The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

Pride and Prejudice
Week 5: Volume III, Chapters 1 - 8
Discussion Questions

1) How does Elizabeth’s impression of Mr. Darcy change as she tours Pemberley? Which details strike her most, and why do you think these affect her so strongly? How does Austen use Pemberley itself—its grounds, housekeeper, atmosphere—to shape our understanding of Darcy’s true character? To what extent do these chapters encourage Elizabeth to reconsider her previous assumptions? Does she seem willing or reluctant to change her opinions?

2) What stands out to you about Darcy’s behavior when he unexpectedly meets Elizabeth at Pemberley? How does it contrast with his earlier actions? Do you read Darcy’s new politeness as humility, affection, strategic effort, or something else? Why? What does Elizabeth’s emotional response to Darcy’s kindness reveal about her values and self-knowledge at this point in the novel?

3) What is surprising (or not) about Georgiana Darcy? How does her behavior challenge or reinforce what others have said about her?

4) How do Elizabeth’s observations about Bingley’s manner toward Jane influence your reading of his character?

5) How does Caroline handle Elizabeth’s presence at Pemberley? What do her comments or actions reveal about her motivations?

6) Do you think Elizabeth is aware of any budding feelings she might be developing for Darcy, or is she still firmly analytical and detached? What passages suggest your interpretation? How would you describe Elizabeth’s internal conflict during these chapters as she reflects on Darcy’s behavior?

7) Austen ends Chapter 8 with a dramatic interruption. How does Elizabeth’s reaction reflect her growth or vulnerability? What does Darcy’s reaction tell us about him?

8) Which character’s personal growth is most evident in these chapters, Elizabeth or Darcy? Make a case for either. How do these chapters continue the theme of misjudgment—corrected or deepened?

9) Based on what Elizabeth reports, what does the elopement suggest about Mr. Bennet’s long-standing parental neglect? Do you see him as culpable for the situation? Austen describes Mrs. Bennet’s reaction as near-hysterical. How much sympathy do you have for her here? Does her response seem exaggerated, understandable, or both?

10) How clear is it at this point that Lydia’s actions endanger not only herself but the marriage prospects of all her sisters? How does this amplify the tension of the moment? How does Lydia’s impulsiveness stand in contrast to Elizabeth’s and Jane’s moral values and sense of propriety? How does this highlight each sister’s character arc?

11) Elizabeth blames herself for not revealing Wickham’s true nature. Is her guilt justified, or is she holding herself responsible for something beyond her control? How does the crisis transform Elizabeth’s emotional state—particularly regarding Darcy, Pemberley, and her sense of hope for the future?

12) How does the elopement confirm what Darcy revealed about Wickham’s past? Does it change your view of Wickham, or reinforce what you already suspected? At this point in the book, do you think Wickham intended seduction, manipulation, convenience, or escape from responsibility? What evidence from earlier chapters supports your opinion?

I’ll start with question 12. I find the elopement only semi-credible. It doesn’t really seem consistent with the calculating predator we saw in his past history with Georgiana Darcy and Mary King. If he was pressured by his debts—especially his gaming debts, which were considered debts of honor and had to be paid immediately if the indebted person were not to be shunned—his abrupt departure from the regiment makes sense. But would he really encumber himself with a mistress at such a moment? He seems to have been a person who could get sex anywhere. I can see that Lydia was low-hanging fruit, but even so, and even considering his lack of impulse control, it seems like a stretch.

One other interpretation I’ve seen—also a stretch—is that in Wickham’s final conversation with Elizabeth, she reveals her warming feelings toward Darcy, and Wickham tries to strike at Darcy by shaming Elizabeth’s family, perhaps with the view of blackmailing him. If that were the case, however, he wouldn’t have hidden himself in London, he would have contacted Darcy right away. When this section ends, we’re more than two weeks out from the elopement and there’s no sign of him having done so.

All in all, I find this plot twist fairly unsatisfactory.

One striking thing to note in this phase in Elizabeth’s evolution is the recurrence of the word gratitude and its variants:

[H]atred had vanished long ago, and she had almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against him, that could be so called. The respect created by the conviction of his valuable qualities, though at first unwillingly admitted, had for some time ceased to be repugnant to her feelings; and it was now heightened into somewhat of a friendlier nature, by the testimony [of Mrs. Reynolds] so highly in his favour, and bringing forward his disposition in so amiable a light, which yesterday had produced. But above all, above respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of good will which could not be overlooked. It was gratitude.—Gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough, to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner of rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection. (vol. III chap. 2)

And then later, chap. 4:

If gratitude and esteem are good foundations of affection, Elizabeth’s change of sentiment will be neither improbable nor faulty. But if otherwise, if the regard springing from such sources is unreasonable or unnatural, in comparison of what is so often described as arising on a first interview with its object, and even before two words have been exchanged, nothing can be said in her defence, except that she had given somewhat of a trial to the latter method, in her partiality for Wickham, and that its ill-success might perhaps authorise her to seek the other less interesting mode of attachment.

