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Predictions   Written by Tom P2 (10/18/2010 10:15 p.m.)
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Some expressions in ch48 -- it began to strike him and just such a contrast with his early opinion on the subject -- remind me that there were many predictions made earlier in the book. It's hard to discuss predictions when they're made, because we often can't say much more than "Look what he/she thinks is going to happen, let's see how that goes later in the group read, nudge nudge."

Edmund was still predicting at the end of ch47 (it was a sort of thing which he never could get entirely the better of etc etc), but I thought I'd go back and take stock of the predictions in ch1.

  • Mrs Price: To save herself from useless remonstrance
    Not entirely right: some useless remonstrance arrives later in the same paragraph.

  • Sir Thomas: cousins in love
    Right, but soon withdrawn.

  • Mrs Norris: the last person in the world to withhold my mite upon such an occasion
    Wrong, and either a self-delusion or an outright lie.

  • Mrs Norris: ten to one but she has the means of settling well, without farther expense to anybody
    Right, although the means to marry Mr Crawford don't come with the inclination attached.

  • Mrs Norris: I don’t say she would be so handsome as her cousins. I dare say she would not
    Right.

  • Mrs Norris: she will never be more to either than a sister
    Wrong.

  • Mrs Norris: I am sure we shall never disagree on this point [generosity to Fanny]
    Wrong: she disagrees with Sir Thomas about the generosity of giving a ball when his daughters are away.

    (Bah! Mrs Norris just goes on and on canting. I'm going to skip the rest of her ch1 predictions that are just about her own plans.)

  • Sir Thomas: she will, at least, have the advantage of companions of her own age
    More wrong than right, as Maria and Julia are too aloof to count as real companions.

  • Sir Thomas: We shall probably see much to wish altered in her, and must prepare ourselves for gross ignorance, some meanness of opinions, and very distressing vulgarity of manner
    Wrong, not much, just the occasional bout of obstinacy and ingratitude and independent thought!

  • Sir Thomas: these are not incurable faults
    Right in a general way: we get to see improvements in those sorts of traits by Susan and Sam (and in other ways by Tom and Julia and Yates).

  • Sir Thomas: some difficulty ... distinction ... without making them think too lowly of their cousin
    Right, there did indeed turn out to be a difficulty there.

  • Sir Thomas: would, on no account, authorise in my girls the smallest degree of arrogance towards their relation
    Right, he was too detached to do anything as direct as authorising their arrogance.

  • Sir Thomas: but still they cannot be equals. Their rank, fortune, rights, and expectations will always be different
    Right, their situations changed in quantum leaps, so there was never an instant when they were equal.

In conclusion, most of the weightier predictions are either wrong, or technically right in unintended ways. Anyone'd think that this book was written by the creator of Emma Woodhouse.

At least Fanny never teased Pug, as far as we know... though that one was only a hope, not an out-and-out prediction.


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