The Development of the Relationship Between Elizabeth and Darcy

Assignment: For each of the event shown below, assign a point value to each character's attitude toward the other at the time of that event. Justify your scores with specific references to/passages from the text.

Lasting Love = 25

Hatred = 0

Scores

Meryton Ball

Elizabeth- 2

Darcy- 2

During Jane's illness

Elizabeth-5

Darcy-7

Netherfield Ball

Elizabeth- 6

Darcy- 12

First Meeting at Hunsford

Elizabeth-7

Darcy-17

Last Meeting at Hunsford

Elizabeth-6

Darcy-19

Meeting at Pemberley

Elizabeth- 22

Darcy-22

Final Meeting at Longbourn

Elizabeth- 25

Darcy-25

Explanations

Meryton Ball

Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth do not necessarily hate each other at this point, but they certainly dislike each other/are not remotely attracted to each other. At the ball, Mr. Darcy keeps to himself, and is seen as arrogant. His comment that "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men..." clearly shows his thoughts about Elizabeth at the time. She overhears his words and is mildly offended, but doesn't take his opinion to heart.

During Jane's illness

Elizabeth's dislike of Darcy weakens as they engage in playful banter, but there is more concrete evidence that Darcy is developing significant feelings for her. When Miss Bingley tries to trick Darcy into insulting Elizabeth after she walks a few miles to Netherfield to see her sister, he replies "[Her eyes] were brightened by the exercise." Elizabeth also notes "how frequently Mr. Darcy's eyes were fixed on her," thinks that is is because she is doing something wrong, and the narrator says that "she liked him too little to care for his approbation." When it is announced that Elizabeth and Jane will leave Netherfield "To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence...[Elizabeth] attracted him more than he liked..."

Netherfield Ball

At this ball, Elizabeth is distracted by thoughts of Mr. Wickham and the interesting things that he told her about Darcy. Convinced that Mr. Wickham did not attend the ball because of Mr. Darcy, "she was resolved against any sort of conversation with [Darcy], and turned away with a degree of ill humour..." Mr. Darcy "approaches to claim her hand" (a sign that he likes her, considering he hates dancing) and she accepts, and they engage in more playful banter. Darcy seems to have become nicer, especially when compared to Elizabeth's sharp responses. (ex. "Books--Oh! no.--I am sure we never read the same, or not with the same feelings." Darcy's feelings for Elizabeth become more clear when he overhears Mrs. Bennet talking bad about him, and remains silent and grave throughout the rest of the evening.

First Meeting at Hunsford

Elizabeth may not see any truth in Charlotte's comment "I may thank you, Eliza, for this piece of civility, Mr. Darcy would never have come so soon to wait upon me" and may not take notice of Darcy's increasing politeness with her, but it is obvious to the reader that his feelings towards her have developed. When she is chatting enthusiastically with his cousin, he repeatedly watches them curiously, and looks ashamed of his aunt's ill breeding when she tries to insult Elizabeth's playing. He even stands near her while she plays pianoforte "so as to command a full view of the fair performer's countenance." Elizabeth is cordial to him, but her views are still tainted by Wickham's story. His feelings are subtle, (in fact, Elizabeth sees indifference in his silence) but Charlotte sees the truth: "My dear Eliza he must be in love with you, or he would never have called on us in this familiar way." When Colonel Fitzwilliam alludes to the fact that Mr. Darcy split up Jane and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth begins to like Darcy less and less.

Last Meeting at Hunsford

In this last meeting (or second-to-last meeting, since the pair meet again when Darcy gives Elizabeth the letter) Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, and she rejects him. Darcy semi-awkwardly blurts out, "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you," a statement that shocks Elizabeth. Before she harshly responds, she looks at him and only sees incredible pride, which reminds her of "his sense of her inferiority" and "her deep-rooted dislike." She angrily accuses him of foul play with Wickham, as well as Jane and Mr. Bingley. At this point, Elizabeth is not remotely close to loving Darcy, and though he cares for her, his love has not yet truly blossomed.

Meeting at Pemberly

Elizabeth's love for Darcy skyrockets between his failed proposal and the next time that they meet at Pemberly. She understands that she was prejudiced against him, and begins to develop feelings for the man that she used to hate. Her feelings for him increase as his housekeeper praises him, and continue to rise when he is polite to her, even though she was so harsh to him at their last meeting. Miss Bingley tries again to insult Elizabeth and reminds Mr. Darcy of his thoughts of her at Netherfield, but he retorts, "Yes...but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her as one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance." This proves that his love too has grown.

