Lord of the Flies #1

· One of the first occurrences concerning the younger children involves their feat of the beast.

· The beast seems to be an undefined evil that is created in the imaginations of the young children.

· The older children provide them with food and shelter.

· They look to the older kids for protection, especially Ralph.

· They are seen playing games, and they seem to be unaware of the intensity of the situation.

· They are symbolic of innocence.

· The bigger children having authority over the smaller children, and sometimes they are treated unfairly.

· There is a growing division between Jack’s group of hunters and Ralph’s group.

· Ralph’s group focuses on keeping the signal fire burning, and Ralph and Piggy constantly think about being rescued.

· Since Jack was appointed as the leader of the hunter’s it makes him feel even more powerful.

· This eventually leads him into breaking the rules of the established society.

Essential Question #10

Jane was a discord in Gateshead Hall; she was a nobody there; she had nothing in common with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage. Since they did love Jane, Jane could not love them. They were not bound to regard with affection a thing opposed to them in temperament ;in capacity; in propensities; a useless thing. A thing which was incapable of serving their interest or adding to their pleasure. Jane knew that if she had been a a brilliant, handsome, careless, and sanguine child, then Mrs. Reed and her children would have endured her presence more complacently.

Page 15

Changing the point of view from first to third person has greatly effected this passage. It is no longer the window into Jane's emotions that it once was. It has lost the strength and intensity that it had in the fist person. Simply with the use of the word "I" in any passage, the emotion is drastically emphasized and adapted to the reader. A third person novel is still effective in conveying emotion, but when a first person passage is changed to third, the true power of the first person is clearly seen.

Jane is not telling us her emotions, but rather they are being dictated to us by an omniscient narrator. Although this seems to be the same thing, it lacks the personally interaction between Jane and the reader. The true contempt for the Reeds that she is feeling is not the same when it is described by a voice other than her own. Individuals are best at describing what occurs in their own minds through their words and actions. This is the purpose of a first person novel. The author assumes the role of a character, which makes the story seem more realistic. A third person view of Jane's story can be misleading, and make her seem more at fault. When reading in the first person we are inclined to take Jane's side in all disagreements. This is bias, but it is still a positive thing because it is the author's intention to make us sympathize with Jane.

Essential Question #9

Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein are both scholars and scientists that wish to find a greater meaning beyond conventional things. The main goal of science is to help us better understand the world around us, and that is just what these men intend to do. However, they each take interests in different aspects of the world. Walton is interested in journeys and quests for adventure that lead to new land and unseen cultures. Frankenstein, on the other hand, is interested in the secret of death. These differences in their interests may originate in their differences in education. Walton was educated by reading the journals of various adventurers, while Frankenstein received a formal education. This is because of their differences in social class. Walton was raised in a middle class environment, but Frankenstein was raised by a wealthy Italian family. This results in the differences in their education. Also the ways in which Walton learned may have influenced him towards a more adventurous pursuit of knowledge. Also, his middle class upbringing makes the fame and riches that come along with discovery seem more enticing.

Essential Question #8

Petruchio and Katherine have no semblance of love between them in their relationship. Petruchio did not have noble movies in his attempt to pursue Katherine. He was not drawn to her because of her beauty of mind or body. He only desires the riches that will ensue after marrying her. In comparison to Lucentio, who pursues Bianca because she is beautiful, Petruchio seems shallow and heartless. The only other factor that has placed Petruchio and Katherine together is the plan created by Hortensio and Gremio. They want Katherine out of the way so that they may marry Bianca. These circumstances are not those of a loving relationship. As a result of being with a woman that he does not truly love, Petruchio must tame Katherine’s fiery attitude. He does this by not allowing her to eat and making her submit to his will. Petruchio’s practices make it appear as though he is taming a wild animal. This is not love. Should any other characters consider these two to be in love, it is in an extremely twisted condition. It may be possible for true love to form between them, however it is unlikely.

Essential Question #7

Do you think that Hamlet has created his own insanity, or has he lost his sense of reality completely?

