Jeg havde ikke ventet, at jeg ville kunde holde ud at læse hele bogen. Sproget er meget gammeldags. Men tidligt opfattede jeg en stærk ironi. Det kan være en misforståelse p.g.a. det gamle sprog. Selvom sproget er gammeldags, er det ikke uden saft og kraft.
Jeg opfattede i begyndelsen bogen som en stolthedens (og fordommenes) naturhistorie. Som sådan er den givende og realistisk. Jane Austen er velbegavet både som betragter og beskriver.
Det er først lidt over midten, at der kommer egentlig handling i bogen. Men adskillige personer er klart tegnede, med karakterer, jeg har mødt hos nutidige personer og de undergår en udvikling, som også i dagens lys er rimelig. Det gælder også udviklingen i deres indbyrdes forhold.
Og slutningen fik mig til at grine så tårerne trillede !
IT is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. 15
You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves." "You
mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old
friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at
least." 17
The distinction had perhaps been felt too
strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a
small market town; and quitting themn both, he had removed with his family to a
house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where
he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and unshackled by business,
occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world. 27
But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had
hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered
uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. 32
They could talk of nothing but officers; and Mr. Bingley's large fortune, the mention of which gave animation to their mother, was worthless in their yes when opposed to the regimentals of an ensign.
After listening one morning to their effusions on this subject, Mr. Bennet coolly observed,
" From all that I can collect by your manner of talking, you must be two of the silliest girls in the country. I have suspected it some time, but I am now convinced."
Catherine was disconcerted, and made no answer; but Lydia, with perfect indifference, continued to express her admiration of Captain Carter, and her hope of seeing him in the course of the day, as he was going the next morning to London.
" I am astonished, my dear," said Mrs. Bennet, " that you should be so ready to think your own children silly. If I wished to think slightingly of any body's children, it should not be of my own however."
" If my children are silly I must hope to be always ensible of it." 37
Jane was by no means better. [Hun er forkølet] The sisters, on hearing this, repeated three or four times how much they were grieved, how shocking it was to have a bad cold, and how excessively they disliked being ill themselves; and then thought no more of the matter: and their indifference towards Jane when not immediately before them, restored Elizabeth to the enjoyment of all her original dislike. 42
The dinner too in its turn was highly admired; and he begged to know to which of his fair cousins, the excellence of its cookery was owing. But here he was set right by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen. He begged pardon for having displeased her. In a softened tone she declared herself not at all offended; but he continued to apologize for about a quarter of an hour. 70
" You persist, then, in supposing his sisters influence lim.
^^ Yes, in conjunction with his friend.
" I carmot believe it. Why should they try to influence him? They can only wish his happiness, and if he is .ttached to me, no other woman can secure it."
" Your first position is false. They may wish many lings besides his happiness; they may wish his increase of wealth and consequence; they may wish him to marry 1 girl who has all the importance of money, great conections, and pride."
" Beyond a doubt, they do wish him to choose Miss Darcy," replied Jane; " but this may be from better feelings than you are supposing. They have known her much longer than they have known me; no wonder if they love her better. But, whatever may be their own wishes, it is very unlikely they should have opposed their brother's. What sister would think herself at liberty to do it, unless there were something very objectionable ? If they believed him attached to me, they would not try to part us; if he were so, they could not succeed. By supposing such an affection, you make every body acting unnaturally and wrong, and me most unhappy. Do not distress me by the idea. I am not ashamed of having been mistaken - or, at least, it is slight, it is nothing in comparison of what I should feel in thinking ill of him or his sisters. Let me take it in the best light, in the light in which it may be understood." 132-3
" Upon my word," said her ladyship, " you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. - Pray, what is your age?
" With three younger sisters grown up," replied Elizabeth smiling, "your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it."
Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer; and Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence. 158
" In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."
Elizabeth's astonishment was beyond expression. She stared, coloured, doubted, and was silent. This he considered sufficient encouragement, and the avowal of all that he felt and had long felt for her, immediately followed. He spoke well, but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed, and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority - of its being a degradation - of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.
