For me, the last line or passage of a book is the
make it or break it point. The last page is the crucial moment to end with a
bang. Jane Austen did it right, but who ever doubted her?
“With the Gardiners, they were always on the most
intimate terms. Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were
both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by
bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them” (254).
Very
smart. All throughout Pride and Prejudice
the class has been discussing the role of The Gardiners, but the fact that
Austen ends the book discussing them makes a big statement. Austen does not
choose to end with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet or even Elizabeth’s sisters. Why? Do you
think it would have been better to end with just Darcy and Elizabeth, why? I
believe that she ends the text with the Gardiners, because they demonstrate a
parental role in her life. They have been loving, caring, and guiding figures
throughout the book. However, I do not think that is where the message ends. I
believe that the Gardiners represent change and a new way of life, whereas Mr.
and Mrs. Bennet the past.
I would argue that the Gardiner's represent consistency. With her multiple marriage proposals, Lizzy would probably feel that her life has been tossed around and may feel incredibly unstable. The constant reference to the Gardiners may be to remind the audience that there are constants to her turmoil.
ReplyDeleteIn another class that I'm in, we talked about how Austen does not seem to have any strong maternal figures in any of her novels, but Mrs. Gardiner is a strong maternal figure to Elizabeth. Ending the novel with the Gardiners does seem to be because of the parental role that they maintain in Elizabeth's life.
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