Hamlet has created his own insanity by handling the death of his father poorly, and thus he has lost a sense of reality. Hamlet’s insanity is understandable given the extremely traumatic circumstances. Hamlet suffers with the question of existence: “to be or not to be” (3.1.64). He cannot distinguish his purpose in life, and it is for this reason that he loses his sanity. Hamlet considers that the trials and tribulations of life may be too much to endure. As a result, he deduces that death would bring him peace and an escape from the hardships of life. Hamlet even confides his insanity in his friends: “I have of late—but wherefore I know not—lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises […] the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory” (2.2.318-322). There a are numerous instances in Acts 2 and 3 where Hamlet either directly states his crazed state or he indirectly portrays this demeanor, such as his paranoid attitude that leads to the death of Polonius. When Hamlet was lost to find the meaning of his existence he was also losing his sense of reality. No one can live normally when they do not see the point of living. Considering that this is a Shakespearian Tragedy, I am certain that Hamlet’s depressed attitude will ultimately lead to either his death or the death of many others.

Essential Question #6

Between the Pardoner's Tale and his Prologue a connection of the theme of morality can be drawn. In both, he describes vices and tells of their consequences. In the prologue the Pardoner is straightforward about sins and their consequences. However, in the story he uses the moral of the story to teach a lesson in an indirect way. The Pardoner speaks generally about sins, while his tale seem to focus on greed and envy. The Pardoner even seems hypocritical because he tells a story in which there is a moral that teaches other to live in the opposite way that he lives. He takes money from people seeking repentance in exchange for a fraud of a pardon.

The Pardoner's Tale quite different from that of the Miller and Knight. The Miller and Knight seem to try to live by the morals presented in their tales. However, the Pardoner is just the opposite. He is similar to the three young men in that they share similar desires of greed. Also, the Knight shared similar qualities with characters in his tale because he told a tale about Knights. The Miller was very humorous, and so was his tale. All of the characters have similar connections to their tale. The major difference so far is that the Pardoner is the first one to not live by the moral he teaches, unlike the Knight or Miller.

Love, War, and Chastity

There can be many similarities drawn between Arcita and the temple built to the god of war, Mars. Mar’s temple is described as a place filled with horrors. It shows people who are suffering from violence. It has a lot to do with battles, and especially victory in battle. This is where connections can be drawn to Arcita. Arcita is the one who decides to fight over Emily with Palamon even though Palamon saw Emily first. This shows Arcita’s violent side. His love for Emily seems to lead him towards violence and deception. This is demonstrated when he changes his name and fools Theseus to become closer to her. He exhibits characteristics similar to those shown in the temple because he is driven crazy with his love for Emily. Arcita prays to win the battle for Emily, but he does not pray to win Emily. This shows that he is more focused on battle, or war, than love. Arcita did win the war but not his woman. He suffered a death similar to the ones shown on the portraits in the temple. This seems suiting because he lived by the principles of war, thus he also died by them.

Love and war constantly coexist in literature. In fact, they seem to be almost reliant on one another. This is because one is always intensified with the presence of the other. Love can exist without war, but when wars are fought for love, it makes the love more complete and significant. On the other hand, war can exist without love. However, it is also true that when a war is fought with the fiery passion of love, it is a much more satisfying war. Love often creates wars. It is an inspiring and driving factor that causes many characters to do illogical things. Soldiers in war are often driven by the women they love. Love gives hope to men, and it gives them a reason to fight and live. Most love makes people be willing to die for one another, and this connects with war. Love can end wars, and love can end in a war. Love and war are connected: one can lead to another, one intensifies the other, and one can destroy the other.

My Society

My society would be focused around the leadership of Gandalf the White Wizard. Gandalf is very wise and would be able to devise the major plans for the society. His leadership was demonstrated in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He was able to organize people of many different races into achieving a common goal, which was no easy task. Gandalf would surely by the person to lead this society based upon his wisdom and magical ability.

Under Gandalf there are several key supporters. One of these members is Nurse Joy from the Pokémon series. During each episode of the Pokémon TV show, Nurse Joy is able to cure various illnesses. She is a capable healer who would be very important to the society. She is also extremely polite and helpful, so she would comply with whatever guidelines she was asked to follow.

Jimmy Neutron is another important part of the society. He would always be updating the technology in the area. This would make thing very efficient, provided his inventions do not backfire as the sometimes do in his television show. Jimmy is also somewhat of a comedian and an entertainer. This is because many of his inventions could serve multiple purposes. They were both useful and entertaining. He could invent things that would improve every part of the society due to his large intellect.

