“I would wish not to be hasty in censuring any one; but I always speak what I think.”
Following the party, the girls (especially Jane) are beside themselves after a fine night of dancing for all of them (especially Jane). Jane and Elizabeth talk when alone about the seemingly ceaseless virtues of Bingley. “Sensible, good-humoured, lively” lists Jane, clearly looking beyond the superficial veneer that society tries to define relationships by, while Elizabeth chimes in with the opinion that his being handsome is what really rounds off his character. It’s around this point that the idea of Jane the character being a self-insert and mouthpiece for Jane the author’s views on relationships amongst her class comes to mind. I’ll have to look into that.
Anyway, talk soon turns to Lizzy trying to encourage Jane to pursue Bingley’s affection, talking of her good qualities like “I never heard you speak ill of a human being in my life”, and even though Lizzy tells Jane she’s “liked many a stupider person” than the inhabitant of Netherfield Park, it’s clear that the two have a good bond.
To read too deeply into such a small thing, when Elizabeth asks if Jane “like[s] this man’s sisters, too”, it suggests to me that Jane’s interest in Bingley may simply be an unromantic “liking” because it’s expected of her, just as it’s expected of her to be polite and like his sisters equally, even in spite of her clear optimistic leaning. Probably nothing, but if things don’t work out between the two of them beyond a level of pleasantries, I will not be surprised.
Lizzy has a bit of an internal monologue here, deciding that Miss Bingley and her sister Mrs Hurst’s polite behaviour “had not been calculated to please” at the party, which is to say that she views good manners as a kind of equation : take 5 curtsies per person at a party, subtract one spread rumour and multiply it by the number of interactions to land yourself a partner. A rather cold comparison, but seeing as Lizzy’s whole life revolves around parties and posturing, I will give her the benefit of the doubt over whether or not it can be boiled down to an exact science.
This goes on to describe them as proud (and that’s another instance of the theme of Pride popping up) and of quite a high status “spending far too much” while there are people dying of hunger in the slums, making them “entitled to think well of themselves, and meanly of others”. I get the feeling Austen wasn’t too fond of families like the Bingleys. I’m certainly not.
To his credit, even though he inherited thousands from his father, Mr Bingley does not seem to be as much of a spendthrift as his sisters, considering keeping hold of the manor for future generations. And though his sisters were eager for him to move into his own estate, they still clearly desire his company, and possibly some of his money, considering one of them married someone “more fashion, than fortune” and retains her relaxed attitude to spending.
“He had been of age two years…” does this mean he’s just 20? I guess the book is about courtship amongst the young, but I assumed he’d be a bit older considering what I know of the differing relationship standards across the ages. Maybe I’m not taking into account the Regency Era society’s values too accurately, but it’s good to know that they’re all of a close age rather than a 40 year age gap or something like I assumed.
We go on to look at the stark contrast between him and his good friend, that arrogant intellectual that sniffs at dances, that brash bounder who is all too happy to talk ill of others within earshot, that cipher for something I haven’t picked up on yet : Mr Darcy. It’s rather comical : where Darcy is sharp, Bingley is amiable; where Darcy is critical, Bingley is jovial, yet a “steady relationship” weathers these differences. I do hope we find out how. And why.
The chapter closes discussing the differing perceptions of a Miss Bennet (it’s either Jane or Lizzy, but I don’t know which) on each of the Merryton party-goers Jane and Elizabeth were talking about. Mr Bingley thinks of her as angelic (Jane?), his sisters think of her as sweet (Jane.), and Mr Darcy thinks that she smiled too much (wait, is it Lizzy?).
Thoughts
- Finally got back into the book after lapsing over Christmas
- The Sword of Damocles of writing these up weekly proves to be something of a motivator
- “Sisters are doin’ it⧫ for themselves”
- Might be some parallels between Bingley’s sisters and Jane & Lizzy
- MORE bad marriages? Hurst doesn't seem to see her husband’s house as her own
⧫‘It’ being loving and emotional support for each other.
