Rereading Pride and Prejudice, I noticed the quiet insistence on moderation
throughout the text. It’s indicated in
the juxtaposition of extremes –Mary’s insufferable priggishness vs Lydia’s giddiness;
Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s rigidity vs Mrs Bennet’s capriciousness; Wickham’s
disregard for social mores vs Mr Collins’ obsessive pursuit of social status. Those
on the continuum between these extremes either move towards the moderate as a result
of experience (most notably Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy) or appear to be have achieved
moderation (in an unspecified manner), got example the Gardiners. Are there any aspects of life which are
unconstrained by the need for moderation?
Austen makes more use of caricature
in Pride and Prejudice than in Sense and Sensibility, but she is discerning
her use. Does this contribute to the difference in mood between Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility? After all, both novels
address the same dark issues: seduction and abduction; the lot of women on the
margin of society; entailment.
The BBC’s 1995 adaptation focuses
on the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, and shows the viewer Darcy’s attraction
to Elizabeth at a much earlier stage than in the novel. What effect does this have on the plot? In particular, how does it affect the viewer’s
perception of Darcy; and what is lost from the novel in consequence?
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