Darth Vader would be the one who would keep society in line. Given his dominant traits observed in The Star Wars Saga, he would easily be able to keep everyone in control. This is because of his army of stormtoopers, which he is seldom lacking, and his ability to use the Dark Side of The Force. He would instill fear into any revolutionaries, who would be far too scared to challenge Darth Vader. Even if some one were daring enough to stand up to him they would most certainly perish before his might.

Lastly, Optimus Prime would be the hero of this society. Should anything ever happen to go wrong he could save the day. Hopefully this would be a rare circumstance, and things would seldom go wrong. But if there were ever a need for a hero, he more than meets the requirement. Also, since Optimus is a Transformer, he could remain in truck mode, and stay out of the way when he was not needed. He could stop any evil forces that wished to destroy the society. He would work in cooperation with Gandalf, Jimmy Neutron, and Darth Vader. All of these people together could not be overcome by anyone.

When considering possible problems of this society, there are a few that do come to mind. Firstly, there is no prominent womanly figure. Gandalf is the fatherly figure of the society, but there is no queen or lover or princess or mother. This could result in some imbalance. Another problem is the malfunctioning of Jimmy’s inventions. His inventions often go wrong, which make for great TV episodes, but they do not make for good societal inventions. Jimmy would have to work extra hard in order to make sure nothing went wrong. Possibly the biggest problem is having Darth Vader as a part of this society. He is the biggest threat and a danger to the well being of the society. After all, he is a member of the Dark Side. He would have to be controlled and used as an enforcer only. However, whenever someone in Star Wars attempted to control Vader, he killed them. Hopefully this would not be the case in this society. Vader would have to use his evil powers on members of the society only when necessary. If he turned against the establishment, which is not unlikely, he would have to be controlled. The only one who may have a chance against Vader is Optimus Prime. This would leave a huge responsibility on Optimus’ shoulders because should he fail, the society would break down.

Essential Question #4

We begin to see seduction and lust corrupt Gawain when he has an affair with the wife of his host. The host was extremely hospitable to Gawain because he was a knight. Knights during these times were greatly respected because they were supposed to follow the noble chivalric code. Gawain's host expects him to do the same and does not suspect him of any misdeeds. However, Gawain has become corrupted by his weakness for women. This seems to be Gawain's essential flaw that is unavoidable. He is confronted by women in many circumstances, so it will be difficult for him to overcome this character flaw. When he is confronted by his host's wife he gives in to the temptation. The author is trying to tells us that may be another circumstance in  the future when Gawain will be able to resist breaking his chivalric code, but currently he is giving in to temptation and he is weak.

Code for Relationships in 2009

1. If you love a girl, she deserves to know, because this is information that will change her life and yours. Do not keep your love a secret.

2. Expect to pay when you go on dates with her. She may someday decide to pay, but always expect this to be your responsibility.
3. Do not change yourself for a girl, be who you are, or else she will realize that you are a fake.
4. If you are lucky enough to end up in a relationship with a girl that you love, treasure her and keep her close to you.

5. Never appreciate her any less than you did when you first fell in love with her. Never take her for granted no matter how long you are together. Always keep that feeling of initial love.

6. Her happiness should be the source of your happiness.

7. If making her happy does not bring you complete joy, then you are with the wrong girl.
8. Do not pester her, if she wants to be alone for a while, let her.

9. Do everything that you can to protect her and keep her safe. You should be willing to give everything up for her sake if you truly love her.
10. You have to be strong for her, sometimes you will have your own problems to deal with, but she should always come first.
11. Don’t leave her for selfish reasons, spend as much time with her as possible be with her as much as you can because making her happy makes you happy.
12. Tell her that you love her, but do not make these words meaningless, you must show her what love is, not just tell her, or else those three words will lose significance.
13. If she decides that she no longer wants to be with you, let her go. If you love her, you will want her to be happy no matter what, even if that mean she has to leave you. If she is happier without you, then you have to let her go.

Beowulf 2

Discuss biblical allusions and religious symbolism in Beowulf.

