I love Pride and Prejudice so much. So very, very much. It's everything I want in a book. I've re-read it more than any other and I always notice different things and appreciate things in different ways each time. I'm currently reading Longbourn by Jo Baker which is basically a retelling of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of the Bennets' servants (would 100% recommend so far- it's a spin off, yes, but it's not at all tacky like some you come across) and it's made me think about certain aspects of Austen's plot very differently. I've also been recently researching mental health in literature for my dissertation (which amazingly is not about Austen) and that's raised some interesting points about my fave characters. With all this in mind, here are THREE things about Pride and Prejudice that I've been thinking about recently and didn't pick up on the first time around.
1. Mr. Bingley and the slave trade
Bingley is one of my top literary characters, and I don't just mean in Austen, which is quite an accolade. He is like a loveable puppy with £5,000 a year. Ah yes, Bingley, the famous £5,000. Where did that money come from I wonder? I don't know about anyone else but it's never really occurred to me until recently how the Bingleys made their fortune, but Jo Baker suggests that it came from sugar and sugar = slavery. Ouch. Now I'm not saying that our Mr. Bingley played any part in this, but it makes sense. The timing is right and the money is right. I've been studying post colonial literature at uni this year which has opened my eyes to the unforgivable actions of our country's history- the ones we all tend to ignore because it's easier. It makes us uncomfortable to think about our ancestors invading and abusing because they could, but it happened. I'm not saying that Austen definitely had this in mind (and it hasn't made me love Mr. Bingley any less) but it's something to think about!
(When I did a bit of googling before writing this post it seems that one Joanna Trollope also has a lot to say on the subject- check out this Guardian article)
2. Mr. Darcy and social anxiety
It sometimes seems as though we have to stick a label on everything and everyone these days, and that everybody needs to be in tidy boxes. It can be a little tiring. Having said that, I've been reading some interesting blog posts (like this one and this one) and I think that Mr. Darcy had a social anxiety disorder, way before anyone knew what one was. There's a Darcy quote that pops up online on a tumblr-esqe swishy backgrounds from time to time that says:
"I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have not met before"
which basically sums up the argument. He was uncomfortable at parties, he tended to travel with a companion he knew well (Bingely, Colonel Fitzwilliam), he had a difficult childhood growing up with Young Wickham and he found it easier to express himself in a letter to Elizabeth rather than having to talk to her face to face. It makes a lot of sense. I don't think there's quite enough call to change the title just yet, but maybe it wasn't all pride after all(!)
3. Mrs. Mary Collins
I have for many years wondered why Mary and Mr. Collins didn't get it on and it's been fun to see the servants of Baker's Longbourn lament over this too. Of course, I know there are many reasons why: Mr. Collins couldn't very well stoop to third in line when daughters one and two didn't work out, and Mrs. Bennet was too much of a questionable parent to see the obvious solution to her woes staring her in the face. Also, the novel would have been significantly shorter if they had! Despite all this, I think I would have liked to see Mary married off to Mr. Collins. Poor, bookish Mary was never going to have any luck with the officers so the equally stuffy Collins seems perfect for her, and it would have kept the house in the family- win win! I've always felt a bit sorry for Mary, deemed for spinsterhood, so it would have been nice to see her have a happy ending (though a life with Mr. Collins does seem like more of a punishment.) She'd have been very good at conversing with Lady Catherine, I'm sure.
All this chat is making me want to read it all over again but I will restrain myself. For now. Maybe there will be more noticings next time and I will add to this list. For now, so long!
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