Jane Austen discussion

I think Tilney and Knightley would be great fathers and very funny!

and I think Anne and .... Elinor would make lovely mothers :)

Interesting topic! :)
I agree, I also think Edward Ferrars would be good and Jane Bennett!

Jane yes!! Vert sweet, hopefully not spoil them ;)

Edward would actually! He has the right temperament!

I agree Soph, Mr. Tilney and Mr. Knightley would be great fathers. They would not be afraid to scold when necessary but also show that quiet, gentle love.

I need to think about the mothers.

They would do exactly that!

Well, whatever a great mother is, it isn't Mrs. Bennet I can tell you that. Ugh. So foolish and petty. I just hated her.

Haha!! I think Mrs Dashwood was good! Maybe a little like Marianne (or rather, you can see where Marianne gets it from!) but otherwise good! :)

Catherine Vernon is a good mother. Though little is mention in a specific manner about situations with her children. I like how she attends to Frederica. I can tell you who is not a good mother: Lady Susan Vernon, good gracious!

oh this is from Lady Susan!!

Yes it is :D

recommend that one? its the Watsons which is unfinished right?

Oh yes, I definitely recommend this one. I wrote all over the book, expressing my disgust and enjoyments, hehe. I've taken a peculiar habit of writing on my books but I only do it to books I analyze. *fans self: damn Austen is good. The Watsons and Sandition are unfinished. Someone in the group mentioned an author who finished Sandition. I 'amazoned' it, the reviews look good.

I will read all three sometime and try and find an ending for the 2 unfinished ones!

I think that Mr. Knightley, Col. Brandon, and Edward Farrars (?) would make good fathers, and i think that Elinor Dashwood, Anne Elliot, and Jane Bennet (?) would make good mothers. (Jane might spoil them a little though.)

I would actually think that Mrs. Gardiner wouldn't be a bad mother at all... although Elizabeth Bennet is the ultimate awesome mom.

Agree with you both!
Mrs Gardiner yes! Lizzie great! Anne great! Jane might spoil them a little, as would Bingley I reckon!

Frankly a little spoiling wouldn't be all that bad :)

I guess! But not too much... ;)

I think Admiral Croft and Mrs. Croft could be great parents! It's a pity they don't have any children...

I agree Irene. I think they are one of the great couples of Austen as well.

Yes!! Such nice people!

Maybe we can arrange the perfect parents combining different features from different characters.
A very good mother should be:
- loving like Jane Bennet
- patient and full of common sense like Anne Elliot
- clever and spirited like Elizabeth Bennet
- in love with life like Mrs. Croft.
What about a perfect father? He must be:
- principled like Colonel Brandon and Mr Knightley
- a man of learning like Mr Darcy
- kind and ready to play with his children like... well I think Charles Bingley or Edward Ferrars could be suitable
- brave like Captain Wentworth
- rich enough to grant a future to all his children, so maybe Edward Ferrars is not the best choice
- without any distant relation to whom his estate is entailed.

Isn't it strange? No one thinks that Emma could be a good mother. What's the matter? Do we think Emma would became just like his father?

That's a great combination! :) for both!

Well, I think for Emma, she would be good, but I never think of her as much. I think that is because Emma didn't have a mother figure (for long) and Miss Taylor spoilt her. Also, she became mistress of her own house early and I think she just missed on that important part of her life!

:) I think that almost every main pairing Jane Austen has made in her books would be a good mother and father together. In some cases one person in the couple may not have been completely perfect parents, but when supported by the other would become a wonderful parent very quickly.

Of course, there are certain people that immediately come to mind when this question is posed - Colonel Brandon was the one that immediately came to mind for me, firstly because of his kind, generous and loving nature, and secondly because he has already had experience in terms of his ward. Jane Bennett came to mind too. :)

I agree!
Brandon has already shown his fatherly side with Eliza :) and Jane is sweet!

Soph wrote: "I agree!
Brandon has already shown his fatherly side with Eliza :) and Jane is sweet!"

:) Fatherly side - that's such a nice expression to read - at least I thought so, is that odd? :D But Brandon does certainly have a fatherly side, along with many other wonderful "sides" :D.
Jane is sweet, wonderful word for her! I loved how Rosamund Pike played her in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice, I thought she was beautiful and sweet and perfect.