There are many instances of biblical allusions in Beowulf. One example is that Beowulf is regarded as being “chosen by God” to do great things. Beowulf himself often says that he is only able to survive these ferocious battles because God protects him. He also says that he has courage to be victorious in battle, and this courage can be compared to faith in God’s protection. This is similar to the role of a prophet in the Bible, who is chosen by God to accomplish a certain task. Beowulf’s task is saving the Danes from the evil of Grendel and Grendel’s mother. Beowulf follows Christian beliefs so far, and this has made him very successful.

There is another instance in this reading that seems to be a direct Biblical reference. After Beowulf uses the sword that belonged to the race of giants to kill Grendel’s mother, he returns with the hilt. Then a story is told of how the race of giants was destroyed by a massive flood in ancient times. This is exactly like the story of Noah in the Bible. When people turned away from God, a massive flood destroyed them all, just like the giants.

Beowulf 1

What are the social obligations of a hero? Is Beowulf aware of his deification process?

A hero is a person who is admired for their achievements and noble characteristics. These characteristics usually include bravery, courage, strength, persistence, and loyalty. Based on these qualities, a hero is expected by their community to act in a certain way. This makes the hero obligated to protect the standards of being a hero. They must live up to the expectations that society has for them. Heroes must be willing to take leadership roles during times of crisis. Heroes should only place their trust in others of whom they are certain to be loyal. They should never abandon their people, or give up. If a hero gives up, then they are no longer a hero. They must also be willing to sacrifice themselves in order to protect the greater good. They must be completely selfless.

Beowulf is not yet aware of his deification process. Many characters thus far have recognized his name, and known him to be strong and brave. These seem to be similar to characteristics of a hero, but not yet a god. He is aware that he is viewed as a hero, but he does not seem himself as a god. He is taking on the characteristic of a hero by journeying to a foreign land, and intending to slay the evil beast, Grendel. Beowulf is respected by his fellow Geats, so they follow him towards his goal. Beowulf is seen as a hero, and may be on the road towards becoming a god, but as of now he is not aware of it.

Pride and Prejudice Essay

Both pride and prejudice are flaws, which are easily contracted. In November of 1797 Jane Austen’s novel titled First Impressions was rejected from being published. In 1812 she revised the novel, and accurately titled it Pride and Prejudice. This title better suited the book because the two protagonists of the novel are affected by these qualities. Elizabeth Bennet, the main female protagonist, judges her acquaintances based upon selective information, and she is proud when these judgments are correct. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the main male protagonist, is disliked because of his proud behavior. As the novel progresses the love between these to characters becomes what cures them of these bad habits. Pride and Prejudice is the most suitable title for this novel because it directly relates to the relationship between the two most important characters, whereas First Impressions only connects to Elizabeth’s prejudiced attitude towards others.

            Pride is the major fault of Mr. Darcy’s character, and it is this pride that initiates Elizabeth’s prejudice towards him. At the ball in the opening scene of the novel Darcy establishes his character with this rude comment, “She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” (Austen 13). This is Mr. Darcy’s first interaction with Elizabeth, and it establishes his pride. He dances very little at the ball, and this offends most of the people attending it. This instance is what makes Elizabeth then think of Darcy as “the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world” (15).

