Just came across this post and really enjoyed it. I appreciated your comment about how these social concerns are very important to Austen, but "the scene here plays out quite naturally." That's very well said.
What sticks out to me in this passage is when Elizabeth makes her boldest claim, and others respond to her.
" 'I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united.'
"Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description."
I think the passage naturally asks: does Elizabeth actually believe what she's saying? Is she suggesting that Darcy's standards are so ridiculously high as to be impossible? Or does she think the opposite, that Darcy is prejudiced (!) and ignorant, and she's trying to think of a way to disprove him?
I suppose it could be a bit of both, but I like thinking it's the latter. Elizabeth disagrees with Darcy--especially his claim, "I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen [women] in the whole range of my acquaintance that are really accomplished"--and she *could* say, "I can think of plenty of women who fit that description, named x, y, z, etc. etc." But instead, she does something much more clever, which is pretend to agree with Darcy, even heightening his argument, so that others leap forward to disagree with her (and therefore disprove Darcy). Darcy doesn't pick up on her stratagem, assuming instead that Elizabeth herself is prejudiced and kind of desperate. He doesn't understand, at least not yet, that he's been disproven (if one can accept that Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley's protests have merit).
The fact that Elizabeth leaves the room is very funny to me. She knows that everyone around her is too simple-minded to have understood what just happened, so she just exits, hoping they'll figure it out eventually. When Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both say they know many women who disprove Darcy's belief, it's a kind of mic drop moment for Elizabeth, but the mic drop is happening only inside Elizabeth's mind. And, once the mic's been dropped, she bounces. Fun scene.
Thank you for your very thoughtful comment. I find myself more inclined to the "both at once" interpretation. Darcy's comment "I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general" must certainly ruffle Elizabeth's feathers. It seems to me she's making two main points in her retort. First: Darcy's standards are indeed ridiculous on the face of them. A woman must have "a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages" as well as have whatever immaterial magic just so happens to tickle Darcy's fancy. Elizabeth rolls her eyes at this. But point two: Darcy's professed standards come from a place of high arrogance and subestimation of women. It's not that there is an overabundance of women who meet Darcy's criteria to the letter, but that Darcy thinks so little of the typical women of high society that only one of such extraordinary achievement and grace is worth his attention. Elizabeth not only debates him on this point but proves him wrong throughout the novel by asserting herself as his intellectual equal, one he did not at first consider in any way special, and with whom he falls in love (and for extra damage to his ego, she rejects him at first for his arrogance).
“Fencing” is the perfect word. I have been struggling to find one to describe her dialogue for a long time. There are no sword fights but we are often left with the adrenaline of an action scene!
Just came across this post and really enjoyed it. I appreciated your comment about how these social concerns are very important to Austen, but "the scene here plays out quite naturally." That's very well said.
What sticks out to me in this passage is when Elizabeth makes her boldest claim, and others respond to her.
" 'I never saw such a woman. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe, united.'
"Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both cried out against the injustice of her implied doubt, and were both protesting that they knew many women who answered this description."
I think the passage naturally asks: does Elizabeth actually believe what she's saying? Is she suggesting that Darcy's standards are so ridiculously high as to be impossible? Or does she think the opposite, that Darcy is prejudiced (!) and ignorant, and she's trying to think of a way to disprove him?
I suppose it could be a bit of both, but I like thinking it's the latter. Elizabeth disagrees with Darcy--especially his claim, "I cannot boast of knowing more than half-a-dozen [women] in the whole range of my acquaintance that are really accomplished"--and she *could* say, "I can think of plenty of women who fit that description, named x, y, z, etc. etc." But instead, she does something much more clever, which is pretend to agree with Darcy, even heightening his argument, so that others leap forward to disagree with her (and therefore disprove Darcy). Darcy doesn't pick up on her stratagem, assuming instead that Elizabeth herself is prejudiced and kind of desperate. He doesn't understand, at least not yet, that he's been disproven (if one can accept that Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley's protests have merit).
The fact that Elizabeth leaves the room is very funny to me. She knows that everyone around her is too simple-minded to have understood what just happened, so she just exits, hoping they'll figure it out eventually. When Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley both say they know many women who disprove Darcy's belief, it's a kind of mic drop moment for Elizabeth, but the mic drop is happening only inside Elizabeth's mind. And, once the mic's been dropped, she bounces. Fun scene.
Thank you for your very thoughtful comment. I find myself more inclined to the "both at once" interpretation. Darcy's comment "I am very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general" must certainly ruffle Elizabeth's feathers. It seems to me she's making two main points in her retort. First: Darcy's standards are indeed ridiculous on the face of them. A woman must have "a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages" as well as have whatever immaterial magic just so happens to tickle Darcy's fancy. Elizabeth rolls her eyes at this. But point two: Darcy's professed standards come from a place of high arrogance and subestimation of women. It's not that there is an overabundance of women who meet Darcy's criteria to the letter, but that Darcy thinks so little of the typical women of high society that only one of such extraordinary achievement and grace is worth his attention. Elizabeth not only debates him on this point but proves him wrong throughout the novel by asserting herself as his intellectual equal, one he did not at first consider in any way special, and with whom he falls in love (and for extra damage to his ego, she rejects him at first for his arrogance).
“Fencing” is the perfect word. I have been struggling to find one to describe her dialogue for a long time. There are no sword fights but we are often left with the adrenaline of an action scene!
Not the clash of epees, but poignards at three paces, metaphorically! ;)
Saw on Reddit a comment about how Bingley has golden retriever vibes while Darcy is like an aloof black cat (aka, void cat). E.g., https://www.reddit.com/r/janeausten/comments/1hbtew9/why_are_darcy_and_bingley_friends/
This is one of my favourite parts of the book. Austen is so clever!
Thanks for reading! And of course you're right. Mr. Bingley's witty reply to his sister really tickles me.
Same!! Every time I read her work I am left wondering HOW someone can write so cleverly and so accurately all at once. She was truly magnificent.