Very simple answer
Posted by Mark on October 07, 1997 at 16:20:18:
In response to other questions!, written by AnneM on October 07, 1997 at 14:09:40
] ] I was referring to the information that the lawyer passed on to Jane when he broke up the marriage about her uncle who was very interested in her. Wouldn't the words, "dying rich uncle who wishes to make you his heir" mean anything to her?
] I must have a different edition, couldnt find those, but I have other issues...which complicate this scene
] ] My only guess is she was in such shock, she couldn't think straight.
]
] This is a puzzlement for me, but for many reasons...
] Jane herself started this whole pickle by writing to the uncle in the first place. Remember, Jane had this info from just before Aunt Reed died. Why did she not write from Gatehead, she was there three weeks after the funeral! It was then she learned about the money! Why did she wait until she got back to Thornfield? Or why she didn't renew the correspondence at Moor House. Or how Jane's letter got to the islands and Mr Mason got back to England in one month. Or why the heck didn't Mr Briggs have further details of the "competency" mentioned in Uncle's letter from three years ago.
] Poor little Jane was in such a shock, she could not think straight. Yes, yet throughout the book she is such a strong character, and has such a clear head. Why did she not go find Messrs Briggs and Mason until this was all straigntened out? These guys just left her, in Thornfield, alone in a swoon? They couldn't wait to leave. Would not gentlemanlike behavior had dictated at least an offer of assistance from one of them? errr!! Why did they just leave her like that?
] :-)
]
]
And you are so right about them not doing anything. Talk about letting the ball drop! It's inexcusable. Jane could have the guy's license!!
I am afraid that the only answer to all this is that the author is Charlotte Bronte, not Jane Austen. The protaganists in a romance novel must SUFFER before they can be happy. Little details like what we have been discussing just get in the way of their ennobling ordeal. Therefore they are unimportant and can safely be ignored.
Any wonder why I prefer Jane Austen to any other novelist?
Posting followups to old messages is disabled; instead go to the main index and post a new message which mentions this one.