Final Meetings at Longbourn

By this time, it has been revealed that Darcy paid Mr. Wickham so that Elizabeth's family would not have to, and Elizabeth concludes that "[her family] owed the restoration of Lydia, her character, everything to him!" "Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her" and "how heartily did she grieve over every ungracious sensation she had ever encouraged, every saucy speech she had ever directed towards him." Unlike Darcy, whose love grew steadily over time, Elizabeth is hit all at once by her feelings. She fears that Darcy will never love her because of her previous rejection, and is pleasantly surprised when calls repeatedly at Longbourn and reveals that his feelings are unwavering. When Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, the reader can be sure that both characters are experiencing an everlasting love deserving the score of 25.

The Olympic Sport of Marriage Proposals- Part 2

2. Mr. Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth

Proposal: Mr. Darcy comes into the house and has a sudden and slightly awkward outpouring of his feelings for Elizabeth. Unlike Mr. Collins he immediately focuses on love: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be represented. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." As he is explaining the "strength of his attachment," Elizabeth begins to feel that he is overconfident about receiving a positive response. When Elizabeth spurns his proposal, Mr. Darcy becomes flustered and points out her lack of civility, and becomes even more angry when Elizabeth begins to accuse him of things that he has not done.

Score: I give Mr. Darcy's proposal to Elizabeth an 8. He put himself out there and told her exactly how he felt, only to be harshly rejected. I did not give him a higher score because his delivery could have been a bit more smooth, and because Elizabeth noted some overconfidence (whether it was there or not.)

Response: When Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, her first response is remotely civil, but after that her level of politeness goes downhill. Mr. Darcy even says, "I might, perhaps, wish to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I am thus rejected. But it is of small importance." She then tries to back this up by saying that her incivility was provoked, and reveals her prejudices towards him in the lines "Had not my own feelings decided agsinst you, had they been indifferent, or had they even been favourable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man who has been the means of ruining...the happiness of a most beloved sister?" Elizabeth continues by accusing him of foul play with Mr. Wickham, though she has never heard Mr. Darcy's side of the story. Finally, she delivers the final blow with the lines "You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it" and "...and I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."

Score: I give Elizabeth a 2 for her response to Mr. Darcy's proposal. Though he may have been a little overconfident, he put his heart on his sleeve and told her how he really felt. Blinded by her prejudice against him, Elizabeth could not contemplate the sincerity of the proposal nor could she reject him in a polite manner. Fortunately, Mr. Darcy cares about her enough to write her a letter explaining the entire the situation, in hopes that she will overcome her prejudice against him.

The Olympic Sport of Marriage Proposals- Part 1

Assignment: You are to judge the new Olympic sport of marriage proposals. Evaluate Elizabeth's various marriage proposals.

1. Critique from the perspective of the man's delivery.

2. Critique from the perspective of her response.

3. For each, provide a score.

4. Provide a detailed rationale for your choosing the score you chose.

Scoring Guide: scale of 1 to 10. Examples of criteria: delivery style, content of proposal/response, attitude of delivery/response, appropriateness of delivery/response, etc.

1. Mr. Collins's proposal to Elizabeth

Proposal: Mr. Collins begins his proposal by addressing Mrs. Bennet is his typical overly formal way: "May I hope, madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the course of this morning?" (page 91) He then begins a rambling epistle, logically explaining why a marriage between himself and Elizabeth would be ideal. His reasons include: it is right for a clergyman to marry to set a good example for his parish, it would "add greatly to his happiness", Lady Catherine told him it was a good idea, and that it would mean that Longbourn would semi-stay on the Bennet side of the family. When Elizabeth turns him down, he can't take no for an answer and says "I am not now to learn that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly meant to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even a third time." (page 94)

Score: I give Mr. Collins a 4 for his proposal to Elizabeth. He tried his best, but he failed miserably. His proposal was completely lacking in romance and his formality was unbearable. I also gave him a low score because he showed that he has no understanding of women when he assumed it normal to be rejected by a lady before eventually being accepted.

Response: Elizabeth is greatly amused by his proposal, and attempts to handle it politely. She tells him that she will not make him happy, and makes it seem as if she is looking out for his welfare. Though she tries to handle Mr. Collins civilly, she becomes slightly frustrated when Mr. Collins refuses to accept rejection.

Score: I give Elizabeth a 7 for her response to Mr. Collins's proposal. She handled him extremely well, meaning that she managed to restrain herself from laughing in his face. At first, she attempted to let him down easy, but became annoyed when he could not accept her refusal. Though this behavior is understandable, she does not deserve a higher score because her politeness began to fade.