The second quote, if you can get past its awkwardness and indirection, goes to the heart of what Austen seems to believe about the foundations of a good marriage. Love at first sight is a phenomenon that has more to do with the body (we would say chemistry) than with the mind and spirit, and therefore, in Austen’s religion-based worldview, it is not just a fragile basis for sustaining a marriage, it is sinful.

That brings us to gratitude, because being grateful for blessings received is key to loving God, and being grateful to one’s partner on an ongoing basis is key to maintaining love in marriage—again, in her worldview. (I’m not preaching here, just describing.) On the mundane level, gratitude can be seen as mere appreciation, the daily practice of renewing one’s appreciation for one’s partner’s good qualities.

It is notable that in her calm reception of Mr. Collins’s proposal, she thanks him before rejecting him; but angry and upset by Darcy, when he proposes she says, “In such cases as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be returned. It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I could feel gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot.” This is as thorough a rejection as Austen can imagine: she is having Elizabeth say there is no conceivable basis for a successful marriage.

An interesting discussion of this topic (on which there are also several scholarly articles and even a doctoral thesis) may be found here: https://janeaustensworld.com/2020/11/....

And now I’ve gone on long enough. Thank you for the opportunity of diversion in my insomnia! Almost morning here.

Abigail wrote: " ... his abrupt departure from the regiment makes sense ... "

just a thought: it is desertion, which is punishable by death under martial law - or was the militia some softy version of the army, where people could come and go as they pleased (not seriously)?

All in all, I find this plot twist fairly unsatisfactory

so do I. And I have found similarly implausible plot twists in some other of JA's novels too. While Austen was great in setting the scene, the characters, and the problem, I think she showed certain weaknesses in the "endgame", when it came to untangle the imbroglio (thinking of Persuasion, and Mansfield Park)

sabagrey wrote: "Abigail wrote: " ... his abrupt departure from the regiment makes sense ... "

just a thought: it is desertion, which is punishable by death under martial law - or was the militia some softy versio..."

The militia were indeed the “softy” version of the military. Each county was responsible for raising a body of volunteers, who received training more or less for domestic defense. That’s why the group stationed in Meryton were referred to as the ————-shire militia: they were associated with a particular county (not Hertfordshire, they were generally sent to a different county for training so they would be away from family networks). When he goes into the Regulars, he’s joining the real military and, we can always hope, will be sent to Portugal to be slaughtered by the French.

Totally agree with you about Austen’s improbable plot twists! She has a tendency to take “small world” to extremes. How likely is it, after all, that the Bennets’ idiot distant cousin and heir should be plucked out of the herd of recently ordained by Mr. Darcy’s aunt for preferment?

The "small world" thing was common from 17th to 19th century authors. For instance, Dickens has characters appear in odd places, turn out to be related, etc. This was considered not a weakness, but a strength, being able to tie threads together.

Obviously, Wickham wouldn't marry Lydia because she has no money. But I think it's not so unlikely that he would run off with her. I'm sure she threw herself at him blindly and eagerly. Lydia's innocence and generally romantic notions of life would lead her to believe anything he told her. The idea that he would be getting back at Darcy is also a good one.

It's hard to imagine Lydia as a military wife in the regulars, she would hate "following the drum" on campaign. Many women did that, cooking and washing for the troops (as shown in the current PBS series on the American Revolution and found in a number of historical fiction books about the Peninsular campaign in this era.)

My own suspicion on first reading was that Wickham had asked his feckless colonel for a long leave, which was granted because he seemed such a nice gentleman, only to run off with the colonel’s temporary ward, but not so as his connection would be noticed immediately.

As for Wickham’s fate in the Regulars, one could always hope his regiment was sent to the West Indies, where he died of Yellow Fever — but that gets too close to the death of Cassandra Austen’s fiancé.

For officer’s wives who “followed the drum” in the Peninsular Wars, the classic example is Juana Smith, the Spanish wife of Harry Smith of the 95th (the Riflemen), part of Wellington’s elite Light Division. She of course appears in her husband’s “Memoirs” at great length, but she is frequently glimpsed in writings by other officers. An easy but long approach is Georgette Heyer’s meticulously researched historical novel “The Spanish Bride.” One warning: you have to accept that a fourteen-year-old girl is of marriageable age. Which she was in the eyes of the Church. By the way, Lydia would have been hopeless….