Mr. Bingley's arrival
"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week"
Mr. Bingley's arrival to Hertfordshire is one of the major events of this story. The story essentially stems from his arrival into the county. Once word hit that he and his five thousand a year fortune were coming, Mrs. Bennet immediately began scheming up some sort of plan to set up her Jane with him. She wanted Jane to immediately woo the incredibly rich and amiable Mr. Bingley, so that she could secure a hefty fortune to support herself and her family with. Mr. Bingley's arrival also brought the coming of Mr. Darcy, who would become a pivotal character with his own fortune and fondness of Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest of the Bennet daughter's. Bingley's arrival brought not one but two wealthy potential suitors for the Bennets.
|
The First Impression at the Ball
"She is tolerable, I suppose, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me."
It is at the ball, where our main character gains her first impression of the ever so rich Mr. Darcy. When he first enters the room, everyone considers him to be a handsome, amiable gentleman, as these thoughts are distorted due to his vast wealth. As the ball progresses however, many at the ball consider Mr. Darcy to be considerably intolerable. He refuses to dance with any of the ladies, and keeps to himself at the side of the room in a haughty, snobbish kind of way. Elizabeth's first impression of him is that he seems far too prideful and conscious of his higher social-class. Her thoughts of him begin to sour as she overhears a conversation between Darcy and Bingley in which Darcy calls her "tolerable". This scene goes to show how that at first wealth may blind a person's true character, but it is not everlasting, such is Darcy's case. Everyone at first viewed him as a respectable gentlemen due to his wealth, but through interaction with him, they become aware that he is only rich and nothing else.
|
Lydia's Elopement
Lydia's elopement with Wickham was a major event in the novel. We knew that Wickham's motives for eloping with Lydia was not driven by greed as the Bennet's had nothing to offer, but rather pleasure and his own personal benefit. Lydia's actions not only jeopardized her own reputation, but her families' as well. Wickham knew that he wasn't going to marry Lydia, but through this event we come to find how money can change anyone's mind. Darcy offers to pay off all of Wickham's debts in return for him marrying her and Wickham ultimately agrees to this. It shows how money talks, and it's ability to change a situation. Without Darcy's generous act and his vast fortune, who knows what might have happened to Lydia and the Bennets. Lydia might have been branded a slut by all of society, and the Bennet's family name would be tarnished.
|
Lady Catherine V.S Elizabeth
Lady Catherine unexpectedly arrives at Longbourn one afternoon, and asks to talk to Elizabeth in the garden. She immediately goes on a tirade, and asks Elizabeth whether or not Mr. Darcy proposed to her. Elizabeth refuses to give a straight answer, and Lady Catherine goes ballistic. She insults Elizabeth in various ways by telling her she isn't worthy enough to marry her nephew. She pokes fun at Elizabeth's social class, and her zero-none fortune in life. She also goes on to insult Elizabeth's family and connections in life. This event goes on to show the importance placed on one's wealth and connections in life during this time period. Lady Catherine is disgusted to find out that her nephew would even offer his hand in marriage to such a worthless women. She considers Elizabeth to be far below their social class level and undeserving of someone as rich and high up as Mr. Darcy.
|
The Bennet Sisters get Married
At the end of the novel, both sisters end up getting married to their respective lovers, with Jane marrying Bingley and Elizabeth marrying Darcy. These two marriages ultimately break the norm that had been set by society during this time period. Women were not supposed to marry for love, but rather for a sustained life. Elizabeth and Jane somehow manage to get the best of both worlds in there marriages. They both get to marry the man they truly love, and both men are also incredibly wealthy and rich. That almost never happened during their time period, and it shows Austen's ideal that you can marry both for love and a sustained lifestyle.
|