So many sides ;)

And yes! Loved her Portrayal! Like when in the carriage on the way back from the Ball the younger sisters are asleep on her - I think that is so sweet!

Haha, gotta love the sides. :D

Yeah, you are right, that was sweet, I liked that bit too. I also loved the way she accepted Bingley's proposal at the end, and how happy she was with Lizzy afterwards - it was just so sweet and happy. :)

Shows how happy she really was!!

Yeah, it did - that bit always makes me feel happy too. :)

Becca, I think you might have a crush on Col. Brandon :)

:D Don't worry, I know I have a crush on Colonel Brandon! You noticed? :D Although, I don't really like the word "crush" to be perfectly honest...

Yeah, "crush", when it comes to regency, sounds a little weird.

Haha, exactly! Well, I don't like the word in any case, but especially when talking about regency. :D I would say I 'love' him, but that would make me sound *insert whatever word you think here* :D :D :D

...that would make you sound like every other OCD bookwormy fangirl on the planet.

:) You have a 'thing' for him sounds odd too!

OMG Cat, don't call me a "OCD bookwormy fangirl!" It's probably an almost accurate expression, but it sounds awful, and besides, what I have is far more civilized than an obsession (I don't have the typical fan-girl characteristics, such as squealing and jumping up and down and screaming). I suppose I did tell you to insert what you think though. :)

:) Sarah, I think "thing" is probably what I would prefer to call it, although it does still sound a little odd. It is certainly preferable to "OCD bookwormy fangirl"!
Personally, I just think that when it comes to feelings for books and characters (at least in my case) it is better not to try and name them or put labels on them.

Starting to like the word "crush" a little more now... :D

Haha... I have a 'thing' for:
Mr Darcy
Edward Cullen (Twilight) and
Christian Grey (Fifty Shades)
Plus a few others, like Luke from the Shopaholic books.... Oh I could go on all day...
So you're not alone!

Phew! Glad I am not alone.
If we are settling on "thing" rather than "OCD Bookwormy Fangirl", I would say I have a thing for:

- Colonel Brandon
- Severus Snape
- Alan Rickman, full stop :D
- Jasper and Carlisle Cullen
- Faramir, from Lord of the Rings
- Kit SummerIsle (Deathstalker Series) and
- Akkarin (Black Magician Series)

Of course the top three are probably my biggest - and I do have a bit of a "thing" for Darcy too, just not as much. :)

That's a good list! Jasper Cullen is a good one :)

Haha, thanks, I of course think it is a very good list. ;) Jasper Cullen is a very good one - does my list make it look like I have a weakness for the emotionally traumatized? :D

Haha! Yes it does a bit!

Meh, I know I have that weakness :D. Of course they all have many other wonderful and different traits as well, but certainly what most of them have in common is being at least a little emotionally traumatized in some way.

*sigh* I'm glad I'm not the only one with a list, in any case. :)

:)

HAHAHA this was a funny comversation to read! very amusing!!!

Becca wrote: "Haha, exactly! Well, I don't like the word in any case, but especially when talking about regency. :D I would say I 'love' him, but that would make me sound *insert whatever word you think here* :D..."
loved that especially ;)

My thoughts...
crush and thing both a little weird... its hard when talking about characters in a book, and from the regency era! ;)

and hey, i have a list as well! a lonnnnggggg list ;)
up to 17 i think so far.... ;) won't bore you with the details ;)

Haha Soph, you are absolutely right! It is very hard to come up with a word for this circumstance!

Wow, 17! Hehe, I probably have just as many - I put my main 8 up above, but I think I could come up with 17... :D

Haha!!

I would struggle to shorten the list ;)

Haha, me too!

So far for me Mr Knightly would make a wonderful father. He seems so patient and grounded. Even when he corrects Emma he is to the point and not cruel and condenscending.
Anne Eliot would be my pick for a good mother. She seems so at ease with Mary"s boys and cares for them deeply.

Knightley would be good. He is popular with John and Isabella'a children as well :) and Anne is so gentle and experienced :)