Pride and Prejudice Blog 2

In the next part of Pride and Prejudice Elizabeth meets a man named Wickham. She seems to like Wickham and becomes pretty good acquaintances with him. Many people, including Jane, do not like Wickham and warn Elizabeth to stay away from him: "Mr. Wickham is by no means a respectable young man. I am afraid he has been very imprudent, and he has deserved to lose Mr. Darcy's regard." (pg. 109). Later on, Mr. Collins asks Elizabeth to marry him! It's kind of strange to me that back in this era people would get married so fast without dating much or anything, they just talk a few times and dance at balls or whatever and get married in a flash. Elizabeth tries to turn him down in the best way possible but he just doesn't seem to get the hint: "I am not now to learn that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time." (pg. 122). This guy seems to be completely full of himself! He obviously thinks he is too great to be rejected by anyone and is too big-headed to realize he's not wanted. I feel bad for Elizabeth! All these strange men wanting to marry her and other guys talking bad about her and then wanting her (Mr. Darcy). Mrs. Bennet finds out that Elizabeth rejected the proposal and becomes furious. She tells Mr. Bennet and expects him to fix the problem, but Elizabeth ends up with an ultimatum: She either marries Collins and never sees her father again or does not marry Collins and never sees her mother again.
A few days later, news comes in that Mr. Collins has proposed to Elizabeth's friend Charlotte and she has accepted. Elizabeth is shocked by this: "The strangeness of Mr. Collins's making two offers of marriage within three days was nothing in comparison of his being now accepted." (pg. 144). This line was a little funny because it's saying that Collins's ability to actually get accepted is extremely strange and surprising. Not only is all this drama going on for Elizabeth, but Jane is having some of her own. Bingley's evil sister keeps writing the Bennets letters about how her brother is going to marry Miss Darcy and how wonderful Miss Darcy is. In my opinion Miss Bingley is like the horrible, mean, popular girl in high school and it's her main mission to make the Bennet sisters miserable. I don't know why she has all this hate for the sisters besides the fact that Mr. Darcy has an interest in Lizzy, but really, who cares? She has the same opportunity as Elizabeth to get with Darcy and it's obvious he doesn't like her. Maybe if she was nicer and not all about herself Darcy would pay attention to her.
So far this book is pretty drama-filled and intense. I'm pretty eager to see what happens between Elizabeth and Wickham and if Bingley actually marries Miss Darcy, although I think this is one of those books where everything ends happily. I guess I'll have to wait and see!

Pride and Prejudice Blog 1

In the beginning of the book the Bennet family discovers that a wealthy man named Mr. Bingley is moving in at Netherfield Park. Mrs. Bennet seems especially excited by this news because she wants one of her daughters to marry him. Already I realize that Mrs. Bennet is very superficial and controlling. She hasn't even met Mr. Bingley and she wants one of her daughters to marry him! He could be a total creep for all she knows! It's obvious that she only cares about social rank and money. Later the Bennet girls and their mother go to a party along with Mr. Bingley and his friend Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy is a very rude and arrogant man: "He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again." (pg. 12). It's strange that Darcy and Bingley are even friends since Darcy is cruel and cocky and Bingley is kind and friendly. When the Bennets return from the party Mrs. Bennet tells Mr. Bennet about the ball and how happy she was that Bingley danced with Jane twice. Mr. Bennet does not seem to care at all. In fact, he seems to get angry at his wife for going on and on about the ball: "If he had had any compassion for me he would not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his partners." (pg. 14). It's ironic that Mrs. Bennet calls Darcy a "high" and "conceited" man for not taking a liking to Elizabeth when she herself is being shallow and conceited for thinking that her daughters only deserve the richest and the best.
Later on, the unthinkable happens: Mr. Darcy becomes interested in Elizabeth. Mr. Darcy seems to be one of those people that has everything they could possibly want and the one thing they know they can't have they desperately try to get it. Darcy is only fascinated by Elizabeth and has no desire to be with her, not yet anyway. Caroline Bingley invites Jane over for dinner and Mrs. Bennet makes Jane go by horseback in order to stay overnight. Jane gets caught in a rainstorm and becomes sick. She has to stay at the manor until she recovers. She asks Lizzy to visit her, which stirs up a whole bunch of drama. Miss Bingley seems to be fighting Elizabeth for Darcy's attention and talks bad about her: "Eliza Bennet is one of those young ladies who seek to recommend themselves to the other sex by undervaluing their own; and with many men, I dare say, it succeeds. But, in my opinion, it is a paltry device, a very mean art." (pg. 45). Miss Bingley seems really foolish in my opinion. She tries so hard to get Darcy's attention by making herself seem perfect and Elizabeth so poor and unworthy of him. She actually makes herself look bad because she is so critical. It's funny how Darcy is falling for Elizabeth who has no interest in him whatsoever.
So far I actually sort of like this book. Even though it was written in the 1800s it's pretty easy to follow and I can relate to it. A lot of drama is going on in the book, just like in high school. The characters a pretty realistic and there is always something going on. I think that even though Elizabeth has absolutely no interest in Mr. Darcy she will eventually fall in love with him. I also think Jane and Bingley will end up together, but I guess I'll have to keep reading to discover what really happens.