Mr. Darcy: Will the Real Mr. Darcy Stand Up?
It’s all a matter of perspective. Everything, from the classic half-fall/half empty glass onwards.
Take Mr. Darcy, for example. Lizzy is very embarrassed to discover at the end of the novel that, although she sees Mr. Darcy through love-struck eyes, her parents don’t. As far as they’re concerned, they still think of him in the same old way – in fact, exactly the way she used to, after his famous put-down. So when he comes to call on her, Darcy is received quite coldly by Mrs. Bennet.
“La,” said Kitty, “it looks just like that man that used to be with him before — Mr. what’s his name. That tall, proud man.”
“Good gracious! Mr. Darcy! And so it does, I vow. Well, any friend of Mr. Bingley’s will always be welcome here, to be sure; but else I must say that I hate the very sight of him.”
Well, Mrs. Bennet isn’t the best judge of character, after all. Just think of the way she treated Wickham after he’d run away with her daughter! But what about Mr. Bennet? Lizzy is extremely embarrassed when he calls her into his sanctuary and finds it incredible that she may actually want to marry him.
“What are you doing? Are you out to your senses, to be accepting this man?…He is rich, to be sure, and you may have more fine clothes and fine carriages than Jane….We all know him to be a proud, unpleasant sort of man; … He is the kind of man, indeed, to whom I should never dare refuse anything which he condescended to ask… My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life.”
Then again, if you take things from Miss Bingley’s perspective, Mr. Darcy may seem quite different. At first, in The Other Mr. Darcy, she’s heartbroken that she’s lost what she perceives as her Darcy.
Her Mr. Darcy had married that very morning. In church, in front of everyone, and she had been unable to prevent it. He had preferred Miss Bennet. He had actually married her, in spite of her inferior connections, and even though she had alienated his aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whose brother was an earl. Caroline simply could not comprehend it.
But after a particularly unpleasant encounter with Darcy, who suspects her of setting her sights on his rich American cousin, Mr. Darcy comes across a bit differently.
“I will thank you, Miss Bingley, not to speak of my wife in this manner.” His voice was ice cold. “Eliza is the daughter of a gentleman. Can you say the same of your father?”
She was breathing quite heavily now. “You interfered before in my brother’s affairs, and almost destroyed his happiness. I will not allow you to meddle in mine.” She stood, determined to put an end to this exchange. “I will not end this engagement simply because you have determined that I am unworthy.”
“That remains to be seen,” said Mr. Darcy. He bowed stonily and left the room.
Caroline collapsed into her chair, breathing in ragged breaths and trying to regain some semblance of calm. She could scarcely believe what had transpired. How dare he think her below his cousin’s notice? How dare he try to break off their engagement? She had not known him to be so puffed-up with his own consequence. And she had actually been foolish enough to wish to marry him! She had clearly been blinded by her feelings. He was nothing more than an arrogant despot.
She pitied Eliza Bennet.
Of course, by the end of the novel, her perspective changes again as she discovers a rather unexpected side of him.
Then there is Georgiana, who, in The Darcy Cousins, is beginning to grow her wings. In Pride and Prejudice Georgiana is more than happy to receive Lizzy into the family. But given that Darcy is not only her brother, but her mother and father as well, it seems very natural for her to be just a teensy bit jealous about sharing her brother’s affection with someone else.
“At first, you were happy to receive Eliza into our midst, and you saw her as a welcome sister. But now, as I form my own family, you fear you will be excluded.”
This was so close to the truth that Georgiana wanted to cry out that it was true. She was an intruder in his happy household, where she no longer felt she belonged.
“I am sure that you will need no reassurance that you occupy the same place in my heart as you always have. But my duty now extends to my wife and my child as well. That is not something that will change… Meanwhile, however, you are still a member of this household and, as such, I insist that you treat Eliza with every respect due to my wife, for I will not tolerate any slights to her.”
If Georgiana’s heart had begun to soften at the earlier part of her brother’s speech, his unequivocal manner now hardened it completely… She had thought her brother’s protectiveness towards his wife in other instances amusing, but when it was directed against her! His words stung more than she could have thought.
“Elizabeth shall have my respect, as you have it was well,” she replied. “But remember that, though you may force me to give her the respect she craves so much, you cannot force me to like her.”
These are all different ways people see Mr. Darcy at a particular moment in time. Poles apart, aren’t they?