            Elizabeth’s prejudice develops further as the novel progresses. She selectively chooses to believe only the information that supports her initial judgments. When Elizabeth first meets Mr. Wickham, she is attracted to his handsome features and agreeable attitude. She becomes inclined to believe his story about Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth searches for negative information on Mr. Darcy, and she is pleased whenever she acquires any. When Mr. Wickham tells his false tale that ruins Mr. Darcy’s name, she believes all that he says because Elizabeth is prejudiced against Mr. Darcy. She is entertained and fascinated by this rumor because Elizabeth takes pride in the accuracy of her initial prejudice. C. S. Lewis describes the situation that is occurring with Elizabeth in Mere Christianity: “There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others” (Lewis 121). Elizabeth does not recognize the pride she has within herself because she is too occupied noticing it in Mr. Darcy as a result of her prejudice towards him.                                                                                                                                                                         Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s feelings change after his proposal to her. Darcy states that it was hard for his love to overcome the many obstacles it had to face, such as his love would result in a very imprudent marriage on his part. Elizabeth, though offended that he insulted her family “could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man’s affection” (Austen 179). This shows that Elizabeth yet again has pride in the fact that she has inspired love in Mr. Darcy, despite her hatred for him. Elizabeth states that she would still deny him even if Mr. Darcy had “behaved in a more gentleman-like manner” (182). This phrase stays with Mr. Darcy and causes him to realize how they way he acted came across as proud. Elizabeth denies Mr. Darcy on the grounds that he ruined the happiness of Jane and Mr. Wickham.                                                In order to set the situation straight, Mr. Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth. He justifies his motives for both offences that Elizabeth accuses him of. It is from this point on that these two characters begin to fall in love. It is ironically Elizabeth’s prejudice that causes her to fall in love with Mr. Darcy. This is because after reading the letter, Elizabeth realizes the error of her judgment, and she feels guilty for having judged him unfairly. This also takes away Elizabeth’s pride in her prejudice, because she realizes it was not as precise as she thought. Now that the other issues have been resolved, the only quality in Mr. Darcy, which Elizabeth dislikes, is his pride, and this issue is too resolved.                                                                                                                        After Elizabeth’s comment regarding Mr. Darcy’s behavior, he begins to change. She no longer sees him as the arrogant man she initially thought him to be. By the end of the novel Darcy states that Elizabeth is the cause for this change in him: “You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased” (343). Mr. Darcy is made aware of his pride by Elizabeth’s prejudice towards him, and once he is aware of it he is able to end it. Mr. Darcy’s pride was the last fault that Elizabeth could find in him, and now that he has been freed of it, she falls in love with him. The two protagonists exhibited pride and prejudice, and they were cured of these qualities by each other, thus resulting in their love.

            It is apparent that the title of this novel should indeed be Pride and Prejudice. Had the title of this book been First Impressions it would only be half as effective as the book’s current title. The first impressions that are made upon Elizabeth do not incorporate what is occurring with Mr. Darcy, the main mail protagonist, or any of the other characters. Nowhere in the novel does it describe the first impressions of Elizabeth on the other characters. This title lacks in comparison to Pride and Prejudice, which tells the story of the two main characters, and how their love grew, all within two main qualities.

            Both pride and prejudice play large roles in the novel, which is why they are the only two suitable words for the title. Mr. Darcy’s initial pride inspires the prejudice of Elizabeth. Whenever Elizabeth’s prejudice is correct, she takes pride in it. When Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in a proud manner offending her family, she rejects him, and this makes Darcy aware of his pride. Then, when Elizabeth realizes that her prejudice is incorrect because of the letter from Mr. Darcy, she no longer takes pride in it, and stops being prejudice. Elizabeth falls in love with Darcy because he was able to eliminate his proud mannerisms, and Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth because she treated him differently then all of the other women who attempted to court him, through her prejudice. These two qualities flow through the novel between the two main characters, and they cure each other of them. Pride and Prejudice is the correct title because it encompasses how their love came to be with only three words.

Wickham

Mr. Wickham is the lying gambler, whose only goal in marriage is to acquire a fortune.

            Wickham lies constantly through out the novel. His most prominent lie involves the evils that he claims Mr. Darcy has done to him. Wickham begins his lying from the moment he first speaks to Elizabeth about this matter by saying, “I have no right to give my opinion” (Austen 75). Wickham then goes on to explicitly give his opinion on Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth fell victim to Wickham’s lies, and would not marry Darcy because she believed that he “deprived [Wickham of] the best years of his life of that independence which was no less his due than his desert” (190). When Mr. Darcy explains the situation truthfully to Elizabeth, Wickham’s deceitful nature is recognized. Wickham’s interest for money is demonstrated when his attention turns from Elizabeth to Miss King the moment he learns that she has inherited a large sum of money. Knowing that Wickham’s motivation for marring is primarily mercenary, everyone is surprised when he is engaged to Lydia, who is far from rich. Mr. Darcy learns that Wickham, being the greedy man that he is, had no intention of marrying Lydia. Darcy had to bail Wickham out of his many gambling debts, and pay extra money for him to marry Lydia.

            Wickham is a tiger that preys upon the innocent minded. The women in the novel are his prey. He deceives them with lies, and the prejudiced Lizzy, optimistic Jane, and foolish Lydia believe these lies. Once the truth is realized his true nature as a weak cat is revealed. He is a pathetic gambler who requires the help of the pride leader, Mr. Darcy, to bail him out of trouble.

