Rebecca Hillary
I know I should say something sappy like Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, but I've never been a fan of Austen. I don't like overly romantic couples, anyway. I prefer couples with a lot going on. That's not to say Elizabeth and Darcy didn't have their share of drama, but the best couples are the ones you see at their absolute worst. So my favourite couple is... Ebenezer Scrooge and Belle, from A Christmas Carol.
Yeah, it's a strange choice, I know. But you can tell Ebenezer was a better man when he was with Belle. He all but gets down on his knees to beg her not to leave him in his memory. She can't see past the fact that he's trying to make a better life for them, and thinks that all he cares about is money.
Belle refuses to accept that he just wants to make sure they have a comfortable life, but the economy has other plans. She thinks it's all about the money and that he's fallen out of love with her. He really does still love her, though. You can tell by the way the older Scrooge reprimands the spirit for showing how harsh their breakup was -- 'Why do you delight to torture me?' -- and how heartless Belle was in her attitude toward him.
After she leaves him -- with the rather damning indictment that he will only ever see their relationship as 'an unprofitable dream' -- is when you see why he really turned out the way he did. It's not his love of money that turned him cold, it's that he had one thing in his life that made him truly happy and she threw it all away because she couldn't see past her own prejudices. She couldn't accept that living in a slum wasn't what he wanted for them and their potential family. She's the reason he became the miser we all love to hate, but she's also the reason he wasn't beyond hope.
Obviously there's a lot more at play in the story, but remembering how happy he was with Belle, and how much losing her changed him, is a major part of what brings about his redemption. He was a much kinder and pleasant person with her love in his life. Part of the reason he resents his nephew, Fred, is that he reminds Scrooge so much of his beloved sister, Fan.
So yeah, my favourite couple is Ebenezer and Belle, even though we only see them together very briefly and she ends up making a happy life with someone else. After all, without their relationship, the rest of the story wouldn't have happened!
Yeah, it's a strange choice, I know. But you can tell Ebenezer was a better man when he was with Belle. He all but gets down on his knees to beg her not to leave him in his memory. She can't see past the fact that he's trying to make a better life for them, and thinks that all he cares about is money.
Belle refuses to accept that he just wants to make sure they have a comfortable life, but the economy has other plans. She thinks it's all about the money and that he's fallen out of love with her. He really does still love her, though. You can tell by the way the older Scrooge reprimands the spirit for showing how harsh their breakup was -- 'Why do you delight to torture me?' -- and how heartless Belle was in her attitude toward him.
After she leaves him -- with the rather damning indictment that he will only ever see their relationship as 'an unprofitable dream' -- is when you see why he really turned out the way he did. It's not his love of money that turned him cold, it's that he had one thing in his life that made him truly happy and she threw it all away because she couldn't see past her own prejudices. She couldn't accept that living in a slum wasn't what he wanted for them and their potential family. She's the reason he became the miser we all love to hate, but she's also the reason he wasn't beyond hope.
Obviously there's a lot more at play in the story, but remembering how happy he was with Belle, and how much losing her changed him, is a major part of what brings about his redemption. He was a much kinder and pleasant person with her love in his life. Part of the reason he resents his nephew, Fred, is that he reminds Scrooge so much of his beloved sister, Fan.
So yeah, my favourite couple is Ebenezer and Belle, even though we only see them together very briefly and she ends up making a happy life with someone else. After all, without their relationship, the rest of the story wouldn't have happened!
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