Do you know of instances where people you know perceive the same person completely differently? Is everything really a matter of perspective, or a matter of specific circumstances?
For those of you who like a challenge, here’s a little imaginative challenge for you. How do you think some of these characters would describe Mr. Darcy? Have Fun!
- Mr. Darcy’s valet
- Anne de Bourgh
- Sir William Lucas
- Mary Bennet
- Mr. Darcy’s hunting dog
- Anyone you fancy
CHECK OUT:
This one is hard…
Valet: Mr Darcy is a good master. Not too hard, but fair
Anne de Bourgh: My cousin is very proper and tries to talk to me, but I am afraid my mother never lets him.
Sir William Lucas: A wonderful gentleman! Any woman would surely be happy to be his wife.
mary bennet: It’s a sin to be that proud
Dog: I love my master 😀 he likes to hunt and take me out
Lydia: Ha, I am so happy I am not married to him. Such a bore *rolles eyes:
I agree, difficult. But I think Blodeuedd is on the right track!
Monica, your post was a joy this morning! Unfortunately, my mind is not yet functioning properly (a snoring husband will do that to you!), but I liked reading Blodeuedd’s assessments, especially Lydia’s.
Best,
Susan
This is a fun idea! Bear with me.
Darcy’s valet- Mr Darcy is a kind master but fastidious, and tolerates little nonsense. I have learned well to keep my comments and smirks to myself although he has made it more difficult of late since we arrived at Netherfield. Just today he spent over 30 minutes choosing his own supper attire whilst insisting he cared not how he looked, for he was only dining with Mr Bingley’s family and the Misses Bennet! *smirk*
Anne de Bourgh- My cousin Fitzwilliam has always been kind to me, when my mother actually gives him a chance to converse with me for a moment. In company he is typically moody and not a little intimidating. I know he does not love me and I anticipate neither of us being happy if mother makes us marry. I wonder if I can transfer her sights to Richard….?
Sir William – Capital fellow, Darcy! Excellent taste in women. Though I do not understand why he does not spend more time at St James Court.
Mary Bennet – Mr Darcy is entirely too proud and I do not know what my sister sees in him. She always has this strange look in her eyes when she watches him and I do not quite understand it. He does treat Lizzy exceptionally well and has offered me a new pianoforte and music master (although I must say others are more in need of them than I), so I suppose I am inclined to think well of him.
Dog – Mr Darcy is very nice to me and always brings me a treat before we set out for the day. If I do well he lets me frolic about the lawn a bit and throws a stick for me to fetch. It is all great fun!
Charlotte Lucas – Proud, shmoud, that Mr Darcy is one gorgeous hunk of masculinity. Lizzy is so lucky and she doesn’t even realize it! *Sigh*
Hmm…good question!
Mr. Darcy’s valet–Hard but fair. Distant, and altogether too unconcerned about fashion! 🙂
Anne de Bourgh–A little scared of her proud, hard cousin, whom she most definitely does not want to marry.
Sir William Lucas–A fellow member of high society and a man so good at listening without interrupting when he (Lucas) is talking.
Mary Bennet–Darcy, Darcy, he’s that quiet one Lizzy married, right?
Mr. Darcy’s hunting dog–Ooh, my master! I follow him because I love him!!
🙂
I will not even attempt to write any desciptions for I fear I will not do them justice. However, Blodeuedd and MonicaP did such excellent jobs! Monica, I love Charlotte’s perception of Darcy!
What a great way to start my morning! 🙂
Yes, people I know perceive a certain person differently from how I perceive him. I see that he has changed for the better with time but they fail to acknowledge that, as they are still remembering bad experiences with him in the past.
I like this question.
Mr Darcy’s valet: I think the valet sees Darcy as a master to be respected but at the same time, not arrogant. After all, Mrs Reynolds told Lizzy and the Gardiners how he is the best master one can possibly have. I believe the valet would feel appreciated by Darcy as a result. They are not strictly just master and servant, but more companions, albeit on not exactly equal levels. After all, the valet usually travels with Darcy in some of the books I have read.
Anne de Bourgh: I think she perceives Darcy as merely her cousin. She probably sees the betrothal as something between the two mothers but she is not open to actually marrying Darcy when they come of age. Perhaps she is even happy for him when he marries Lizzy.
