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Socializing is the purpose...   Written by Tina (4/15/2010 1:03 a.m.) in consequence of the missive, Why is yes the only possible answer?, penned by Akaruihi
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And by attending the assembly, you're implicitly acknowledging a willingness to socialize. Mr. Bennet was not will to socialize (at least not that evening) and thus he didn't attend.

It's a social contract, if you will. And Darcy did not uphold his end of that contract. Darcy is not being a rebel - he is not protesting the social practice of balls and assemblies, he's just being rude because he's in a bad mood. (IMO, of course)

That aside, Darcy could have declined to dance without being rude and speaking cruelly of the young woman in question. The gentlemanly thing to do, if he truly just didn't want to dance would be to say something along the lines of: "I'm not inclined to dance; in my present mood I would make a poor partner to any young woman here." He didn't do that. No, he was rude and instead of taking responsibility for his actions (I'm in a bad mood, so I don't want to dance) he blamed his actions on others (I would dance if she were good enough/pretty enough).


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