            Wickham was a traitor to his good friend Darcy, as Benedict Arnold was a traitor to America.

Jane

Jane is the beautiful oldest daughter, in a less than fortunate family, who is blinded from the evils of others by her tremendous optimism.

            The two major qualities that Austen exerts on Jane are her beauty and her optimism. Jane’s beauty is even acknowledged by the critical Mr. Darcy: “You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room” (Austen 13). This was the only compliment that was made by Mr. Darcy the entire night. This shows that Jane is beautiful enough even to gain a compliment from the most pessimistic man in the room at the time. Darcy’s initial pessimism is greatly contrasted by Jane’s blind optimism. Jane, even after hearing about the dispute between Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy, refuses to believe in the evil of others. Even when Jane hears of what Mr. Wickham has done to Lydia, she is still able to find good in the situation: “But I am willing to hope the best, and that his character has been misunderstood. Thoughtless and indiscreet I can easily believe him, but this step (and let us rejoice over it) marks nothing bad at heart” (254). She is hopeful enough to think that since her family is not rich, Wickham must truly care for Lydia. Jane’s severe optimism is a dangerous flaw that could lead her into pain.

            Jane is a fawn, whose beauty is only surpassed by her innocence. Jane is raised in a society in which she must learn to protect herself from the dangers of others. Mr. Wickham could be considered a hunter, attracted by the beauty of the fawn, but once he realizes that the coat of this fawn is not as shiny as he wishes, he will move on to another. The fawn is only tamed by Bingley, the buck, whose good nature, and large dwelling are able to protect the fawn.

Jane’s optimism and beauty are to her what innocence and loveliness are to Snow White.

P& P # 15 4/9: 16- END

“You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased” (343).

            Darcy makes this proclamation after he and Elizabeth share their true feelings for each other, and they enter into a conversation with explains all of their past actions. The book is accurately titled Pride and Prejudice, because Darcy and Elizabeth respectively exhibited these traits.

            Elizabeth was prejudiced against Darcy from their first meeting. She was inclined to believe every piece of negative gossip she heard against his name. The incident with Mr. Wickham is an example of this prejudice. Lizzy’s prejudice is contrasted by Jane’s blind optimism. Jane wanted to see the good in Darcy, and was actually correct that Darcy did have some good qualities.

            After reading Darcy’s letter, Elizabeth realized that two of the major reasons for her dislike of him were justified. From this moment on she begins to fall in love with Darcy because she now realizes how prejudiced she was. The only other quality left in Darcy that she dislikes is his pride.

            Earlier in the novel when Elizabeth and Darcy were at Netherfield they had a chance to examine each other’s characters. In this conversation Darcy states that “pride–where there is a real superiority of mind­–pride will always be under good regulation” (56). This ironic comment forces Elizabeth to turn away in order to hide her laughter. She has observed his pride since the moment she met him. Darcy is able to notice his pride, which he blames upon his wealthy upbringing.

             The title of the book is an accurate one because the two main characters each possessed one of the qualities in it. They were also able to cure each other of these bad habits, and were united in love. Elizabeth’s prejudice was cured by Darcy’s justified actions, and Darcy’s pride was cured by Elizabeth’s negative attitude towards his proud personality.

In the end of the novel what does Lady Catherine do as a result of the marriage of her nephew?

A. She only approves of the marriage only out of curiosity to see how Lizzy behaves as a wife

B. She approves completely

C. She never talks to Darcy again

D. She encourages her daughter to marry another man

P& P #14 4/8: 13-15

“I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected to me” (332).

            This quote is Elizabeth bravely standing up to the haughty authority of Lady Catherine. She informs Elizabeth that she heard a rumor about Mr. Darcy wanting to marry her, but dismisses it as false. She thinks Mr. Darcy would not be so foolish as to marry a low class girl such as Elizabeth.

            Elizabeth stands up to her authority, and insults her. This is symbolic of Elizabeth disagreeing with the entire society. Lady Catherine believes that people should marry only to stay at their upper level in class, but never to move down. Lady Catherine follows what the society dictates, and Elizabeth rebels against this, showing that she does not value marriage in the say ways that the rest of the society of this time period do.