Sir William Lucas: He probably initially sees Darcy as a noble gentleman to ingratiate with, what with Darcy being very rich and the nephew of Lady Catherine. I believe he is ecstatic to see Darcy at the gathering in his abode. He may have wished that Charlotte marry Darcy instead of Lizzy at their wedding as a result.
Mr Darcy’s hunting dog: He loves his master and looks forward to Darcy’s return from his travels. Whenever Darcy’s away, he probably whines and gets all miserable. He enjoys the hunts with Darcy and wishes his master could be home more often.
Mrs Younge: When she first sees him, she probably thinks he is someone not to be trifled with, since he is tall and haughty. When she brings Georgina to Ramsgate, I believe she feels more at ease without Darcy around. She is probably very fearful of him from the time he berates her for conniving with Wickham to lure Georgina to ruin. I can imagine her shock and fear when he turns up at her doorstep to demand her revelation of Wickham’s whereabouts in order to find Lydia. She probably thought she would never see him again after being removed from her position as Georgina’s chaperone.
You’ve all been very busy! I really enjoyed reading your responses so far.
Blodeuedd — love Anne de Bourgh’s and Lydia’s, and I agree that Mary would probably think that way.
MonicaP (*wave*) Mr. Darcy’s valet is a riot. I think I might want to have him as a main character (*smirk*. Sir William is great as well. Poor Charlotte!
araminta — I think you captured the essence of them all there.
pseudophilosepher — I like the way you drew upon Mrs. Reynolds’ comments for the valet. Also, thank you for bringing out Mrs. Younge’s perspective. People hardly ever think of her. She’s one of the villains that doesn’t even get a mention. I agree that it must have been quite a shock to see him again!
Margay, Susan and Jakki — Thanks for dropping in to read the blog and for your nice comments.
When I started writing Austen fictions, I tried Darcy. I knew I was sunk when I wrote the confrontation between Darcy and Mrs. Younge. Mrs. Younge was great and slithered off the page. Darcy was cardboard and unobtrusive on the page. It’s good to see he’s in better hands than mine!
Thanks for the post, Monica.
Susan — I think the hard part of writing Darcy is that we’re used to seeing him through Lizzy’s eyes. When you switch perspectives and see him in a non-romantic role then you have to be willing to let go of that image, which is really difficult because that’s the way we’re used to seeing him
I just loved this idea. The comments were wonderful too. I’m not feeling too imaginative today so I’ll pass. I loved both Monica’s books mentioned. Even the way the words flow on the page are just perfect.
Suzan — so sweet of you to say that! I’m very glad you enjoyed both novels.
absolutely – ‘instances where people you know perceive the same person completely differently’?
just had that conversation with my sister in law yesterday on our perspectives of the same person being at opposite poles !!
“Is everything really a matter of perspective, or a matter of specific circumstances?”
i see it as a combination of both. each contribute to how we perceive another. plus our own emotional state at the various times we’re perceiving people and situations… just to throw another angle into the mix “))
thx for the excellent addition to the JA world!
Faith — amazing how that happens, isn’t it? How can two people see the same person so completely differently? It’s not just love that’s blind. Have you ever noticed how many people seem to move around with blinkers on, noticing what they want to, and ignoring the things that don’t fit in with their preconceptions?
Yes, thank you for bringing up the emotional angle. Yet another complication!
Mary: I wonder what his library is like…
Anne: Thank God for Elizabeth Bennett! Now I don’t have to marry HIM just to please Mother.
The Dog: ::sniff sniff:: He smells okay, for a human…I think he’ll give me a treat. He smells like a fellow who’d like dogs. I’ll stick close by.
I think I will just say ‘ditto’. I am loving these responses!
Monica, Thank you for this great discussion. I loved your novels. Anything new on its way?
Ooh, this is fun!
Valet: My master is a taciturn individual, stern but fair. However, of late he seems to be suffering from sudden changes in mood that lead to bouts of angry letter writing, horseback rides at strange hours and..oh, look, here he comes with a soaking wet shirt and a huge smile on his face. Whatever am I going to do with him?
Anne: He is so handsome but he doesn’t talk much. Richard on the other hand is ever so kind to me and is happy to converse on every subject imaginable.
