may be good looking, but this may be the only chance that she gets and that she will end up poor with absolutely nobody; ‘You should take in to consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made to you.’ The only compliment that he makes to her is that he once regards her as elegant.
A little later on in the novel, Charlotte Lucas announces her engagement to Collins, much to Lizzy’s horror. Charlotte however, is content, as she does not have romantic feelings and is no great beauty. She is almost grateful to Mr Collins. She just wants to be secure, and the Lucas family are delighted. After having been rejected stupidly by Lizzy he then uses the Bennett’s for the opportunity to see Charlotte Lucas. Lizzy and Charlotte’s relationship becomes strained.
When Collins sends the letter to the Bennett family regarding Lydia’s disappearance to Gretna Green he shows no sympathy. He instead, writes a consoling letter. He includes phrases such as; ‘no time can remove,’ meaning that they have ‘had it’ and are damned forever. Also, ‘The death of your daughter would have been a blessing,’ meaning that they had indulged her and made her become a sexual creature. ‘Licentiousness,’ meaning pitied and not consoled, which would come across as extremely patronising. As Collins had gossiped to Lady Catherine De Bourg about Lydia, her advice was to; ‘…throw off your unworthy child.’ He shows no sympathy and it is extremely hard to believe that this is a man writing to his close family.
In this novel Collins is portrayed as being extremely flat. He sees an opportunity and expects to be handed it with no questions asked. He needs security and constantly needs to be reassured. He is secretive and selfish and only interested in what benefits himself. He brags through weakness and insecurity, to gain respect, but seems to have the opposite effect. He is self obsessed and looks upon Charlotte as just being convenient. He is not bright and most definitely not perceptive. He shows his stupidity sporadically throughout the whole novel.
The story that I am going to the portrayal of men in Pride and Prejudice with is Samphire by Patrick O’Brien. Samphire was written in 1955. It was based at the end of a ‘dead decade’ as there were no TV’s or wirelesses. Britain was on the verge of bankruptcy and there was a shortage of furniture. It wasn’t much different to the late 1930’s. There was also a large shortage of money. During this time, marriage was for life and it was exceedingly difficult to get one. If you got battered by your husband, you most certainly did not talk about it. People took holidays at the seaside during this period, which is exactly what the people in this story are doing.
The mans name is not mentioned in this story, but he refers to himself as being called Lacey as his pet name that he has given himself. Lacey is slimy and slippery, with a childish attitude. He constantly seeks for reassurance from his wife to boost his confidence. He is the dominating and leading one of the two and his wife, Molly, always follows behind. He only has respect from his wife. Nobody else is bothered about him, in this; his security becomes obvious as it is clear that he has no friends. He is always trying to impress Molly, and in the first paragraph when he walks across the scaffolding, he appears brave. He wants to be brave and strong, where as in fact he is high and not masculine. He is physically courageous and his wife admires him for this. In truth he is weak, but appears strong, but this is false and just looks so because of his strong position in their marriage. He thinks that he is liked, but he achieves nothing. He has a patronising attitude that his wife is used to. He makes her feel inferior, and calls her ‘Good Girl;’ in a patronising and degrading way. He is always making all of the decisions for her, and Molly has very little say, if any.
Molly needs someone to encourage and help her, instead she has got a bullying and eccentric husband with whom she never gains any confidence from. Although Lacey has very little confidence, when he is put next to Molly he appears to be extremely confident. Lacey needs to be constantly assured and asks questions to gain approval such as; ‘…isn’t it Molly?’ and ‘…didn’t I Molly?’ To love, honour and obey are the original church or England vows and to ‘do as I say’ are the vows that he holds her to as a promise.
He begins to fondle during one part of the story in his creepy night time voice’ ‘the voice he uses in bed.’ As soon as someone appears he stops which signifies guilt and the need for him to act in a respectable, appropriate and in a domineering fashion.
Molly is undeveloped and child like and needs somebody who will care for her. The relationship that Lacey has with people on holiday is that he starts a conversation with people as though he wants to make out to them that he an Molly are a perfect, model couple. In real terms, he is obsessive and patronising towards his wife and is forever looking down on her. When they go to the tobacco shop, the tobacconist does not understand the joke that Lacey makes, and when he tries to barter with the stick that he wants to buy, he fails because the shop keeper needs to stay in business. Finding the Samphire is a massive victory for him. His wife has no choice in anything and was made to give up her life. Exactly the same as she was made to go up the cliff by Lacey. She did not want to do it, but he wanted to show off, and this can be classed as mental oppression, or even cruelty. This is harassment and the only reason that he is doing it is because he wants to maintain the higher position and keep her in place as the lower position, below him by far. He wants to show her, his dominant side. He does it so that she feels subservient towards him and looks up to him.
He speaks in a falsetto, meaning a very high voice. In this story, we are in Molly’s head. At the end when she pushes him, even though he is frightened he does not go. The reaction goes through his head. He firstly blames her for pushing him, ‘You Pushed me Molly.You.You Pushed me.’ Then he makes exceptions for her, calling it and accident. He says that it was a spasm, meaning illness and implying that she is weak and ill, again, seeking approval from her. He blames it on spasms, fainting and constantly refers to it as being an accident. He insists that she is weak and unwell. He may know that she tried to kill him, but he still struggles to regain the top place and he even downgrades her attempt to murder him. She couldn’t even kill him right. Her face is closed; she knows she’s lost and that this is the end. ‘She turned her dying face to the ground.’ She feels that this is it and that she may as well be dead. ‘Down, down, down,’ meaning that she has reached rock bottom, and that she is now worse off than she was at the beginning. His visage was everything and it had fallen to pieces. Petulant, like a child towards Molly, and he knows that she tried to kill him. Just once she was on top and had a chance to get out of the marriage, but he managed to struggle to safety.
There are similarities in Samphire, especially between Lacey and Mr Collins, but Mr Collins is more harmless than Lacey. They both seek and feed off approval and feel the need to retain their positions. Marriage in the 1950’s was extremely hard to get out of and Molly had no chance, which was a lot to do with her character. However, charlotte Lucas does not interest in romance and is just content with security. Both Lacey and Collins are weak and disliked, both trying to get respect. Collins tries to compensate his own weakness by boasting and Lacey by showing off. They both seek power and respect to impress. They both also need reassurance constantly and rely on their wives to supply them with it.
The language in Pride and Prejudice is different to that in Samphire, but there are still many comparisons. Darcy is a complex character and is harder to evaluate than Collins and Lacey. However his portrayal changed as the novel got on, going from unapproachable and disagreeable, to kind hearted and genuine. The portrayal of men has changed a lot since the time when these two stories were written but did not change an awful lot between these two periods. The men were traditionally the dominant sex. Since 1950, when Samphire was written I think that the portrayal of men has changed for the better.