Lady Catherine would like Mr. Darcy to marry:

A. Miss de Bourgh

B. Elizabeth

C. Jane

D. Lydia

P& P# 13 4/7: 10-12

“His understanding and opinions all please me; he wants nothing but a little more liveliness, and that, if he marry prudently, his wife may teach him. I thought very sly; he hardly ever mentioned you name” (302).

            This is a quote from Mrs. Gardiner’s letter to Elizabeth. This letter is a response to one that Elizabeth inquiring about the details of Darcy being at the wedding. Mrs. Gardiner explains that Mr. Darcy helped the marriage to work out. This may be out of love for Elizabeth, and her feelings are very confused after she reads the letter. This is because she was certain that there was no hope of Darcy ever loving her again.

            After Darcy first proposed, he stated in his letter how severe the circumstances were that suggested that a marriage between him and Elizabeth was imprudent. This was even before the incident with Lydia and Wickham, after which Elizabeth was sure that there could no longer be a relationship between her and Mr. Darcy.

            Now she has once again been given hope even after all that has occurred, which would suggest Darcy to find a more prudent marriage.

Which of these circumstances inhibited the probability of a marriage between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy the most?

A. The Entail of Longbourn

B. Miss de Bourgh

C. The marriage of Lydia

D. Jane’s relationship with Bingley

P& P #12 4/6: 7-9

“Into one house in this neighbourhood they shall never have admittance. I will not encourage the imprudence of either, by receiving them at Longbourn” (288).

            Mr. Bennet stands up to his wife and proclaims that he will not permit Lydia or Wickham to stay at Longbourn. This is because he is strongly opposed to the marriage. He states that he does not wish to encourage the imprudence in either Lydia or Wickham. He has observed this imprudence in Lydia long before she decided to marry Wickham: “Lydia will never be easy till she has exposed herself in some public place or another” (216). This instance occurred when Elizabeth was conversing with her father about Lydia traveling to Brighton. Mr. Bennet recognizes that Lydia, is indeed very foolish, but he is not willing to pass up and opportunity to rid Longbourn of her presence. He allows her to go to Brighton and she is able to make a fool of herself there. Mr. Bennet has always known Lydia to make foolish decisions, so allowing her to travel to Brighton was a bad idea. She foolishly falls in love with Mr. Wickham, and now she is not allowed to return home, as a punishment from her father. Knowing her nature, Mr. Bennet should have foreseen that something like this would happen.

 

Why does Mr. Wickham love Lydia?

            A. Her beauty

            B. She is related to Elizabeth

            C. Her fortune

            D. Her agreeable manners

P& P #11 4/3: 3-6

“So imprudent a match on both sides! But I am willing to hope the best, and that his character has been misunderstood. Thoughtless and indiscreet I can easily believe him, but this step (and let us rejoice over it) marks nothing bad at heart. His choice is disinterested at least, for he must know my father can give her nothing” (254).

            Even in Jane’s letter to Elizabeth regarding the events with Lydia and Wickham, Jane is still able to find some good in the situation. Jane observes that, Mr. Wickham knows the financial status of Lydia’s family, so he must not be marrying for mercenary values. Jane’s optimism finds in Wickham a possibility for virtue. However, this is a foolish attempt to better Mr. Wickham’s values.

            When Jane opened the letter from Darcy, she learned the truth about Wickham. She realized that his “attentions to Miss King were […] solely and hatefully mercenary” (195). She also recognizes that there could only be two reasons for Mr. Wickham to fancy her. The first is that he could have “been deceived with regard to her fortune” (195). The second is that he may have “been gratifying his vanity by encouraging the preference which she believed she had most incautiously shown” (195).

            In the case of Elizabeth either of these cases could have been true, but concerning Lydia, the reason for his actions is obvious. Wickham certainly knows that a marriage with Lydia offers no monetary benefits, so it is clear that these happenings with her are only for his own vanity, as Elizabeth observed. He, being vain, enjoys inspiring affection and sympathy for himself in others.

Jane’s optimism is contrasted by what characteristic in Elizabeth?

A. Hatred

B. Prejudice

C. Honesty

D. Loyalty