In spite of her deeply-rooted dislike, she could not be insensible to the compliment of such a man's affection, and though her intentions did not vary for an instant, she was at first sorry for the pain he was to receive; still, roused to resentment by his subsequent language, she lost all compassion in anger. She tried, however, to compose herself to answer him with patience, when he should have done. He concluded with representing to her the strength of that attachment which, in spite of all his endeavours, he had found impossible to conquer; and vith expressing his hope that it would now be rewarded by her acceptance of his hand. As he said this, she could easily see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer. He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security. Such a circumstance could only exasperate further, and when he ceased, the colour rose into her cheeks, and she said,
In such cases as this, it is, I believe, the established mode to express a sense of obligation for the sentiments avowed, however unequally they may be returned. It is natural that obligation should be felt, and if I could feel gratitude, I would now thank you. But I cannot - I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I am sorry to have occasioned pain to any one. It has been most unconsciously done, however, and I hope will be of short duration. The feelings which, you tell me, have long prevented the acknowledgment of your regard, can have little difficulty in overcoming, it after this explanation." 178-9
Let her go then. Colonel Forster is a sensible man, and will keep her out of any real mischief; and she is luckily too poor to be an object of prey to any body. At Brighton she will be of less importance even as a common flirt than she has been here. The officers will find women better worth their notice. Let us hope, therefore, that her being there may teach her her own insignificance. At any rate, she cannot grow many degrees worse, without authhorizing us to lock her up for the rest of her life." 214-5
Had Elizabeth's opinion been all drawn from her own family, she could not have formed a very pleasing picture of conjugal felicity or domestic comfort. Her father captivated by youth and beauty, and that appearance of good humour, which youth and beauty generally give, had married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind, had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her. Respect, esteem, and confidence, had vanished for ever; and all his views of domestic happiness were overthrown. 218
It was evident that she was much better acquainted with Mr, Darcy than they had before any idea of; it was evident that he was very much in love with her. They, saw much to interest, but nothing to justify enquiry. 240
For such an attachment as this, she might have sufficient charms; and though she did not suppose Lydia to be deliberately engaging in an elopement, without the intention of marriage, she had no difficulty in believing that neither her virtue nor her understanding would preserve her from falling an easy prey. 254
Let me thank you again and again, in the name of all my family, for that generous compassion which induced you to take so much trouble, and bear so many mortifications, for the sake of discovering them."
"If you will thank me," he replied, " let it be for your self alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you, might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe, I thought only of you," 331
The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably nevcr felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposcd to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the cxpression of heart-felt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.
They walked on, without knowing in what direction. There was too much to be thought, and felt, and said, for attention to any other objects. She soon learnt that they were indebted for their present good understanding to the efforts of his aunt, who did call on him in her return through London, and there relate her journey to Longbourn, its motive, and the substance of her conversaion with Elizabeth; dwelling emphatically on every expression of the latter, which, in her ladyship's apprehension, peculiarly denoted her perverseness and assurance, in the belief that such a relation must assist her endeavours to obtain that promise from her nephew, which she had refused to give. But, unluckily for her ladyship, its effect had been exactly contrariwise. 332
" What did you say of me, that I did not deserve ? For, though your accusations were ill-founded, formed on mistaken premises, my behaviour to you at the time, had merited the severest reproof. It was unpardonable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence."
" We will not quarrel for the greater share of blame annexed to that evening," said Elizabeth. " The conduct of neither, if strictly examined, will be irreproachable; but since then, we have both, I hope, improved in civility." 332-3
" My objcct then," replied Darcy, " was to shew you, by every civility in my power, that I was not so mean as to resent the past; and I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill opinion, by letting you see that your reproofs had been attended to. How soon any other wishes introduced themselves I can hardly tell, but I believe in about half an hour after I had seen you." 335
She remembered :hat he had yet to learn to be laughed at, and it was rather too early to begin. 337
" You know nothing of the matter, That is all to be forgot. Perhaps I did not always love him so well as I do now. But in such cases as these, a good memory is unpardonable. This is the last time I shall ever remember it myself." 338
" My beauty you had early withstood, and as for my manners - my behaviour to you was at least always bordering on the uncivil, and I never spoke to you without rather wishing to give you pain than not. Now be sincere; did you admire me for my impertinence.'' "
" For the liveliness of your mind, I did."
" You may as well call it impertincnce at once. It was very little less. The fact is, that you were sick of civility, of defence, of officious attention. You were disgusted with he women who were always speaking and looking, and thinking for your approbation alone, I roused, and interested you, because I was so unlike them. 344
I wish I could say, for the sake of her family, that the accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of her children, produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life; though perhaps it was lucky for her husband, who might not have relished domestic felicity in so unusual a form, that she still was occasionally nervous and invariably silly. 348
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Orla Jordal, 2007
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