Thursday, February 5, 2015
A line from Pride and Prejudice
This is not exactly a "question raising" topic, but just a comment that encourages feedback. I am finding it difficult to really get into this book; yet, I am finding certain one-liners that really catch my eye. One of my favorites thus far is a line said by Mr. Darcy: "But people themselves alter so much that there is something new to be observed in them forever" (35). My page numbers are different, so I'm not sure where this located in everyone else's copy. Anyway, I love this line; it can really be seen as positive and negative. Positive because people are ever changing, and that can be a beautiful thing, and those who take time to observe those changes are the ones worth keeping around. This line can be negative, however, because it highlights that people do change, so one never knows what to expect next. Also, many people fear change, and the thought of it being infinite is a scary topic.
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I agree, Paige, that Darcy's thought is a good one. It is complex in that it can be, as you have demonstrated in your post, interpreted in many ways. I think, too, that it demonstrates that people change because everything is in flux. What may appear true today may prove false tomorrow, as new information comes to light. Our perspectives are constantly changing which also means that we are evolving as human beings.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way Paige and am really struggling to get through it so far. I find it cumbersome and wordy (sorry Dr. H), but loved that line and have also been grabbed by a few others. I think he is saying what I always tell our kids- who you are today is not who you will be even a year from now because people change every day. When they are freaking out about something or telling me that what they want to have decided that day is final I lay that line on them and they always come back a few months later and tell me I was right...which is a miracle because they seldom think I am. Another line I love is when Jane is talking to Lizzie about Darcy and Wickham and says, "Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other". What a brilliant and insightful comment...though like most of Austen's lines, it can be taken multiple ways!
ReplyDeleteI am not having the same issue, though that may be because I am familiar with the text. The issue I had this time was with the characters. Some just felt too fake.
ReplyDeleteI think that line from Mr. Darcy was such a timeless, fantastic line. It made me think of the line 'People change, memories don't.' which also I think is great foreshadowing towards the impending, quickly changing proposal of Mr. Collins.