William: Capital fellow, Darcy. He is a fine hunter and a complete gentleman. Doesn’t go nattering on like some city folks, just minds his own business. I hear he is to marry that Bennet girl, now they suit quite well. I saw them dancing once, you know, and I knew then that…
Mary Bennet: He seems to be a most virtuous gentleman, as much as any man can be. Or, at least, so I thought before I caught him and Lizzy in the garden yesterday. Such behavior from a married man!
Dog: Master’s calling me, must go, he may have bone, or he may scratch ears…!
Mrs. Bennet’s Cat: Meow, he smells like dog and makes Mistress fidget with my tale.
Hill: That man! the goings on in this house since he walked through the door. His friend breaks Mistress Jane’s heart, he insults Mistress Elizabeth, and now he and his friend are taking both of the ladies away. I suppose it is best that he and Mistress Elizabeth are marrying soon, it is unsafe to go anywhere anymore because you can find him kissing her wherever you go!
Lieder Madchen — very original perspectives here. Mrs. Bennet’s cat? (I have a cat in my new Darcy novel, so I’m particularly interested in this perspective). Hill is great, too!
Rebecca — I think you’re right about Anne. She must have been very relieved!
BeckyC — thank you. I have a story coming out in Jane Austen Made Me Do it (coming out in October).
I’m just finishing another Darcy project. This one is a bit different (well, very different) from the other two, but I can’t reveal any more than that just yet.
I think it’s definitely possible for others to have different opinions of people, based on either personality clashes, circumstances in which you meet or interact, or how you’re generally willing to receive a new acquaintance.
And, of course, first impressions change, perhaps more than once.
Mr. Darcy’s valet: I’ve known Mr. Darcy near all my life, having grown up in the household. My father was the late Mr. Darcy’s valet, you see. I must say, though not having had the experience of other masters, that I have never had reason to complain of his treatment to myself or the other servants. He is kind, considerate, and knows what he wants and when he wants it, though he is not overly demanding about it.
Anne de Bourgh: Pray, don’t tell my mother, but I believe my cousin very brave for marrying Elizabeth. He was always very polite toward me, but I knew it was never I he cared for, and to be perfectly honest I was never vexed with him for it. Perhaps now mother will be more open to other possible suitors…
Sir William Lucas: Capital! Capital! Indeed, I intend to run into the happy couple at court when Mrs. Darcy is presented. May even be in the position to present her myself should Mr. Darcy require my services. I say, a Capital idea!
Mary Bennet: (pauses to train her thoughts upon an insightful answer and finds none forthcoming)
Mr. Darcy’s hunting dog: I just met you and I love you. My master? He takes me hunting and I love him… SQUIRREL!
Mr. Collins: Ah, yes, Mr. Darcy, the nephew of my noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and truly of exalted lineage to be so closely related to so superior a personage as his aunt. However, I must add, I belive he made a grave mistake in so offending his wronged relations, though it be through his marrying one of my own. A grave mistake indeed, and, though it so pained her ladyship, she has been the very soul of forgiveness, the epitome of all graciousness, the…. (proceeds at length on the unmatched qualities, etc. of Lady Catherine)
Wonderful. I can just imagine the characters, especially Sir William and Mr. Collins! I had a good laugh, Amanda!
Mr. Darcy’s valet: Quite fastidious and meticulous. He has high expectations but is a fair master.
Anne de Bourgh: He’s standoffish and quiet. I don’t think he wants to marry me.
Sir William Lucas: Capitol fellow.
Mary Bennet: He does not enjoy Fordyce therefore I do not enjoy him.
Mr. Darcy’s hunting dog: Master nice. Master gives me good treats. Squirrel!!
With people I know it usually is a matter of perspective, yes. We in the South have high opinions 😉
LisaS — Thanks for adding to the perspectives. I think you’re right about Mary — she doesn’t seem the least bit interested in him, does she? I still think Mr. Collins would have been the right person for her.
Chelsea B.– I can see you do like to have your say! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
I think Anne De Bourgh would be a bit in awe of him. Her mother would have pumped him up and I think influenced her ideas of him. Not sure that with a Mother like that she could have any opinions of her own. lol!
These were fun!
The only one I could come up with was:
Anne de Bourgh – I really don’t see why Mama keeps pushing him towards me. He is too rigid for me, though Mama doesn’t know what a hopeless romantic I am…she also doesn’t realize that I feign illness so I don’t have to endure her company all day long. How insufferable! No, Mr. Darcy is not my type and I definitely am not his!